What a wonderful article by Anne Rice, thanks for posting it.

The aftermath of Katrina has left me speechless for the most part of this week. I'm horrified of course by what I've seen in the news. And I'm just furious and outraged because I can't believe how much this country apparently despises itself. What good is a government that doesn't protect its citizens? Who put these people in charge? Leadership isn't just about who prays the loudest or who might be fun to hang out with at a BBQ or who will cut our taxes the most. That kind of mentality bears some responsibility here I'm afraid to say.

It's so cool that she wrote this. My favorite part

I know that New Orleans will win its fight in the end. I was born in the city and lived there for many years. It shaped who and what I am. Never have I experienced a place where people knew more about love, about family, about loyalty and about getting along than the people of New Orleans. It is perhaps their very gentleness that gives them their endurance.

In Sharp contrast is this article from Army Times

'This place is going to look like Little Somalia,'? Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, commander of the Louisiana National Guard s Joint Task Force told Army Times Friday as hundreds of armed troops under his charge prepared to launch a massive citywide security mission from a staging area outside the Louisiana Superdome. 'We re going to go out and take this city back. This will be a combat operation to get this city under control.'?