Katrina didn't wipe out ignorance

MSN has a story about the testimony before Congress on Katrina that occurred recently.  I saw a brief video clip on the national news, and I wasn't pleased.  I've already said that we need to get past emotions and set about the difficult task of solving specific problems; the testimony I saw was not productive in the slightest.  It was more or less along the lines of this passage:

"On Tuesday, [some] Katrina survivors told Congress they felt racism played a major role in the government’s slow response to the storm, with some residents telling Congress they believe the government bombed the levees to intentionally breach them."

Yes, let's send some more people to Washington like this.  As Congress decides how much money to appropriate to a region that has been devasted by an epic storm (a region, which by the way includes the Gulf Coast of Mississippi), it's always good to hear from New Orleans conspiracy theorists who have no shred of scientific evidence to back up their ludicrous claims. 

For example, read the article that contains this quote: “I was on my front porch,” Diane Cole French said at the hearings. “I have witnesses that they bombed the walls of the levee.”  And watch the video associated with the article. 

As Forest Gump said, stupid is as stupid does.

Update: lots of mainstream journalists are now criticizing this insane tesimony, and pointing out that Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) requested that the hearings be held, and her special assistant, Mike Zmolek, helped assemble the list of speakers.  Hey, thanks guys.  Next time you want to "help us out" let us know in advance so we can prepare for another disaster. 

Comments

[Aaron]

Amen. My post on Wednesday was about the same stupidity.

[Chris Johnston]

"For example, read the article that contains this quote: 'I was on my front porch,' Diane Cole French said at the hearings. 'I have witnesses that they bombed the walls of the levee.'"Is there some provision in the law to bring charges against someone for making false claims like this?

[Polimom]

Even allowing for ignorance on the part of the Katrina speakers, one has to wonder what motivated Rep. McKinney? Didn't she realize what that would do to everybody's credibility?

Maybe she's a priest, too?

[Robert]

I was going to point out that the genesis for that hearing was representative McKinney. And no, I don't think she's worried about anyone's credibility; except to the extent that her base-voters appear to believe in the conspiracy. She gets attention from the national media, and focused attention from her constituents.

[doctorj]

My favorite comment on the hearings came from the nola.com forums. It was posted by an evacuee in Houston. He said he turned to his wife and said in surprise "Oh my God! It's the crazy lady from the school board meetings!" LOL!

[Oswald Sobrino]

Hey Ernie,

I sometimes check out your blog to see what the heck is going on back home--since the Times Picayune strikes me as out of touch.

I have to say that the line about the lady saying someone "bombed" the levees gave me a good, robust, and delightful laugh.

Thanks for your information.

Oswald Sobrino