Yes, they’re a few days late, but at least they’ve arrived.
National Guardsmen Pour Into Louisiana
Thousands of National Guardsmen with food, water and weapons streamed into Louisiana on Friday to bring relief to New Orleans’ suffering multitudes and put down the looting and violence. “The cavalry is and will continue to arrive,” said one general. The assurances came amid blistering criticism from the mayor and others who said the federal government had bungled the relief effort and let people die in the streets for lack of food, water or medicine.
In Washington, President Bush admitted “the results are not acceptable” and pledged to bolster the relief efforts with a personal trip to the Gulf Coast on Friday.
In the coming weeks there will be plenty of opportunities to debate the lack of early response, the ‘deer in the headlights’ reaction of local and national leadership, and the breakdown of the command structure. For now though, let’s live in the moment, and be grateful that the refugees who are left in New Orleans will finally be getting the aid they need, and will leaving the city soon.