The right reverend Jesse Lee Peterson accused Black New Orleans residents of "moral poverty" and said this was the root cause of their suffering
in New Orleans during Katrina,
but the he should stick closer to the Bible which warns, "judge not lest ye be judged".
He is correct that many New Orleans residents too quickly blamed the government
without taking personal responsibility. How can you blame someone else for not
providing you with a bus when you weren’t able to put your own butt in a car?
While this is true, there are some things a preacher in LA and from the middle
of Alabama might not know.
For many in the path of disaster, the risk of leaving home can be greater than
the risk of staying. Most hurricanes peter out before becoming serious, land based
disasters. Staying isn’t always dangerous, but for a number of elderly hospice
patients, hitting the road has proven deadly. Many have lost their lives while
fleeing subsequent hurricanes due to heat, exhaustion, and other side effects of
exposure and travel. A number of motorists become trapped on the road due to engine
trouble, gas availability, and/or traffic jams. All of them would be safer if they
stayed in their homes.
Let’s not forget that many good people stay behind to protect their homes.
Rev. Peterson is correct in saying that many who stay at home are morally bankrupt.
A drug dealer cannot afford to leave his stash behind. He also can’t afford to be
caught with it on the road. Knowing that the drug dealers will stay behind, those
who live near them feel forced to defend their homes or come home to find them looted
by hungry dealers.
In short, my message to Rev. Peterson is "judge not". In a tragedy the
size of Katrina, we all share some of the blame. I’m looking at the man in the
mirror.
Comments