At the very peril of the United States, Bush appropriated $ billions for War!

by Mary MacElveen

Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever think that I would hear the word refugee used in relation to the citizens of the United States of America. But, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, our worst nightmare has come true.

Some may say "I cannot believe this is happening to us" and my reply to them is similar situations have happened across the globe for a very long time and it stands to reason and given the stupidity of this government, our time would come.

My heart breaks as I have seen the many interviews conducted where these victims are trying to survive in horrific conditions.

Then again, in past world disasters, we have seen the same images coming from those regions as well.

Why are we taken back when it happens to us?

Why does it get our attention especially when we have seen thousands killed by other similar disasters?

We were all shell-shocked on 9/11 when those that hate us came and attacked us on our own soil. We could not believe this was happening to our nation. Again, similar attacks have happened to citizens of other countries in the past, and why did that not shake us?

– Did we think we were invincible where no such attack could happen on our shores?

Perhaps, we all should have held Bush’s feet to the fire and demand a real inquiry as to how this happened and not the half-hearted measure through the “9/11 Commission” which does not answer anything.

Bush fought that investigation ... what does that tell you?

Could this attack by Mother Nature herself be Biblical?

After all, the war in Iraq which I have come to call the "Bush War" is truly about oil ... it is not about bringing that nation freedom and democracy as this government wants you to believe.

– You bring freedom and democracy to a nation by setting an example and not by bombing it!

So, where does Mother Nature strike us? It struck us in the heart of our oil producing region where our gluttony for this commodity is refined so that we can fill up our SUVs.

Bush stated that he would tap into our strategic oil reserves, while he once ridiculed former Vice President Al Gore in wanting to do the very same thing. But, here is the catch. These reserves are unrefined crude oil and we need these now-damaged refineries to get it into the people’s hands.

Years ago, when California was facing an energy crisis, George W. Bush stated "there would be no help coming from Washington, D.C." I found that statement callous in nature.

American citizens were in need of his help and what did he do? He turned his back on them. Also, domestic spending has been cut to the bone as he appropriated those funds to fight his war in Iraq. The billions spent fighting this illegal war, could have been used to shore up these levies. By turning his back on protecting these levies he has destroyed this region. The effects of this destruction will not only be felt this region, it will be felt by all of us. We will be affected by increased gasoline prices which have already begun to happen. Many of the goods we consume are shipped by trucks and planes where the cost of increased gas prices will be past along to the consumer.

Will we hear "Attention Wal Mart shoppers, our low prices have just gone up"?

In a Houston Chronicle article entitled, “Keeping its head above water — New Orleans faces doomsday scenario" published on December 1, 2001, the first paragraph is astounding: "New Orleans is sinking ... and its main buffer from a hurricane, the protective Mississippi River delta, is quickly eroding away, leaving the historic city perilously close to disaster."

Why wasn’t this administration paying attention?

They blatantly turned their backs to fund a war ... that is treason in my book.

Why weren’t our congress members paying attention as well as they voted for the Iraq Resolution? This government will think nothing of throwing our good money after bad to try and prove something to the American people that they are dealing with terrorism. Well are they? We only have to look at the London bombings to know this to be true. There have been other bombings as well in places such as Madrid and Bali.

Terrorism comes in many forms ... there is personal terrorism as we have just witnessed in New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama, where people’s lives have been destroyed and where it is now feared that thousands have died ... they are living in abject terror and this administration could care less ... "They" needed those funds for Iraq.

Terrorism comes also in the form where people are not getting the medical care they need in this country and where Bush has not addressed this important and life saving issue.

– People are facing personal terrorism as seniors must continue to make the hard decisions between eating and taking their medicines.

– People are facing a form of personal terrorism as they lose their jobs and will continue to do so through CAFTA.

If Americans are not working, they will be either evicted from their homes and face foreclosure on the homes they own. How many will face their own personal terror this winter as the price of heating oil for their homes escalate?

Meanwhile the monster responsible for derailing the people’s business from getting done is still out there ... and his name is Osama bin Laden.

I seem to remember Bush stating that he would capture him "dead or alive" ... which turned into "I don’t know where he is, I do not care, he is not important and not our priority!"

Excuse me!

America ... why are you allowing for such incompetence coming from the president of the United States?

All of the above are issues that Bush has not dealt with and why I believe he has imperiled us all ... he has endangered this country and destroyed a region. That to me is treason. I am of the opinion that we must call for his impeachment.

As it stands this disaster will cost the taxpayers billions upon billions of dollars to clean up where Bush stated "It will take years." So, here is a question for our fine folks in Congress: Why not go back into past bills loaded with pork barrel spending and rip them up?

– Wal Mart will be given $37 million dollars for a road expansion project and they are the world’s wealthiest retailer. Let them pay for it themselves.

– In Alaska a bridge will be built and named after a sitting congress member named Don Young and you and I will be paying, $223 million for it.

National emergencies come first, bridges second or maybe never.

Or this is my favorite one ... the Senate just recently passed an $82 billion dollar war appropriations package where a $600 million dollar American embassy will be built in Iraq.

These and other similar pork barrel spending must be suspended in the name of national security.

How about congress demanding all those billions given to Halliburton to be returned to the people in order to bring relief to this region devastated by Hurricane Katrina?

– These people are in need of our help and not greedy corporations and politicians.

Katrina reminded us all of the fact, that we no longer have a government for, of and by the people.

America, isn’t it about time we demand our business be attended to?

Mary MacElveen

xmjmac@optonline.net