A failure of the imagination

I sat down to write an amusing post about the various wild life that have driven us crazy today. It turns out that the only thing that can keep my attention is the news out of the Gulf Coast. I am relieved and overjoyed to see that help is finally arriving for those who have been devastated by the hurricane.

It has been almost emotionally suffocating to watch the horrors mount up daily.

As one young four year old said, "It's pitiful, pitiful."

Reading over the headlines over at Salon and MSNBC only reinforces my sense of shame and disbelief. I don't know how the President can look survivors in the eye and talk about spending money to rebuild the region when his administration (and administrations before his) have repeatedly refused to pay to avoid this tragedy.

This tragedy calls for a leader who can do more than just strike a courageous pose. We need a leader who can imagine the horrors before he sees them or even before they happen so that the proper actions can be taken to prevent the preventable.

Why didn't he donate the use of Marine One to the rescue effort instead of going on a sightseeing trip of the damage? I don't need him to sit on the porch and commiserate with the devastated, I need him to actively participate in the effort to save lives instead of using up vital resources so that he can better understand the situation.

I continue to be amazed at the generosity of individuals and horrified at the devastation that has inspired such acts.