Disaster means 'bad star' in Greek

I have read with interest some responses to the description of the Katrina damage. Although I am most concerned emotionally with New Orleans, I do think that it has been over-represented in the news. Slidell, LA, which took a direct hit and is underwater--has hardly been touched on.

It bothers me to hear people say "Hiroshima" and "the tsunami" because those are obviously unfair comparisons. However, in defense of the people who may have blurted out those comparisons, I think they are just searching for words, which we all know are inadequate. I mean, New Orleans is underwater--thousands of people are dead and are going to die--in plain view of the news media--I can understand a bit of drama.

I have been staring at these images for two days now, and it still hasn't sunk in yet. People's histories are gone. People are displaced and I fear many will never return. Forgive me for touching on Cajun culture, but the language is dying, the elders are dying, and now part of the way of life has beed destroyed. And the Cajuns are only one of many cultures directly impacted by this event/disaster/ whatever you name it.

People are really scared