Katrina’s Triage It is a grim but inescapable fact that not everyone in New Orleans could be saved.

Newsweek ^ | September 2, 2005 | Rabbi Marc Gellman

[Moiraine]

Sept. 2, 2005 - For more than a century people came to the Port of New Orleans to grade coffee beans the way they are coming to the Port of New Orleans today to grade people. The term “triage” has its origins in the coffee trade; it was the word used to describe the sorting of coffee beans into the broken, the semi-broken and the whole. This coffee triage determined which beans were to be saved and which were to be cast aside.

The term triage migrated from the coffee trade to the battlefield, and from the battlefield to the hospital. Now it has moved into the fetid swamp that is New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The term is being used at this very moment by doctors and Homeland Security officials; by police and by relief workers; and we often don’t even hear it as it flits by on the news reports. In this catastrophe we are able to see something we never have the chance to see unless we have been in a battlefield MASH unit or a hospital after a massive influx of injured patients. We are seeing triage work...

[tet68]

Wait till the fire storm breaks out as all the debris dries
out, and I think Cholera within two weeks if this isn't gotten under control FAST.

[metmom]

You're probably right. I'd be surprised it the disease doesn't happen sooner.

[AbeKrieger]

There are tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people and there is not one aid worker per person. 90,000 square miles of disaster. Sorry, but not everyone is going to make it. Just becaise there's a camera or a talking head there does not mean they have any sort of priority.

Geraldo and Shep need a Valium each.

[xkaydet65]

This article can't be in Newsweak. The rabbi is too spiritual and makes too much sense for his thoughts to find their way into that magazine. Together with Msgr. Tom Hartman, Rabbi Gelman is one one of the shining lights of spiritual thought and intellectual excellence available in the nation's media. Here's hoping these thoughts reach many in America.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Many people do not know that triage is standard disaster procedure. It seems so cold, but it is what works. Of course military people know all about it. Even local school districts use it in their training, as do hospitals.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>Geraldo and Shep need a Valium each.

I was thinking more on the lines of tranquilizer darts that would put 'em both down for 24 hours...

[PhilipFreneau]

". . . I simply refuse to blame the rescuers more than the storm that caused the need for rescue. It is not merely naive but profoundly foolish to have expected that 100,000 troops with water and food and patrol vehicles and helicopters and busses and trains and showers and shelters and electricity and bulldozers and levee-repair crews and mobile kitchens and tent cities and psychological services and identity checkers and employment services and construction crews and electrical linemen and mechanical and structural and civil engineers and architects and water-control experts and animal-removal experts could have all been set up somewhere out of the storm path but close enough to swoop in and pluck the soaking victims out of harm’s way despite the collapsed bridges and levees the minute the winds stopped blowing and minute the tide subsided without missing a heartbeat. Where have we gleaned the arrogant belief that if we suffer from a natural disaster, it must always somebody’s fault? We must all face the grim but inescapable fact that there are some times and some places where the need you face is simply greater than the resources you have at that moment or even days after that moment or even weeks after that moment, and thus agonizing decisions must be made."

Wow! God bless the good Rabbi.

[TexanToTheCore]

Permanent bookmark

[mercy]

Bump. However. If the gubmint was really thinking things through and truly planning for disaster they would have had 5000 airborne armed military or asault troops in zodiacs in there by Tuesday along with a couple million bottles of water dropped into the flood. A sealed bottle of water floating in sewage is still clean. Screw the blame game but obviously our disaster preparedness sucks HARD.

[LearsKent]

Yeah, Shep should share all the damn water in his truck then call his producer to get him more if he was so concerned. Every one reporting had the advantage of being able to communicate and see the big picture. I think all of them could have done more instead of just bring us pictures.

Crymyny, put down the mic for a couple hours and help with the problems. Everyone could see that Nagin on down was cutting and running.

[WIladyconservative]

We must all face the grim but inescapable fact that there are some times and some places where the need you face is simply greater than the resources you have at that moment or even days after that moment or even weeks after that moment, and thus agonizing decisions must be made."

While not pretty, and not what anyone wants to hear, I'm sorta glad to see an adult point of view on this disaster.

I told my husband that once the water levels go down the relief and rescue workers are going to have to go house to house in every attic to see how many didn't make it out of those attic ovens. That's when the death toll will rise dramatically. Everyone cannot be saved, unfortunately.

[Gillsie]

unfortunately, the Constitution might preclude the use of regular army troops in such a situation

[MarMema]

I saw lots of ineffective and stupid decisions made. I didn't see much effective triage take place.

This is nothing more than excuses for the idiots in charge in New Orleans. When you cannot get to a population in dire need, you massively airdrop so they can help themselves.

I heard the La governor say in a press conference that she had turned away a thousand boats with volunteers, leaving only 30 in the water during the worst of the flooding, because there were not enough access points. Anyone who has seen the video footage must join me in finding this to be simply incredible.

[kalee]

"While not pretty, and not what anyone wants to hear, I'm sorta glad to see an adult point of view on this disaster."

So am I.

[PLMerite]

"A sealed bottle of water floating in sewage is still clean."

I don't know if sealed bottle of water *will* float. Or an MRE for that matter.

[mercy]

An MRE would float like a cork and bottled water floats with it's white cap up due to the air in the top of the bottle.

[sgtyork]

You're kidding right? Sarcasm?

[Big Horn]

Why don't Gerardo and Shep do something to help someone? Give some victims their rooms, food,transportation and water

[roses of sharon]

My first thought was wow, a mature voice from the media, finally.