Zeitoun Book Response

As I continue to read Zeitoun, the more I learn about Hurricane Katrina because, I'm getting an inside view on what actually happened to many families. I feel by reading about one families experiences with Hurricane Katrina I'm able to understand how Katrina effected others. Reading this book has allowed me to understand how Katrina affected others who did not live in New Orleans, but had family there. I feel that Zeitoun does a great job of explaining what a typical family experienced during Katrina, because this story takes place during Hurricane Katrina, and showed what Zeitoun, physically and mentally while staying back in New Orleans, and what he did in order to make the situation better. One of the soldiers yelled, '"We can't help you,' he said. Go to St. Charles," (Zeitoun 144) which does not surprise me because according to the videos we watched in class, and the United States did not do squat to help the victims of Katrina. Zeitoun was wondering, "What were they doing in the city, if not helping evacuate people?" (Zeitoun 144). Zeitoun experienced negligence from our government, while he was trying to get help for other citizens who needed the help more than he did. I find it shameful that a single man was capable of helping more people than our government, because it is our governments duty to aid people who are in need, rather than watch them die. Zeitoun decided to be different and go out of his way, and help the helpless, because he realized that nothing was being done by the government, and he felt that he must take matters into his own hands. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be in Zeitoun's shoes, having to leave his family and watch his home be destroyed. It was the pastor who. "Expressed confidence that help was still on its way, but Zeitoun didn't want to take any chances" (Zeitoun 147). Zeitoun was thinking and acting logically because he knew that it was unrealistic that help would arrive any time soon, if the soldier’s in his neighborhood were telling him to go to St. Charles, in order to seek help. Zeitoun realized that his best chance at survival was to look out for himself and help others during the process. This book has only made me more disappointed with our government because of the lack of help, and due to the way our government treated its citizens. Our government needs to get their priorities straight, and realize that the citizens of the United States come first.