Katrina Kids: Sickest Ever

I hear all of this anger and venom towards what happen in New Orleans, but some simple things are left out. Regardless of how poor the people are and what catrgory of porr they fit in, NO ONE deserves the treatment many (not all) of them have received. Yes, it was the levees that caused the problem and damage from the storm that destroyed the levees. We all know that. The reason people are blaming the government is because President Bush was told prior to leaving for vacation that the levees would not hold based on what storm tracking equipment showed to be on the way. No he could not have prevented the storm, be he could have started some sort of plan to deal with what whatever the storm brought forward. When you have the job of leader of the free world, you may have to postpone a few vacations. The next problem was the government's lame excuse that they could not get to the storm sites. Why not, everyone else could? You mean to tell me that that US government had no means to get to damaged areas for more than a week and others were coming by train, plane, and automobile. When the President finally arrived he flew over the sites and observed from the window of his plane. No, the government cannot be blamed for the storm known as Katrina, but they are definitely to blame for the chaos that followed. Yes, people have been irresponsible and there is no excuse for that, put people have also been hungry, sick, injured, damaged, broke, broken, homeless, jobless, alone, dirty, raped, bitten, forgotten, abused, and others are just dead. As for blaming Obama, unless someone has a 6th sense, no one knows what will happen once he takes office, but one is certain, he deserves his chance to try. Looking at how bad things are know, it would seem ridiculous to critcize what hope anyone else could bring this country right now. If there are sick children as result of poor living conditions from Katrina, they need help and they deserve help. To do anything other than help them is stupid and we as a country have looked stupid for far too long now. Enough is enough.

This story is so sad and is a failure of our government and yet another shame on our nation's record. Many of the comments here show the worst of America. May God bless and keep these children and their families. To all you hatemongers, please remember that the same way you judge, so will you be judged. Remember you hard heartedness, cold words, and lack of mercy and love when you and your loved ones receive news of some dreadful medical news. Just remember your words here. You reap what you sow, tend fold people.

If they would work for a living they wouldn't be in this situation. I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the people affected by Katrina. There are so many more people that have been hit with harder things, but because they're not crying about they are not getting any help, for example the people from Houston. What irritates me most is that part of Louisiana didn't even get hit the hardest from that storm. I'm orginally from the midwest and no one ever thinks to help the families hit every year from tornados. I work very hard to be where I'm at, and if something tragic happens, I have to work harder. There's been no one to bail me out, so why should I help or care about the people that have never worked a day in their lives and are taking all of the governments money. They learned that if they cry hard enough, they will get help, but help is never available for the good Americans.

This isn't just "another left-wing point of view" or the result of overcrowding. While it is true that they don't know what pre-existing health issues these children had, putting them in formaldehyde-filled trailers only makes things worse, whether there's one or 10 people living in the trailers. The EPA has known it is a "likely" carcinogen since the 80's.

Final comment-To all of you who keep claiming that it is not the government's responsibility to take care of its people, I pose a question: What is the government's job then? I suppose it is only to help out the rich and powerful, not the poor, hungry, and weak. Why is it okay to send aid all over the world to help others than have had their lives destroyed in a disaster, but because it is poor and black Americans, they should be able to take care of themselves?

HOW THIS ARTICLE FAILS:

And 42 percent have respiratory infections and disorders that may be linked to formaldehyde and crowding in the trailers,

- AND HEAVY SECOND HAND SMOKE....

According to a new report by CHF and Mailman focusing on 261 displaced children.

- Just in case you didn't notice.

The agency's case-management program also "has yet to provide any services for thousands of families,"

- I didn't get services because my house wasn't damaged.... Am I in that number?
- Wait, I thought we were talking about displaced children. What does this statistic matter.
- You're assuming since a study on 261 abandoned children has high rates, that "thousands of families" have children suffering the same fate. Again, I'm fine and my family didn't receive services.

NOTICE THIS???
- 41% of abondoned chilren in a trailer park have anemia. This is higher than children in a homeless shelter, which recieve regular medical care and food on a daily basis. Kinda unfair comparison huh?

Some kids may end up with permanent developmental and cognitive delays, but many can still be helped. The first step will be finding them.

