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You can’t help but see all of the destruction that Katrina has left in her wake. You cannot help but hear all the countless stories of people that can’t find their loved ones, lost every last possession, and have no figment of any thought as to what their next steps will be. This whole ordeal is affecting me a lot more than I’d imagine. I guess because I have family down south… not in the regions affected, but they are very close. And that the folks that I see on TV look like my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. That makes it all the more real. When my mom was about 9, a category 4 hurricane ripped through Texas. My grandma refused to take them to a shelter, because she felt they would be safer where they were. She was right. Hurricane Carla flooded numerous parts of Texas and 31 people died. Not to mention that the very shelter my mom would have stayed was overwhelmed by a variety of illnesses and diseases that only added on to the death toll of the event. I hope that in the aftermath of Katrina that everything gets put entirely into perspective. Like us public health geeks constantly say – Everything is a public health issue.

You would think that the infrastructure for regions like these would be in adequate place, and that people shouldn’t have to wait 4 days to get clean water and food, let alone be rescued. Although I can’t help but be glued to the TV to stay informed about what’s going on, I’m getting sick of what I see and hear. How all the negativity that is going on in Louisiana and Mississippi is overshadowing the ultimate issue – that everyone needs help. Most recently, a zero tolerance/shoot to kill order has been enacted. What the fizzle? Like my homie tuc21 was telling me earlier: shoot a 12 yr old kid who is tryin to get some evian at 711. I can only imagine the countless stories about these instances in the days to come.

This topic has been involved in almost every convo I’ve had lately. At the beauty shop today, my stylist was so pissed at Bush on TV. I wonder when and if he’s gonna go into the regions that were affected worse and not only the “safe” parts – not only in terms of damage, but also in terms of the areas where there aren’t as many poor and just about forgotten. Props to New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin and Ohio Representative Ted Strickland for criticizing the Federal Government for their slow response to do something that they should have already been prepared for. It’s horrible that thousands of people have been displaced, for the time being, and will soon be released to a home that no longer exists for them. Is their any plan to support them a month from now? Hell, how about tomorrow??? This all just pisses me off even more and more.

So what do we do from here? In November, just about all of the health education department and students were slated to attend a conference in New Orleans. The APHA annual meeting is like the Super Bowl for public health professionals – in which we come together and share with and learn from one another and what direction health will take. I was juiced about going, but after Katrina, I’m not sure if it really matters any more. It’s ironic that this national public health event was slated for an area that is hit by a major public health crisis. Although I doubt that the event is going to happen there, I still want to help those affected by Katrina as best as I can. If anyone hears about ways to volunteer or donate supplies to victims, please let me know. It’s time to get active.