Why We Should Help New Orleans

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I Speak of Dreams: New Orleans: Road to The Future: James Perry for Mayor in 2010

There are a lot of things to be said about New Orleans, both pre-Katrina and post-Katrina.

I am a white, middle-aged woman, a life-long Californian. I was born in California -- in fact, all eight of my great-grandparents were born in California. I've moved exactly one county north of my birthplace.

But more than just being a Californian, I am an American. I love my country with a deep and mostly inarticulate love.

And I wept when New Orleans drowned, and did what I could. But I was also angry and disgusted at the federal, state, and local responses to the Katrina challenges ...sometimes wrong-headed, sometimes downright corrupt.

Even though I'm a long ways from Louisiana, I want to show that America can rebuild, and rebuild better than the lost city.

Over the next months, I'll be telling you more about why. But I'll give you a hint: it may not be my city, or even my county, but California is going to shake, rattle, roll... and burn sometime in the next 30 years. And we will need the support of the whole nation to come back.

Help Katrina victims because you could be the next displaced natural disaster victim.