- Some of these kids already had developmental and cognitive delays, because if this was their condition in the trailer park, I doubt it was much better in New Orleans. You must realise that it's the parents responsibility to take care of kids in these trailers.
- Hold up. If you can't find them, then were did the 261 come from. The article is sayiing the percent of a selected 261 children who they don't know where they came from (which means they might not even be from New Orleans, but smuggled in by parents who broke into trailers to hide their drug deals), have higher problem rates than homeless shelters filled with children that we know where they come from and get regular medical attention.
- If you break into a trailer park, we can't track you, and certianly don't know how to get you medical attention. This is different from a homeless shelter, which is ONE building, with names on a roster. In a trailer park, people that don't belong can more easily sneak in without getting on a roster, especially since homeless shelters have people on site.
- This situation is like a homeless shelter that the homeless run themselves.

People, use some logic and reasoning when reading articles. As you can see, this is a heavily spun article, comparing a situation where poorly run families running a trailer park abandoning kids, to a homeless shelter and thousands of families that didn't receive aid. The thousands that didn't recieve aid isn't mentioned in how they are doing. Critical information was left out to make the comparison sound more drastic. Reason things through.

The parents of these children are probably from the same class of people that refused to evacuate and shot at Coast Guard rescue helo's trying to save Katrina victims. The same type that would knowingly move into another trailer that is contaminated with something else, as long as it's on the governments dime. Save the kids, but I'm so over the rest of them.

What happened in New Orleans was a MAN-MADE disaster. The damage to the city occurred AFTER the protection levees failed. Hurricanes are a fact of life if you live along the Atlantic or Gulf Coasts. If you are tired of hurricanes, move. I grew up in Pensacola, FL and I lived in New Orleans and evacuated for Katrina. Two disasters struck the city in 2005, Katrina and the Bush Administrations' response. Shame on FEMA for allowing hurricane victims to reside in trailers contaminated with formaldehyde. The health consequences of Katrina will be felt for a long, long time.

What we are forgetting here is that these people choose to live in New Orleans, a city that is lower than sea level. It is and always has been prone to flooding. I live in Arkansas and our crime rate went up exponentially when all the evacuees from New Orleans came here. I am so tired of hearing about people STILL looking for a handout from the government. Put the blame where it belongs - on Nagin, who refused to use the buses available, and on the people themselves, who have always lived off the government and always will. Wake up people, the government does NOT owe you a living. Get out, get a job, and quit whining! I work hard for my salary, and I REFUSE to help people who will not help themselves.

Countchocula, I feel for you, I really do. You and your husband are the reason why our country is still free. I thank your husband for his service to our country. May God bless you, whether you believe in Him or not.

Has anyone given any thought to the shock value the parents experienced, not just thru the storm itself, but also the events that followed? I don't believe it's realistic to believe the peoples first thoughts were about finding a new place to live or a job. I would compare the mental health of these people to those who have been in a war zone. It takes time, sometimes years, before you can mentally gear-up to face real life again, though you know your children depent on i. The government failed, that's the REAL issue!know though

When are we ever going to stop hearing about Katrina?! I am a "victim" of hurricane Ike from Bridge City, TX. Over 99% of the homes in my town were flooded, but have you heard that on the news? I lost EVERYTHING I own and guess how much money I got from FEMA? None! Guess when my trailer will be here? Never! Am I sitting around whining about how the government isn't taking care of me? Nope. I choose to live on the Gulf Coast, so I choose to take the chance this will happen. Its not someone's tax dollars from North Dakota or anywhere else to help me start over. My family and I picked up our muddy, nasty, molded belongings, cleaned them up (or threw them out) and took care of it ourselves! If I read one more article about the poor pitiful Katrina people, I am pretty sure I will puke.

What about the health of the Florida families who used the FEMA trailers in the aftermath of the viscious '04 hurricane season? Remember Charlie? Ivan? Jeanne? Some of the Florida families were evicted from the the FEMA trailers while waiting for a home so the Katrina families could use them. I have seen no press on how Florida families were adversely affected by formaldehyde while staying in FEMA trailers.

And we should care why? When they have parents, if not relatives to care for their well being. I too, like so many others am sick of hearing about LA Katrina victims. Living in Key West, Florida, we too were hit with every major storm that year. The biggest was Wilma which flooded us and most of us lost our homes, but we all got up and helped each other and did the best we could to get back on our feet. We were told down here that because of Katrina we couldn't get the proper help that was needed. LA people screwed the system for all others that really needed the help. Texas., Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, etc. Now seems like every time there's a hurricane or tropical storm heading to the states, all eyes go to LA. Well there are other states here in the country. Let the LA people give back what they unrightfully took from everyone else and get up and do for themselves for a change. Might do them some good.