The "Entitlement Mentality" exposed
If no other lesson is learned from the devastation of Hurrincane Katrina, the lesson of the 'entitlement mentality' should be the greatest. It is my opinion that the greatest cause of the devastation was not the hurricane itself but the refusal of the citizens of New Orleans to take care of themselves and of the refusal of both the New Orleans and Louisiana officials to take care of their citizens - as they were elected to do!
The Louisiana state and New Orleans city 'leaders' simply sat back and waited for the federal government to take care of them. Knowing well in advance that New Orleans would probably be hit by the hurricane - and remember, up to a few hours before making landfall, all predictions and models showed that New Orleans would take a direct hit - and knowing well in advance the devastating effects that such a hurricane would cause, these officials did absolutely nothing to help it's citizens. They knew that a sizable portion of their populace would be unable to leave the city through their own means, yet they did nothing to help these people. Although they had vehicles available, they refused to use them. They provided no food or water for a shelter that they were advising people to go to. And, they provided no security for people once they got there - and it is a known fact that New Orleans is one of the most violent and criminal cities in the nation. No, these officials simply sat back and waited for someone to "take of the situation" for them.
Contrast Louisiana and New Orleans' actions with that of the states and cities of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. These areas were as hard hit as New Orleans yet they suffered very few of the problems experienced by New Orleans. Why?? Because the governors and mayors of these areas took control of the situation on their own and in a timely manner. They did not rely on other agencies to do what they were elected to do for themselves!
And, the "entitlement mentality" is even worse at the individual level.
When warned days in advance that NOLA would likely be hit directly by Katrina, what did the 'poor' do? They sat back and waited for the government to take care of them. Not only did they not try to get out of the hurricane's path, they did not even move to the shelters until the flooding began! And, at least according to all the information I have seen, they did not try to gather any supplies such as food or water. No, once the flooding began, they just starting trooping to the Superdome trusting that the government would 'taking care' of them by having emergency supplies at the shelter.
Much has been said - and politicized - about these 'poor people' being unable to leave the city due to their poverty, most had no transportation available and/or no money to pay for transportation. But, I would ask, whose fault is this? Yours? Mine? No, the fault lies in the "entitlement mentality"!
And, you have to look deep to understand the causes leading up to this situation.
We are constantly being told by the experts that the most effective way out of poverty is education. Every citizen of America is guaranteed by law the opportunity of a high-school education. Yet, look at the drop-out rate of young people:(from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 [latest stats available])
"In October 2001, some 3.8 million 16- through 24-year-olds were not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school (status dropouts). These individuals accounted for 10.7 percent of the 35.2 million 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2001"
"The status dropout rate of Whites remains lower than that of Blacks, but over the past 30 years the difference between the rates of Whites and Blacks has narrowed. However, this narrowing of the gap occurred during the 1980s; since 1990, the gap between Whites and Blacks has remained fairly constant."
So, here we have kids dropping out of school and thereby condemning themselves to poverty. The "entitlement mentality" has led these people to rely on the government to take care of them rather than get the education that even the left acknowledges will lift them out of poverty. In other words, rather than get an education and then use that education, along with work experience, these people just sit back and wait for the government.
Yet, the left continues to push for greater entitlements and attempts to get you to ignore the outcomes that result. And, their reasoning is really quite simple - they want you dependent on the government! That is how, as with all totalitarian governments, they enslave and control you!!
So, every time you hear the left demand greater involvement by the government into your life, through (supposedly) caring and beneficial proposals, just keep Hurricane Katrina in mind and the tragic results of relying on the government!
I will get into other consequences resulting from the "entitlement mentality" in future post.
The Louisiana state and New Orleans city 'leaders' simply sat back and waited for the federal government to take care of them. Knowing well in advance that New Orleans would probably be hit by the hurricane - and remember, up to a few hours before making landfall, all predictions and models showed that New Orleans would take a direct hit - and knowing well in advance the devastating effects that such a hurricane would cause, these officials did absolutely nothing to help it's citizens. They knew that a sizable portion of their populace would be unable to leave the city through their own means, yet they did nothing to help these people. Although they had vehicles available, they refused to use them. They provided no food or water for a shelter that they were advising people to go to. And, they provided no security for people once they got there - and it is a known fact that New Orleans is one of the most violent and criminal cities in the nation. No, these officials simply sat back and waited for someone to "take of the situation" for them.
