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Monday, September 8, 2008
Gwinnett, open your arms to evacuees
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As Hurricane Gustav approached the Gulf Coast, I am sure many of you were entrenched in the news coverage fearing another round of devastation the likes of what Katrina brought to those shores.
In the carnage that followed Katrina hitting the coast, streets became canals, homes were leveled, lives were lost and many more changed forever.
Katrina’s aftermath represents what history will remember as the single greatest example of irresponsibility.
Years later and those families are still picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild their lives. Those who fled to all parts of the country to escape the natural terror to this very day have never returned.
Katrina was in some ways a great teacher. She reminded us not to take Mother Nature for granted and she taught us that we should take responsibility for our actions or lack thereof.
When the Katrina evacuees dispersed across America many found their way to Metro Atlanta including Norcross and Gwinnett.
I remember it didn’t take long before news reports of various criminal activity included that they were “Katrina evacuees.” Whether or not it was fair to point that out is a valid question, however, it is still the truth.
Then along came Hurricane Gustav who recently barreled up the Gulf of Mexico and was bound to follow in Katrina’s footsteps, awakening fears and alarming all those in his path.
Watching CNN’s coverage the day before Gustav hit the coast of Louisiana it was evident that most had learned lessons of the past and to respect the awesome power of Mother Nature. They once again fled across the United States.
Many appeared to have found their way to Norcross to my surprise. Within a 5 minute drive up Jimmy Carter Boulevard, I saw no less than 10 different license plates from Mississippi and Louisiana. Hotels along the way appeared to be very busy.
I found myself making one very serious mistake. I immediately expected to see or hear news reports of criminal activity that followed with “Gustav evacuees”. Whether or not it may have been true isn’t the point. There are bad apples in every bushel that doesn’t make the whole bushel rotten apples.
With this turning out to be one very active hurricane season, and Ike in our backyard, we should keep in mind the circumstances by which more may find a temporary (or permanent) home here in Gwinnett as a result - welcome them, offer any support we can and not jump to conclusions.
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