On her radio show this morning, Laura Ingraham played a sound bite from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) saying that no military recruiters should be allowed anywhere near the victims of the NO hurricane and floods. She was saying that even as men and women in uniform were risking their lives to save victims of the hurricane and the floods.
But that raises a few other ideas. It’s nice that Bush is distributing $2,000 debit cards, but as soon as possible why not ask the evacuees: “Who has construction skills? Who has health care skills? Who has administrative skills? Who has teaching skills?
Then put them to work helping their fellow evacuees or refugees or whatever you want to call them. And pay them for their work.
Surely that’s better – financially and psychologically – than keeping them on charity indefinitely.
As for those who have no skills, why not send them to places where they can get some useful training? Or bring in teachers and let them take classes and learn useful skills.
Finally, by all means, if there are young people who are unemployed since the storm (and may have been unemployed before the storm) and who have what it takes to learn to be soldiers open that opportunity for them.
And if Barbara Lee doesn’t like it she can take a long walk off a short levee.