Thank you. You are more tactful than I am. I wrote and erased about five responses to that post. My kids are taught in kindergarten (or earlier) the difference between a lie and the truth. You don't knowingly tell lies. Full stop. Not sure what is debatable about that. But that is what people are doing now for their own political gain, and unfortunately there are large segments of our population who either a) are unable to differentiate this, which is really sad, or b) willingly ignore it or rationalize it, which is even worse.
This discussion has really gone off the rails. It is sad that we even have to respond to this. And no, I'm not being patronizing, picking on individuals, or anything else. I am trying to maintain a decent, intelligent conversation based on what I thought were normal standards of behavior and discussion. But what do I know.
Thanks again to Mtn Devil for your calm, rational response while dealing with an incredible difficult situation. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.
I have friend working in government. I have a very good friend who worked with FEMA after Sandy. Those people are incredibly selfless and work incredibly hard for unimaginable stretches. Are they perfect? Of course not. They learned a LOT from the mistakes of Katrina.
I have watched non-stop military and civilian helicopters for two weeks - many desperate places are without roads, which is wildly complicated. I have seen concerned citizens drive hundreds of miles to deliver supplies. I've helped churches from Eastern NC and Florida unload pallets of water, food, diapers. I've seen FEMA distribute HUGE quantities of supplies to people who would have died without this assistance.
FEMA isn't absent. They aren't stealing land. They aren't denying financial claims to anyone I have met, and they certainly aren't unable to meet needs because of Ukraine.
I am certain that there are people in remote places frustrated by the speed of aid. If you have better ideas of how to help, please share those ideas rather than repeating nonsense.
Just please stop this idiocy. Don't believe every TikTok video that says Kommie Kamala is disenfranchising WNC red voters with her secret storm ray.
Literally every person I have encountered in the last 16 days has been incredibly kind everyone is trying to help everyone else. Everyone is asking strangers if they are in need.
Politicizing this is just disgusting.
I'll go back to letting the people who have power, cell service, hot water, and Internet explain to me what the "truth" of my traumatic experience has been. If you want, PM me and I will give you my name and address. You can come visit and i will show you a tour of the destruction and the amazing aid projects being done.
Enjoy your NFL Sunday. I'm clearing my neighbor'a yard.