Thursday, September 01, 2005
Wedding Canceled
One of my best friends, Mark Grant, was scheduled to get married next week in New Orleans, his fiancee's home town. Their wedding has been postponed indefinitely. Mark put it in perspective by saying "My inlaws don't even have clothes."
In conversations with his his inlaws, Mark has learned that the situation on the ground is considerably worse than can be captured in the print and visual media. The amount of decomposing flesh and waste that is everywhere, combined with stifling heat and humidity, has created scenes out of Lord of the Flies.
He also told me that authorities on the perimeter of New Orleans are turning away angry residents who are insisting they be allowed to return to their property, and he believes these confrontations might grow violent. I had two immediate responses to his fears of increased violence.
The gulf coast has a reputation for its residents being gun owners, which could make the confrontations a big problem. It also occurs to me that this is one of those situations where it would be nice to have more of our National Guard forces in our own country to help keep calm.
In conversations with his his inlaws, Mark has learned that the situation on the ground is considerably worse than can be captured in the print and visual media. The amount of decomposing flesh and waste that is everywhere, combined with stifling heat and humidity, has created scenes out of Lord of the Flies.
He also told me that authorities on the perimeter of New Orleans are turning away angry residents who are insisting they be allowed to return to their property, and he believes these confrontations might grow violent. I had two immediate responses to his fears of increased violence.
The gulf coast has a reputation for its residents being gun owners, which could make the confrontations a big problem. It also occurs to me that this is one of those situations where it would be nice to have more of our National Guard forces in our own country to help keep calm.
