Hurricane Goverment

Countdown to Hurricane Gustav
New York Times




By Mike Nizza
Published August 31, 2008

Hurricane Gustav thrashes the Gulf coast of New
Orleans, forcing thousands of people to flee from
the torrential rains and winds topping 39 mph. The
National Guard is helping as quickly and efficiently
as they possibly can to help the citizens on the
coast escape to higher ground. Unlike the situation
with Katrina, Texas authorities are taking no chances
this time about evacuating more then 10,000 people
from the three county area surrounding Beaumont. When
Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf coast in 2005, the
government took days to respond. By the time help had
arrived it was too late. During Katrina, the residents
put up more of a fight to leave their homes, and they
had to stand up against the storm by themselves.

The class connection to this article is that of the
Enlightenment. John Locke believed that there should
be a government to protect the natural rights of the
people. That way the people were able to depend on them
for their safety. Thomas Hobbes on the other hand
believed that every man was to fend for himself. Which
means every man was on their own, survival of the
fittest. That is displayed with Hurricane Gustav because
the government is now taking action to help the people
to safety, instead of when Hurricane Katrina came the
people were on their own to survive.