Oz

I'm sure at this point we are all aware of the bevy of tornadoes that rained down on southern states yesterday, killing upwards of 50 people in Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama.

Our president prescribed a solution of combined prayer and government aid to the area. "Loss of life, loss of property -- prayers can help and so can the government," Bush said yesterday according to an LA Times article. "I do want the people in those states to know the American people are standing with them."

Lets flash back to August 29, 2005. The day Katrina hit New Orleans. The city had already been declared a federal state of emergency by President Bush two days earlier. Despite his supposed worry about the potential for disaster in Lousiana, when the 17th Street Canal Levee broke later that day, Bush was in Rancho Cucamonga, California giving a talk on prescription drugs for senior citizens.

It was over 5 hours after the hurricane hit that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) called 1000 homeland security workers to the area sometime over the next two days.

Michael Brown, head of FEMA issued a press statement on the 29th ordering all First Responders NOT to respond to counties and states affected by the hurricane until they were requested by FEMA.

At the same time, 20,000 New Orleans residents were languishing in the Superdome without food or water.

If actions speak louder than words, President Bush might as well be hollering at tornado-stricken Southerners, "Maybe next week I'll do a flyby! Until then, I'm sure the Red Cross can lend y'all some bandaids!"

However, it is true what Bush says. The government CAN help. The question is, will it.

Until the day comes, tornado victims might want to dust off their ruby slippers and try tapping their toes a few times.