Contrast Louisiana and New Orleans' actions with that of the states and cities of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. These areas were as hard hit as New Orleans yet they suffered very few of the problems experienced by New Orleans. Why?? Because the governors and mayors of these areas took control of the situation on their own and in a timely manner. They did not rely on other agencies to do what they were elected to do for themselves!
And, the "entitlement mentality" is even worse at the individual level.
When warned days in advance that NOLA would likely be hit directly by Katrina, what did the 'poor' do? They sat back and waited for the government to take care of them. Not only did they not try to get out of the hurricane's path, they did not even move to the shelters until the flooding began! And, at least according to all the information I have seen, they did not try to gather any supplies such as food or water. No, once the flooding began, they just starting trooping to the Superdome trusting that the government would 'taking care' of them by having emergency supplies at the shelter.
Much has been said - and politicized - about these 'poor people' being unable to leave the city due to their poverty, most had no transportation available and/or no money to pay for transportation. But, I would ask, whose fault is this? Yours? Mine? No, the fault lies in the "entitlement mentality"!
And, you have to look deep to understand the causes leading up to this situation.
We are constantly being told by the experts that the most effective way out of poverty is education. Every citizen of America is guaranteed by law the opportunity of a high-school education. Yet, look at the drop-out rate of young people:(from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 [latest stats available])
"In October 2001, some 3.8 million 16- through 24-year-olds were not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school (status dropouts). These individuals accounted for 10.7 percent of the 35.2 million 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2001"
"The status dropout rate of Whites remains lower than that of Blacks, but over the past 30 years the difference between the rates of Whites and Blacks has narrowed. However, this narrowing of the gap occurred during the 1980s; since 1990, the gap between Whites and Blacks has remained fairly constant."
So, here we have kids dropping out of school and thereby condemning themselves to poverty. The "entitlement mentality" has led these people to rely on the government to take care of them rather than get the education that even the left acknowledges will lift them out of poverty. In other words, rather than get an education and then use that education, along with work experience, these people just sit back and wait for the government.
Yet, the left continues to push for greater entitlements and attempts to get you to ignore the outcomes that result. And, their reasoning is really quite simple - they want you dependent on the government! That is how, as with all totalitarian governments, they enslave and control you!!
So, every time you hear the left demand greater involvement by the government into your life, through (supposedly) caring and beneficial proposals, just keep Hurricane Katrina in mind and the tragic results of relying on the government!
I will get into other consequences resulting from the "entitlement mentality" in future post.
posted by RamblerLV at 4:36 AM
1 Comments:
The powers that be, Frederal, State and Local absolutely failed the residence of NOLA that truely could not get out but wanted to. No expense should have been spared to rescue the living and retrieve the deceased. The excuse for not providing the available school buses was that there were too few drivers. There were probably more truck and limo drivers living in the city than there were available buses. Who cares if they are not bus certified when lives can be saved.
There were people who stayed by choice, placeing a higher value on possessions than on human lives. Then there were and still are the ones who have that "Entitlement Mentality" the ones who believe that they are somehow "owed" something from someone. As cruel and heartless as it sounds the truth is that ABSOLUTELY NO rescue/recovery effort, monies or other resorces should have been used for those who chose to stay. They were warned and then ordered to leave time and time again, but they CHOSE to stay. Even after the flooding had started there was a window of time when they could have left, STILL they CHOSE to stay. They made their bed and should be made to sleep in it, just like the rest of human kind. Remember, they did not give even a passing thought about the people whose lives they were deliberately putting at risk by staying.
I pray every single day for ALL of those affected by Mother Natures rath world wide. No one should HAVE to go thru something so devistating. Those who chose to deserve no sympathy, they are not "victims" they are willing participants.
I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I am however, one of the few with enough balls to say so out loud.
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