Don't Take It Personal New Orleans Part 2

I don't say very many things that I regret, mainly because I think about what I'm going to say long before I say it. I'm really thankful that somewhere in my 24 year existence I learned to analyze my thoughts and opinions fairly and from every perspective. I'm pretty good at seeing both sides of a story. I'm also the first person to admit when I am wrong or when I said or did something I never really believed in. And believe it or not, I have been known to change my mind about how I feel towards some things. That's the reason I am writing this amendment to what I wrote about those victims who stayed back in New Orleans.

When I wrote the "Don't Take It Personal New Orleans" I must admit that I intially didn't think it was as bad as it has become. I didn't think that the death toll would be as high as it is. I didn't realize that 24% of Lousiana residents are poor. I didn't think about the storm, which changed from a category 3 hurricance to a category 5 as it passed through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I failed to take it all in. I admit that I wrote part 1 because I was frustrated that so many people were in trouble and were succeptable to death. I'm sure that many who stayed in New Orleans didn't want to, but due to the high price of gas (even before the hurricane) and the lack of transportation they probably did not have a choice. I don't think anybody intially thought it was going to be as bad as it was, even the government.

Say what you will about the slow response, but with every national tragedy it is easy to see the good. We see that, once again, Americans will do any and everything to help people who need it. Our country, as divided as it can be sometimes, is one of compassion and consideration. Politics aside, we are capable of doing great things for one another. And it doesn't get much better than that. People have traveled to New Orleans to help with the victims, have donated money, and have taken people into their homes. That's the real story and what makes me proud to be an American (..."where at least I know I'm free"...).