Sunday, August 27, 2006

Anniversaries

I usually don't get even close to political commentary. But, as a disclaimer, this post may go there.

I turned on the news this morning and the two news stories getting the most attention were Hurricane Ernesto in the Atlantic and the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. There was a five minute segment on Ernesto and a 25 minute segment on Katrina. The survival stories of the people from New Orleans are inspiring, yet saddening because some still have nothing.

What frustrates me are the politicians (usually democrat) that are brought onto these shows who just hammer away on how Katrina relief was slow (which I agree with - local, state, and federal gov't could have done better) and how we're not ready for an Ernesto disaster if that happens. Is this the media coverage that's going to happen for the next two weeks? I see politicians re-hashing this thing all over again just to advance their political agendas.

I turned to another channel this afternoon, and watched one of the many stories from September 11. These are all moving stories which effect me, even years later. But, this story was followed by a politician (usually republican) who appears to be trying to advance a political agenda. I have heard that the next two weeks will be best time (politically) for democrats, then the republicans will have their turn.

Just as a friendly piece of advice to all the politicians and political pundants out there, stay away from making these anniversaries into a political statement. I am not trying to take away from the tragedies that happened, but what frustrates me is politicians and other people trying to capitalize on this.

I know it's an important election year in the United States. And, I know that these two dates bring on a lot of emotion. But, if people try to score some political points at the expense of human suffering, that's going to turn a lot of people off, including me.

5 comments:

Dreaming again said...

Amen, and amen!

Anonymous said...

Amen.

NeoNurseChic said...

Well said... I know the upcoming "made for tv movie" about the days leading up to 9/11 (I think?) has been advertised as how we knew all about this for 8 years and what those 8 years were all about. Even though the advertisement doesn't come right out and say it, it almost sounds as if this is going to be a major slam on Clinton and his administration - to counter Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Moore's documentary focused on the Bush administration and a "conspiracy theory" that led to 9/11 and I do hope that this movie, that will be aired on ABC, will not be doing just the very same thing from the vantage point of the right trying to smear the left with it.

I still remember every second of that awful day... It had nothing to do with party lines or elections. It had everything to do with terrorists attacking this nation by killing innocent Americans in a very horrifying way. It left children without parents, men and women without their significant others, parents without children, friends lost, etc... My aunts' 2 best friends left behind 7 children between the two of them - the youngest just an infant.

It is infuriating to watch these tragedies be used for a political agenda.....

ipanema said...

Politicians are like leeches. Whenever there's action, they'll try to steal the show. Suckers!

Anonymous said...

The news media make me sick with all this political garbage. I also hate that the politicians use tragedy to gain votes.