To the editor:

This is in regard to Hurricane Katrina, and the damage that this monster storm inflicted upon the city of New Orleans.

As if the wrath of this storm upon the Crescent City wasn’t enough, the time that it took President Bush, Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond was unacceptable.

U.S. and local governments had no evacuation plan in place and appeared disorganized and lacking in leadership.

While there is plenty of blame to go around, there is much to be learned from this classic case of bureaucratic bumbling.

I was blessed to have lived in the Big Easy for nearly two years. New Orleanians are down, but not out. The people down there not only have great music and food, but they have heart and soul as well. They will re-build their city bigger and better than before!

While these fine peoples: black, white, Cajuns, Creoles and others, will give a stranger the shirt off their backs, it is now time for other Americans to do the giving. My check is in the mail.

Robert Hinton,

Lawrence