Jon's Blog

Individual responsibility is gone with the wind

I am not surprised by the finger-pointing surrounding the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and the ramp-up to hurricane Rita. I am surprised, though, by the abject stupidity of the citizens who are being quoted by news sources, the ones pointing the fingers. I hope, for the sake of America, that these people were chosen specifically because they were saying stupid things that would sell newspapers, and not because they represented mainstream American citizens.

Several classic examples can be found in this Fox News story.

Let me be sure I have a few things straight, according to these mental giants:

• You don't have any sort of personal transportation, don't know anyone with a car, have no way at all to get out of town, and this doesn't bother you at all--until, of course, you NEED to get out of town. And this is the government's fault.

• You say you have no money, but you obviously have enough to buy booze and smokes, which means you opted to invest in personal vices rather than stashing away some cash for emergencies like, oh, maybe a hurricane evacuation. And this is the government's fault.

• You've known for days that a huge hurricane was in the Gulf of Mexico and was heading in your general direction, but you waited until today to fill up your car with gas. And this is the government's fault.

• You live in the fourth-largest city in America, with terrible traffic every day, yet you are completely taken aback by the fact that, when a million people try to leave the city in the same direction at the same time, it causes gridlock on the highways. And this is the government's fault.
  

Let's get realistic. How many of these "poor" people buy booze, smokes, soft drinks, fast food, cable TV, Lotto tickets, and the latest J-Lo CD every month? How many of them are actually taking concrete, effective steps to get the most out of their money--actually giving thought to the question of why they are poor, and what they can do about it? People are not brainless; they are perfectly capable of seeking knowledge and good advice, making good choices, and improving their lives. But many people simply choose to make stupid decisions...and that's not the government's fault.