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OTHER VIEWS
PAGE SIX THE LIGHTNING STRIKE SUMMER 2005
HURRICANE KATRINA
New Orleans chaos could
have been prevented
George W. Bush is an optimistic
man, and it’s a good thing for
a president to be. But there’s
a difference between optimism and
irresponsible naivety. In his four and a
half years in offi ce, Bush has mastered the
latter.
Following Hurricane Katrina, which
Bush accurately classifi ed as “one of the
worst natural disasters in our nation’s
history,” he gave a speech enumerating the
many supplies which were being shipped to
New Orleans. He mentioned that citizens
could send over cash if they wanted to help
out, and closed with his winning smile,
promising that everything would work out
in the end.
His intentions, as usual, seemed
good. But in the real world, right around
elementary school graduation, good
intentions stop being enough. While Bush
no doubt feels remorse over the New
Orleans tragedy, perhaps it was something
he should have considered while he was
slashing the budgets for hurricane defense
projects.
With all his love for “preventative
measures” (read: “pre-emptive strike”),
maybe Bush could have chosen not to
ignore the local offi cials in Louisiana
who long fought for federal funding to
implement these hurricane defense plans.
The chaos we see now could have been
averted.
Hurricane Katrina was not a surprise,
and I’m not referring to the meteorological
forecasts a few days prior to the disaster. For
years, experts have warned of the potential
catastrophe that a category four or fi ve
hurricane could infl ict on the Gulf Coast.
This is not simply a matter of hindsight
fi nger pointing: the Bush administration
knew about the possibility of a hurricane
like this taking place and the results that
would inevitably follow. Instead of acting,
the administration cut programs essential
to prevention and relief.
Early this year, the Louisiana
congressional delegation urged Congress
to provide federal money for such an
instance. The White House opposed this.
Eventually, a deal granted Louisiana $540
million over four years. Coastal repair
work is now estimated at $14 billion, over
25 times what Congress granted.
The war in Iraq has also left Louisiana
National Guard units short of gear and
supplies. Now they are ill-equipped to
take on what is probably the most diffi cult
challenge they have ever faced. This, also,
is no big surprise: the overstretching of
National Guard Forces has been discussed
for months. Discussed, of course, but not
acted upon. Like having good intentions,
discussion is easy.
Now, regardless of the negligence
of the Bush administration, hundreds
of thousands in New Orleans are falling
victim to profi teering and public health
threats. Throwing around optimistic
phrases is not going to return order to the
city. Bush must construct a solid plan to
restore confi dence in gasoline availability
and take immediate action to ensure future
Editorial Excerpts
from high school newspapers around the country
FROM CORAL GABLES, FL:
In 1995, there dawned a new era…
The X-Stop era. Innumerable students
have suffered under the absurdly
restrictive X-Stop limitations that seem
to dominate almost every computer in
public schools... Now owned by the
8e6 company, the X-stop homepage
states that they prevent “threats and
distractions such as inappropriate Web
content, instant messaging (IM), peer-topeer
(P2P), spy ware and spam [which
supposedly] is improving productivity,
reducing liability and preserving network
resources.”
-Cassio Lucio
Highlights
Coral Gables Senior High School
FROM BLOOMSBURG, PA:
If you think you are unattractive,
only you can change how you feel. Sure,
compliments and makeup might help, but
the problem is on the inside rather than
on the surface. As teenagers, we focus
too much on physical appearance and
materialistic things. To most teenagers,
clothing, makeup and cars matter
more than a sense of humor or a caring
nature. That’s not how it should be. Our
generation has to stop being so shallow
and look beneath the surface at what
really matters, because that will stick
with us forever. Looks can change, but
the person on the inside stays the same. It
only builds upon itself.
