So, I'm a little late posting this blog, but it suffices to say that I'm still really irritated. And at the request of my husband, I'm posting my thoughts -- albeit not so fresh on everyone's mind . . .

My beef is with the residents in the path of Hurricane Ike who chose to stay, even though the government warned people of certain death - a dire warning - they said. Yet, people stayed. Why?

One guy said that "God would protect him" -- Now, I'm a christian woman, but did you ever hear the one about the guy who tried to ride out a flood saying God would protect him? A friend in a truck offered to take him out, a guy in a boat tried to take him, and a guy in a helicopter tried to rescue him -- all the time in this "joke", the man said God would save him. When he died, he was angry with God asking why God hadn't saved him. Of course, in the "joke", God said, "I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter - what more would you like me to do?!?" . . . moral of the story, if you have a warning, adhere to it. God IS going to protect you - you have to heed his angel's warnings!

Duh!

Another article outlines that others stayed to save what they could once the storm had passed - many had left during Rita and had had thier farm animals die because they had to wait a week to get back into thier homes. Others wanted to ensure they were able to mitigate damage to thier homes once the storm had passed. At last count I saw, 50 people are confirmed dead.

Regardless, the people who rode out the storm may indeed be fiercely independent, but they are also hampering efforts for everyone who did receive the warnings to come back in. Because officials have to continue search and rescue missions, provide assistance to those who stayed, and enforce curfews, again the people who played by the rules get screwed. Efforts shouldn't have to be focused on those who stayed - if the states weren't going to enact martial law and force people to leave, then they shouldn't worry about helping them and focus on getting the areas ready for evacuees to return.

I know, it sounds harsh -- I should probably post this on my blogspot, but these "fiercely independent" people why stayed in the path of Hurricane Ike, who refused to heed warnings of certain death, shouldn't delay all those who did heed the warnings from returning to thier homes, to pick up the pieces of thier lives. Evacuees are staying in shelters, hotels, or even sneaking back into the area.

So, what ramifications should happen to those who stayed, impeding restoration of services and sanitation? Community service. Plain and simple, the people who stayed behind and are causing efforts to be diverted from immediate issues to get the masses back into the area should be given mandatory community service directly related to the recovery efforts once the rest of the people can return. The people complaining they can't get bottled water, food, fuel, and other necessities in the damaged areas who rode out the storm should be paying back thier neighbors by helping relief efforts in the aftermath. I'm sure that all services can be used from continuing clean-up efforts, to cleaning toilets at help centers, to reading to children at the library or whatever they are capable of giving back to thier communities.

I had written Glenn Beck about it after he had made a comment echoing my concerns of people who rode out the storm costing so much more time, money, and effort in getting the areas back opened versus if they had left as instructed (I didn't hear back from him . . . yet!). BTW: If you missed his series this week, Exposed: America's Broke -- I highly reccomend you take a look. I've also been bitching about recent economic events on my blogspot.

The economy is an entirely different issue . . . I'm really fired up about that . . .