HispanicVista Columnists
It is the Government’s Fault
-
By Steven J. Ybarra, JD/HispanicVista.com - October 21, 2005
- Notas por La Casa Politica
- _____________________________________
-
- ©Steven J. Ybarra JD is a retired civil rights attorney who operates a consultant company in California. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee and a long time political activist. Contact Steven at: sjybarra@aol.com. This article is copyright by Steven J. Ybarra JD, originally published in www.Hispanicvista.com but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog, or web media if this entire credit paragraph is attached.
I went to my high school reunion. Forty years is a long time in anybody’s book. Out of the 870 graduates about 200 showed up for the dinner and the dancing. It was fun to see all the trophy wives who were snarled at by the “girls” of my class who used to be the trophies. [On a sad note, I did also sit and listen to the stories of some of the guys who talked about work with blank eyes. The eyes that used to shine with the expectation of life.] There was a real avoidance of talking about anything that was going on in the world, as if during the reunion weekend all that troubled the world did not exist. It was a surreal time which I really enjoyed.
One conversation I had with an old friend related to the failure of government to deal with human misery. He commented to me that we first had to take care of ourselves because the government would not. I reflected on that comment and recalled recent pictures showing Americans on their roofs waiting for help. I recalled the pictures of Mexicans and El Salvadorians helping each other dig out of mud, and finally the Pakistanis freezing in the mountains after the quake.
“Civilized Governments” have become paralyzed in their inability to act with any speed or direct response to anything. Every decision to do anything is now based in a political discussion of who is best served by the decision. Come on people they were flooded, drowning and freezing - what exactly is the question!?!
Here is the question of the day - can we fire them all?
If these clowns worked for me I would fire them. Domestically, FEMA is a joke. Let us all say it together and get over it. As for our international assistance, our friends in Central America are still digging out of the mud.
Here is the fun one. In Central America, if you are not reported missing you are not. Mind you entire villages were wiped out and there are a lot of unclaimed bodies, but they are not counted as missing - because they were not reported as missing. I know, it does not make sense.
Last night when I was driving back from Riverside, the story of the day was about the earthquake survivors freezing to death because there were no tents. It had been ten days and there was no help. It was sounding to me a lot like New Orleans.
I am so angry at our lack of criticism of this whole affair that I could just spit.
My mother would say that when it was just too much. So get ready America lets all spit together.
I do not care which political party is in charge of this mess. Let us fix it. Yes, Howard, America wants a plan from us. [Note: For my Democratic National Committee (DNC) colleagues - if we do not fix our party infrastructure they are going to get us again.]
Let us get the people who can do the job and put them in charge. Let us stop with all the negatives and save America. We need to fix the infrastructure. I know it is boring but the roads, water, lights and gas need to be fixed.
We need to declare war on big engine cars. If I can get 45 miles to the gallon, everybody can. I also do the speed limit so I do not burn any additional gasoline. It amazes me that this country does not seem to care that our dependence on oil is our Achilles heal in our global fight for democracy!!! President Bush needs to emphasize America’s duty to slow down and save American lives.
On a final note, it was good to see Donna Rae and Shirley and Jimmy and Mike and all the kids from STS, however, it was not good to visit the wall at Ramona High and see all the names of our classmates killed in Vietnam. The Class of ‘65 endured more bloodshed than most. I hope that the Class of 2005 will not have those kinds of memories.
And for those who think that demonstrating against this war is a losing proposition, let them look to the current body count and the tons of heroin coming from the Middle East to your local high school and community.
With a little luck we can keep the kids shining with an expectation of making a better world.
P.S. - WE are THE GOVERNMENT.