Tuesday, August 28, 2012

WAYT: Remembering Katrina


It was seven years ago that Hurricane Katrina changed the United States.  For me back then, my life was very different.  (I’m sure we all viewed the world differently before Katrina.) 

I was sitting on my couch in my rented apartment, next to the Long John Silver’s in Jacksonville, Illinois.  My roommate was at work and if memory serves, I was just getting started on my first homework assignments for my senior year of college. 

From my living room window, I could see a gas station.  I watched the price per gallon tick higher and higher as the streets of New Orleans flooded and trapped the people on their rooftops and sent them fleeing to the Superdome. 

I went to New Orleans once.  It was my first vacation without my mom and my first college spring break.  I loved it there.  I’m convinced that, in a previous life, I was a southerner.  There is something about every state in the southern US that I’ve visited that makes me feel like I’m at home.  But New Orleans, with its creepy and eclectic vibe, was a unique experience for me.  Even after only few short days there, I could feel the imprint that the city left on me. 

I was sad for the city, seeing it destroyed the way that it was, but I was even more saddened in the days that followed the storm, as we all learned through the lens of a TV camera what it felt like for those New Orleans residents to be all alone in a huge, bleeding and gasping horde.  Beyond New Orleans, the response was just as ugly.  We weren’t prepared and we didn’t do enough.  In fairness, I’m not sure we could have ever been fully prepared…

What I’m thinking, as Hurricane Isaac rolls in to test the city once again, is that I hope we’ll do better this time.  I hope the levees and flood walls are stronger, I hope the people are smarter and I hope that we are ready to support New Orleans and all of those who will be affected by Isaac. 

Back in 2005, the help was weak to say the least.  We shouldn’t only do better now because we owe them better – we should do better because we know how.  By now, every government investigation and every TV pundit has called us out.  Our way to a more successful response is clear. 

It’s tragic that we’re getting a second chance to do right by the Gulf Coast residents in a time of extreme crisis.  We can’t get our innocence back – we can’t pretend that Katrina didn’t show our dark side.  But that pesky Golden Rule applies here: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Maybe the first time around, we forgot about that.  As the necessary response grew and the costs climbed, maybe people got worried about the nickels and dimes.  And that’s an important consideration, especially now as the US is struggling in a seemingly never-ending recession. 

But you can’t put a price on what the response to the crisis means.  Katrina was already ugly – destruction everywhere, rampant despair – but then we added the sub par response to it and everything was so much worse.  Isaac needs a better PR face, to be sure, but I sincerely hope that wasn’t the only lesson we’ve learned in seven years. 

It’s worth it to pick up the pieces from all of these storms.  I know that New Orleans and every town around it is worth the effort.  And if you’ve never been to the Gulf Coast before, don’t let these storms keep you away.  No matter what, the South is always welcoming, and they’ll carry on no matter what Mother Nature dumps on them.  But the least we can do is commit to doing better, that’s all I’m asking for.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

WAYT: Ryan Lochte is the worst party guest


I honestly don’t care that Prince Harry got naked in Vegas.  What I do care about, is that he would spend his free time with Ryan Lochte.  What are you thinking, Henry Charles Albert David?

Everyone knows that Harry is the cheeky prince.  Maybe I’d have to be British to be outraged that he was up to no good on his post-Olympics vacation.  Except that I’ve accepted Harry for who he is, so I’m just not surprised that he got caught again. 

Harry once made a real mistake, dressing up like a Nazi for Halloween.  (Harry really needs to get some better security who will sweep his playmates for recording devices.)  But this isn’t that big of a deal.  He went to Vegas, found some chicks who wanted to hang with him (me, me!), became inebriated, and took off his knickers.  I’ve been to Vegas and didn’t party like that, but we all know this is the type of thing that Vegas is meant for.

Everyone makes mistakes.  Everyone has lapses in judgment.  And at least no one is filing charges against him. 

In my opinion, the most egregious offense is that Harry would grant an audience to Ryan Lochte.  Sure, the guy is a decorated Olympian.  Sure, all of the American swimmers are nice to look at – I don’t know how you you could train as hard as they do and not become a drool-worthy physical specimen.  But the fact of the matter is, Ryan Lochte is obnoxious. 

A grill on the medal podium?  The catch phrase “Jeah”?  Allowing your mom to tell the morning news shows that you deal in one night stands?  This guy annoys me more than Justin Bieber.  I admire Lochte’s talent, but he’s a punk. 

Of course the media is blowing this whole story way out of proportion.  It’s not a violation of free speech for the monarchy to ask the press to leave the pictures of Harry off the front page.  I personally don’t need to see Harry’s crown jewels covered by a black dot.  That would be an exploitation of Harry, and in my opinion, a violation of his right to privacy.  When the Queen tells the press they had better not publish the pictures, that’s the message that I receive.  If you think that Harry meant for the whole world to see these pictures, I’m sure you’re wrong.    

The media is always on a witch hunt.  They always want to sensationalize beyond all reason, and they always want to tear everyone down to their lowest common denominator. 

I don’t find Harry to be a disgrace.  I find him to be remarkably honest in his youth and inexperience.  If anyone’s lived a sheltered life, I’m sure it’s him.  Sure, he’s met world leaders and fills a huge public role for Great Britain, but he’s still young, still a bachelor, and still one of the richest guys on the planet, surrounded by people who try to protect his interests because he’s not capable of doing it for himself all the time.  How sensible can you be when you live his life?  I wonder. 

Don’t you suppose that Harry feels pretty lonely and sad now?  There he was, having a great time and letting loose, and now he’s been exposed and ridiculed and it’s still not enough – the press and the public want more.  It’s actually disgusting that anyone would turn his Vegas trip into what it’s become. 

And while I’m preaching, for heaven’s sake Ryan Lochte, quit whoring yourself out for any promotional opportunity you can find.  What are you thinking?  You don’t need to be The Bachelor, you don’t need to copyright every stupid thought that ends up coming out of your mouth and you don’t need this much attention.  You are about to cross the line that Harry hasn’t.  Be content with your Wheaties box and leave us all alone for a while. 

P.S. I’ve been gone for a while due to site maintenance.  In case you were wondering…