Not a lot of blogging going on, I know; I've probably gone a long way to reducing my regular readership down from two or three (depending on whether my parents read this...) to even less. Lots of stuff going on in the world lately. And I keep having trivial things to blog, but it seems somehow ... unreverential, given the circumstances.
But then I came to think that in any crisis, there are Things To Be Said and Things To Be Done. And since this crisis has happened sufficiently close to home that there's a lot of Things To Be Done, I will take a pass on being one of those who says what needs to be said. I'll save that for the next round of elections.
I do want to put in cheers and thumbs-up for the mayor of Houston, though, and his great speech on the topic of "Why we're going to put the evacuees anywhere we possibly can put them, and if you don't like that go ahead and sue the city, just stand in line amigo." What a refreshing change from incompetence and whining and hand-wringing and blame-shifting.
Oh wait, I wasn't going to say anything. Anyway, despite the human misery of it all, this has been one of those weeks I just feel so damn proud to be a Texan. Let's keep it up; we're in it for the long haul.
But then I came to think that in any crisis, there are Things To Be Said and Things To Be Done. And since this crisis has happened sufficiently close to home that there's a lot of Things To Be Done, I will take a pass on being one of those who says what needs to be said. I'll save that for the next round of elections.
I do want to put in cheers and thumbs-up for the mayor of Houston, though, and his great speech on the topic of "Why we're going to put the evacuees anywhere we possibly can put them, and if you don't like that go ahead and sue the city, just stand in line amigo." What a refreshing change from incompetence and whining and hand-wringing and blame-shifting.
Oh wait, I wasn't going to say anything. Anyway, despite the human misery of it all, this has been one of those weeks I just feel so damn proud to be a Texan. Let's keep it up; we're in it for the long haul.
posted by The Opinionated Homeschooler at 1:05 PM
2 Comments:
I'm still here Sharon...
I agree; as former Houstonians, both Suzanne and I have spoken proudly of living in a city with such good, hard-working, REAL people. It's hard to find pretense in Houston, when everyone is there to work, and little more. Houston went through similar flooding with Allison so the natives are undoubtedly sensitive to the plight of New Orleans and more than hospitable.
If there is to be a New Orleans again (and, given its sinking geography, that's anything but a sure thing) the city leaders may need to consider the Houston model; "If you're here, you're here to work." Fire all the old-boy 'Yats' who have run the city for two centuries, clean up the French Quarter by ridding it of occultists, prostitution, and the all night gin-joints, and build a seawall rated to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, rather than relying on an earthen levee. And maybe, just maybe, what is left of the local culture could be used to fuel a Catholic renaissance in this country. St. Louis Cathedral is exquisite, and historic.
If boggy, swampy Houston can do it, why not New Orleans?
George,
Definitely the political corruption needs to go. But much as the occultists etc. are to be deplored, isn't that sort of thing part of what brings in the tourists?
BTW much as Austinites love to make fun of Houston, I notice we still have to sneak on down there when we want to visit a real museum or hear a real opera. There are worse places to find oneself stranded in an emergency.
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