"....the results are not acceptable."

The president made it clear this morning, before heading to a tour of the storm-wrenched area, that he, too, is not satisfied with relief efforts to date. But the pace of relief efforts is increasing by the hour, as the White House orders more resources into the battle.

Commercial airlines will be used today to evacuate thousands of people from a New Orleans airport to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Massive supplies of goods and water are entering New Orleans by convoy, and everyone from the governor to the president has made it clear that criminals will be dealt with severely. Some battle-hardened troops with experience in Iraq are now being sent into New Orleans.

For the rest of us, two things that we can do loom large: Open our wallets to help our fellow citizens, and go to the God of creation to plead for mercy with the victims and protection for our Nation.
 

Some History, Please!

The disorder reported in New Orleans, including looting, rapes and sniper fire, is deeply demoralizing to all of us and an international embarrassment. The president said today it would not be tolerated. But sadly what is happening in New Orleans is not without precedent, even though most commentators don't know enough U.S. history to recognize that fact.

For example, in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, "draft riots" broke out in New York City. The riots continued for five days, and scores of people were lynched. In the end, the official death toll was over 100, but probably closer to 1,000 died. More recently, in the 60's and 70's urban America experienced repeated riots, including over 100 cities after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fire and rescue personnel often came under sniper fire when responding to emergency calls.

Even in a prosperous, powerful nation like the United States, civilization and order are fragile and can easily unravel. America's liberal elites might keep that in mind the next time they ridicule the nation publicly for displaying the Ten Commandments. We have been living off our "moral reserves" for decades. They desperately need to be replenished as much as our oil does.          - Gary Bauer