As terrible as it is, perhaps the Katrina hurricane will serve as a much-needed, long-overdue wakeup call to all Americans about how soft and complacent this country and its people have become.

President Bush talks with rescue swimmer Dustin Skarra, right, during a briefing on damage from Hurricane Katrina Friday in Mobile, Ala. Bush is touring the Gulf Coast communities battered by Katrina, hoping to boost the spirits of increasingly desperate storm victims and exhausted rescuers. At far right is Director of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff.

Scenes from the Gulf Coast resemble pictures of foreign war zones with buildings destroyed, fires out of control, shortages of vital supplies and poor communications. Citizens are walking around in a daze while looters and armed gangs take advantage of the situation. Instant critics and Monday-morning quarterbacks have all the answers, blaming government officials for not being better prepared or taking the right action.

Just after Hurricane Katrina passed over the southern tip of Florida, forecasters alerted the public that the storm was gathering power and was likely to turn into a deadly force. Soon, the Gulf Coast was identified as the likely point of landfall, and there were predictions the hurricane would hit land with maximum force.

With this warning, and with three or four days to prepare for the worst, there was a limit to what could be done. Residents were told to evacuate the area; some did, others didn’t. Some had the ability to leave, some didn’t have enough money to get out of the storm’s path. Some refused to leave either because they didn’t believe the warnings or did not want to leave their homes. Still others stayed for the purpose of looting and pillaging.

New Orleans is in a unique and delicate geographical position, and although there are huge pumps, an impressive levee system and other safeguards, the city’s margin of safety is very thin and fragile. It was not prepared to withstand a hurricane the strength of Katrina.

The levees were breached, the city was flooded, communications were poor, all electrical power was out, thousands of homes were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of stunned citizens had no idea what to do or where to go. It was, and continues to be, a terrible, deadly, costly disaster.

It is a national disgrace, but it also shows just how soft we have become and raises the question of what would happen if America were to come under a well-coordinated, widespread attack by a foreign power or by terrorists.

England, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Japan and other nations have gone through wars that have almost leveled their countries. America always has been spared.

Now, we are witnessing the tragic, but disgusting, pictures and stories from New Orleans. Those who have been part of the looting, shooting, arson and other lawless acts should be captured and prosecuted to the fullest. There shouldn’t be any sympathy or sob stories about how these criminals should be excused for their actions.

So far, there has been a lot of talk about punishing lawbreakers but little visible action.

Unfortunately, there are others who are using the disaster for their own selfish political efforts. Bush critics or “Bush-haters” are having a field day trying to blame Bush and his administration for a lack of preparedness. Others are claiming race has played a role in who is being cared for in the flooded, crime-ridden area. The Bush Administration is being held responsible for not having a stronger levee system. Partisan finger-pointing is the name of the game.

It is an ugly, unflattering scene.

All of this points up that in some way, this horrible situation may wake up Americans and make them pay attention to the president and others who have tried to warn the country that it is engaged in a “war” against terrorism. They tell Americans this war is likely to last for years; some say it could be 50 or 100 years before there is any relative peace.

We have federal programs, such as Homeland Security, that are designed to ramp up this country’s preparedness and plan for the worst. But if a city, such as New Orleans, can turn into such a shocking and overwhelming situation for the entire nation, what would be the reaction if this country should be attacked? Or if a number of our major cities, ports, water systems, power plants and transportation centers should come under attack at the same time?

What would be our ability to withstand such disasters and what would be the mental state and reaction of our citizens?

Some victims along the Gulf Coast shoreline of disaster have given every evidence of toughness and a commitment to rebuild and not let the hurricane destroy their lives. They are not blaming others. Others, primarily in the New Orleans area, are blaming anyone and everyone for their troubles, bringing race and wealth into the matter and, in some cases, acting like crazed animals.

Can we learn any lessons from what happened in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi? Can we learn any lessons from the actions of people in Kansas and other states, hundreds of miles from the disaster, who are using the Gulf Coast catastrophe to line their own pockets by price gouging?

Just how prepared is this country, which hasn’t had first-hand experience with the horrors of war since our own Civil War ended 140 years ago? Does New Orleans offer a tiny example of what could happen and what is required of the citizenry to absorb and then bounce back from the strongest blow our enemies can mount? “Bounce back” both physically and mentally? It’s time for the country and its people to get real, not live in a dream world.

Protecting our environment is important, but it is even more important to protect our country.