Today marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This natural disaster, coupled with a staggering failure of the federal emergency management system, cost thousands their lives and many more people to lose everything.Over the weekend, Barack walked through New Orleans and delivered a major speech to address the rebuilding of this great American city and the entire Gulf Region. Barack’s commitment to rebuilding is rooted in a principle that he speaks of often – I am my brother's keeper, and I am my sister's keeper.Here is some video that chronicles Barack's trip to New Orleans over the weekend:Rebuilding this area “is a symbol of what kind of country we are. If we don't get this right, then it tells me that we, as a nation, have forgotten to look out for one another,” Barack said.Our government failed the people of this region once – Barack believes that it can’t happen again. It’s time to rebuild the schools, hospitals, and water and sewer systems and let the Gulf Coast residents return to their normal lives.
On Friday, August 17, Senator Barack Obama held a Rural Summit in Tama, Iowa. Attendees participated in one of three breakout sessions: agriculture, energy, and rural economic development and quality of life. When addressing the participants, Senator Obama answered questions on the Farm Bill, caps on farm subsidies, and other issues. After the event, Barack met with Norma "Duffy" Lyon, who presented Barack with the "Butter O."Here is part of Barack's speech:
When I say that the rural agenda should be America's agenda, part of it is because rural values should be and are America's values. The values of hard work, and self reliance, and individual initiative, and honesty, and fair dealing, but also the value of mutual responsibility - that we're not in this thing alone, we're in it together.
