I do not want a hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast, and I especially do not want New Orleans to take a direct hit from Hurricane Isaac. However, that is now a real possibility. And, if it happens, it is likely to occur on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in 2005. The GOP has already had to cancel their schedule for today at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, but a hurricane hitting New Orleans on Thursday would be the worst possible reminder of their record the last time they controlled the executive branch of our government. If the Obama administration handles any resulting emergencies with competence, the significance will be just that much greater.
Even if New Orleans is spared, the GOP will have to be careful about their tone on Thursday as a Category 2 or greater storm is going to hit somewhere on the Gulf Coast that day. There’s also a possibility that coverage of the last day of the convention will be significantly curtailed, as more focus is placed on the people in need and the storm damage.
A lot of people on the left are reacting to this with a little too much glee. Gloating about the Republicans’ bad fortune is in bad taste and won’t sit well with the storm victims or most impartial observers. Yet, it’s almost irresistible to joke about karma after the right has blamed prior disasters on God’s disapproval of liberals’ moral values. Using that kind of logic, how can the wingnuts fail to see this storm as proof that God hates Mitt Romney?
My advice is to cool it with that kind of talk. It’s just as stupid when we talk like that as when the Republicans do it, and we actually know better. Mocking their bad fortune is also cheering the bad fortune of ordinary folks in the path of the storm.
It’s one thing to toss a quick joke off the cuff when you first read about something like this, but we’ve had more than enough time now to take in the situation and recognize the potential for suffering that there’s no excuse for carrying it any further. Hopefully the memories of Katrina will dampen that gleeful reaction, now that it looks like Nola might get hit again–which I hope they don’t.
Agreed, even though we can undoubtedly be sure that Republicans, if the situation were reversed, would be yucking it up like mad.
Additionally, if the consequences of Isaac are severe, it can have an impact on the Dem convention.
The question is, which convention will be miore empathetic to victims of Isaac. No doubt about the answer on that one.
As a Katrina evacuee myself, even I had initial glee, but now I’m back in survivor mode. I just moved my mother back to NOLA after a heart attack so she could live with my sister (moved her from Cincy). So right now I’m constantly checking the hurricane tracker. But I’ll just tell ya BooMan this hasnt really stopped my NOLA fam & friends from expressing some sarcastic shade the GOP way
Jokes about being a victim of a natural disaster are best told by the victims.
This is important and should be published in orange.
Oh & btw, I think the GOP cares more that their convention is being disrupted than about us lowly darkies in NOLA .
At least FEMA can rely on better funding this time round, better leadership and a Gov that won’t hesitate to maximize the ‘before & during’ preparations. This time round the news crews are in place and we’ll all see what will be Big Govt in action. Jindal may also find himself challenged and certainly it will be an in your face moment for the Rep leadership as it plays out.
A moment where saving your community means working together whether you like it or not. Nothing like a reminder from mother nature.
Agreed about the overall point and optics – tampering the glee is very much needed.
That said, there’s a bit of false equivalence here, because when evangelicals claim that some or another disaster is God’s vengeance for whichever wedge issue is on their mind, they’re not joking.
OK then. No joking around then.
When Katrina flattened and flooded New Orleans, there was a conservative element that called it a judgment. Since then, hurricanes have disrupted two consecutive Republican conventions.
Coincidence?
I report. You decide.
It would be perfectly defensible to point out all the government agencies that make hurricane tracking and disaster response possible (NOAA, Coast Guard, FEMA, etc.), agencies which the tea-party republicans think they can dispense with so they can give tax cuts to the wealthy.
I haven’t found life to have such an abundance of humor that I am willing to toss some aside just because it is in bad taste. One can laugh and be heartbroken all at once.
That said, there’s a time and place for everything, and no reason to upset people when it’s obvious that you will do so.
Right now, the place for dark humor about a lot of people about to have their lives upended, and likely a few people getting killed, is among close friends who all happen to be a couple steps closer to sociopaths than is entirely normal.
Which is a little sad, because I have a couple really, really good Hurricane Katrina jokes, but they will have to wait.
Good points Boo, I’ve always been of the opinion that you should try to be better than your opponents. Especially when they are already deep in the gutter, and to follow would just get yourself stuck in their slime.
Like prayer, schadenfreude is best practiced in the solitude of your home closet.
I was looking forward to Isaac disrupting the RNC, but in order to do that, or anything else, he was going to go over my house. Not a lot of humor to be gleaned from that.
Perhaps I’ll try to remember that others will be affected, not just the objects of our desires.
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Maybe next time they’ll play it safe and hold the convention in Wichita.
Have you seen the movie “Twister”?