The Cajun Navy!
August 29 | Posted by mrossol | American ThoughtThe Left cannot acknowledge this about America.
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WSJ 8/29/2016
Somewhere Alexis de Tocqueville is smiling. In “Democracy in America,” the Frenchman famously pointed to the American genius for coming together in voluntary common purpose as perhaps our nation’s greatest strength.
That strength has been on full display this month in flooded southern Louisiana. There the “Cajun Navy”—a loose association of volunteers who have turned their fishing boats into a humanitarian fleet—has helped in the rescue of 30,000 people stranded by the recent flooding. The flat-bottomed boats Louisianans use to get around the shallow bayous are ideal for navigating flooded streets.
The Cajun Navy first materialized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This time around they are proving even more organized and sophisticated, using Facebook, cell phone apps and GPS technology to identify those in distress and get to them as quickly and efficiently as possible. Corporations such as Wal-Mart, Target and UPS have also donated to the relief effort and used their own logistical resources to keep supply chains operating and find alternate routes so trucks can get through.
There will always be a role for operations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Coast Guard and National Guard. But citizen volunteers often are in position to get there first and have the gumption to take the initiative rather than wait for a federal directive.
One Louisiana lawmaker was lambasted when he suggested the need for legislation to regulate the Cajun Navy. He later said he meant to empower them. But the best thing we can do for volunteers helping their neighbors is to get out of their way—and salute their demonstration that Americans aren’t waiting on government to help their fellow citizens.
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