-Jade Galfas
The Keystone Connection
Keystone National High School
FROM DALLAS, TX:
President George W. Bush’s No Child
Left behind Act was passed in 2001 to
improve America’s public education
system. The act states that by the 2005-
2006 school years all teachers must be
“highly qualifi ed.” The law is silent
however on how states should interpret
what is meant by highly qualifi ed, meaning
states have the fl exibility to lower the
barrier in order to attract people who may
not be willing to jump through the state’s
certifi cation hoops. Texas’s interpretation
of what “highly qualifi ed” means needs
to be reconsidered…Although President
Bush’s push for a better educational
system is greatly appreciated, the way
that Texas has defi ned “highly qualifi ed”
is not suffi cient for promoting the hiring
of teachers who are highly effective in
the classroom.
-The Hurricane Staff
The Hillcrest Hurricane
Hillcrest High School
COMPILED BY SANDRA CALDERALO
pro & con
School Food Reform
Products
high in fat
and sugar
contribute to
obesity
By ANDREW FULLER
Guest Writer
FULLER
Americans are dying, but not from
terrorism. Today, a disease supported
by our State Department of Education is
ravaging the health of Florida’s youngest.
According to the Third National Health
and Nutrition Survey, 11% of
children ages 6 through 17
are overweight.
The danger is real: obesity
plays a signifi cant role
in causing heart
disease, diabetes
and high blood
p r e s s u r e .
Students need
to be taught
that proper
consumption
of food plays
a pivotal role
in their quality
of life. Governor
Jeb Bush and
the Florida
State Legislature
have the
responsibility to
follow the leadership o f
other state governments, such as that
of Arkansas, to cut back on soft drinks
offered in all schools, while prohibiting
high in fat and sugar products from being
offered in elementary schools. In their
place, snack and vending machines could
be fi lled with milk, bottled water and
fresh juices.
Milk, with 12 grams of carbohydrates
per serving is far better than the 27 grams
offered in a half-liter bottle of regular
Coca-Cola. In protein content, milk still
wins, with 9 grams per serving compared
to none for Coca-Cola.
What would be the consequences of
not acting on this life and death issue?
How many young adults would perish in
the future with the arteries of a 75 yearold
at the age of 30? While this question
cannot be answered today, Governor
Bush and our state legislators need to act
now, so that this disturbing question will
never be answered.
Today’s opponents of school food
reform tell us that people have the right
to do what they wish, with no regard
towards the effects of their desires.
Libertarian argumentation such as this
is like a delightful recipe for grandma’s
homemade cookies. While people salivate
today for the right to do what they want,
acting carelessly and thoughtlessly will,
like those cookies, harm the public in
the long run. Many would like to duck
their heads in the sand and pretend not
to see an America in danger; but, while
ignorance may be easy, it is not the right
way to respond to a public health crisis.
PECHENIK
By PALOMA PECHENIK
Staff Writer
Vending
machines
provide
funding
for activites
Principal Matthew Welker has
proposed to replace the contents of the
school’s vending machines with healthier
alternatives. Currently, students frequent
these machines; the revenue received by
these visits is
e x t r e m e l y
benefi cial to
the school,
as it pays for
a multitude
of student
activities,
i n c l u d i n g
graduation
and senior
trips.
Stocking
the vending
m a c h i n e s
w i t h
h e a l t h i e r
c h o i c e s
w o u l d
undeniably
b e n e f i t
student health,
but would not be benefi cial to the
student body as a whole because it would
be under funded.
Also, eating junk food is not forced
on any student. The presence of junk
food does not imply that all students must
consume. But if a student craves them,
they should be able to purchase them.
Taking away a student’s freedom to eat
the foods that they want is not going to
reduce the amount of junk food they’re
eating; it will only reduce the amount
eaten in school.
And, even if all the foods in the
vending machines were replaced
with healthful alternatives, the senior
class and many clubs will still supply
chocolate bars and other sugary
candies.
Welker has said he will make his
decision based, at least partly, on
the input of a student commision. If
students wish for their candy to remain
within the vending machines they must
become a part of this conversation. The
students that speak up will inevitably
be the ones that get what they want.
Unfortunately, this commission will
likely be comprised only of students
who want to change the machines;
those content with them as they are will
probably believe they are in the majority
and see no need to get involved.
The addition of healthy foods would
likely increase the current income to the
vending machines, without the risk of
underfunding. The result of removing
all the current items, however, would
be catastrophic.