[Edge34]

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So let me get this straight - they are supposed to just let everyone into the Astrodome? What do you think would happen if they didn't control how many people were let in there?

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No, everyone can't be let into the Astrodome. The fire marshall and local authorities understand that X number of people can be sustained there. A few posters have touched on one of the main issues here ... THERE IS NO LEADERSHIP. None. Zip. Unacceptable. No gameplan. No logistics. No communication. Not enough National Guard, Airborne, Marines, Infantry in NO. This hurricane was bringing menace. National Guard (at least 5,000) should have been stationed in NO BEFORE Katrina hit land. One poster stated its too early to tell how the relief effort is going. Ummm, come again. I heard the director of FEMA say tonight that he didn't realize people were at the convention center until today. I knew this information yesterday. Lack of foresight. Lack of leadership.

I am pissed that people are dieing as I type this. I am pissed that American citizens have gone 72 hours without food and water. What are you missing people. American citizens have gone without food and water for 3 days. Hello. I'll go out on a limb and say we'll hear our first canabilism report tomorrow.

Greg H.

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I just had to think about this...sending 5000 troops to NO before the storm hit, when literally EVERYBODY in NO knew that it was coming and were being told to leave...that just seems counterproductive. They can do no good DURING the storm, and they can no more force people to leave than local police could.

I think this situation is FAR more complex than you give it credit for being. Yes, its a tragedy, and I'm as saddened that people have and may still lose their lives over this. But the shelters are filling to beyond max capacity, and there's only so much that can be done at once.

In an ideal world, people would have been sent to N'awlins 3 or 4 days before the storm and FORCED people out of their homes. But that was no more logical than the plan that has been taken. The authorities are clearly doing everything in their current capacity to remedy this situation, to think otherwise is shortsighted and not fully informed.