According to new reports, 40% of Galveston's residents chose to stay put in the face of a hurricane where the weather pukes are talking about certain death. UMMMMM - Retards!!! Of course, if a bunch of them die, It will all be George Bush's fault.... I say they were warned WAY in advance and warned repeatedly - screw em.

From USA Today, "Rescue crews in Galveston worried daybreak would bring a nightmare scenario of victims who had defied evacuation orders. As night fell Friday, 911 call takers were besieged with pleas for help.

"We don't know what we are going to find. We hope we will find the people who are left here alive and well," Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said. "We are keeping our fingers crossed all the people who stayed on Galveston Island managed to survive this.""

Ignore the evacuation order and then call 911. It would be hard to keep my tongue in check if I were a 911 operator.

In this case, I doubt is anyone could, would or has thrown it in The Federal, state or local court. The authorities were more than cautious in looking at the possible consequences. They gave them serious advanced warning and had buses, trucks lined up to take the invalid, disabled, elderly and indigent (big word for poor, crippled and crazy) out of town. At that point, you only had the "brave", the stubborn and the "doubting Thomas" types left. Unless you are really a closet socialist - then you have to accept that when an adult makes a bad decision, of his own free will, against offers of assistance. They better be ready to take the fruits of their stupidity. The Authorites did what could be expected of them. Reported the facts, acted in good faith (for a change) and took steps to help those that couldn't help themselves.

Some of the the ones that stayed may not have looked far enough into the future. Survial is not just the immediate threat, its dealing with the aftermath that really is the kicker. Its not just the storm, its the lack of stores, running water, food  (no stores will be open until the power comes back - in weeks or months, not days), transportation, blocked roads, all the "little things" we take for granted everyday. Can't blame that on anyone else, once you been warned and given a free ride out of harms way.

On the same note, sometimes these Heroic efforts to save people from stupidity might be causing more idiots to defy common sense. Don't know about you, but I'm getting just a little tired of reading about idiots trying to row accross the Pacific ocean, solo ...getting a Parade - the later the inevitable Coast Guard search and help when they are barely out of coastal waters. You laugh when some rich idiot does it and fails, but when someone with no means, no skills and no training tries - its 1 in a million that they will found alive, with out emergency assistance. What emergency, the effort was doomed from the start - PPPP, a successful outcome is reversed, a million to one.

Glad to say that our leaders learned a cruel lesson, late, but they learned. That is remarkable!

They might think twice the next time.

has some good pics here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26643689/displaymode/1107/s/2/



1967 Falcon 4 door 351C-4V
1970 Mustang 351C-2V
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
Owner built, owner abused.

Last time I looked this wasn't a socialist country, they stayed because they had a choice, right or wrong. Just like I have a choice to evacuate to a shelter for a tornado, which I won't. Think about it, you have no real family in a northern state so your choice is to drive to a church & stay a week, or two, or more... fun? I think not. What about everyone up north that didn't evacuate from a flood they had warning of? I have a lot of family in Houston & other that one that had to stay (he's a cop), they chose to stay even though they have family here. Would I evacuate in the face of a hurricane? Probably not. Be it looters, anti-social behavior, or whatever. I would just buy 55 gallons of fuel for the generator & stay put. I really do not see people sueing over this. People will be people, just look at all those who stayed in New Orleans. Maybe we should make in illegal to live on the coast? What about all the times they were warned & there turned out to be no danger? What about the traffic from the nations fourth largest city's population all leaving at once like last year? There's no real correct answer even if there's a question, but idiots? I think not.

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You can't condemn the bad if you don't commend the good

Rick,

You ARE entirely correct. People DO have a choice. They should be allowed that choice. What should happen also is that the people are held accountable for their choices. If someone wishes to make the choice to stay in face of such impending conditions, then any complaints they have about things resulting from the choice to stay should really be ignored.

I also HATE the 'Click It or Ticket' ad campaigns. I have most always used my seatbelt, because I thought it was a good thing to do. That is my choice. I do not need the government mandating such things for the insurance industry. As private entities, insurance companies could stipulate that if someone is killed or injured in an accident and was not wearing the factory safety belt equipment, their insurance benefit is halved. I know police officers hate having to look at mangled dead teens, but preserving their sensitivities is not worth turning over individual choice to government.

BTW - If I lived in Galveston, I would have evacuated. If I lived in Houston, I may have stayed - depending on local factors such as the lay of the land, the type of structure I had, what kind of emergency supplies I had - etc.

Well, you can blame that stupid "click it or ticket" on these stupid Okies. It all started here.

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You can't condemn the bad if you don't commend the good