Politics

Tweets Expose the Problem With Clinton and Trump Staying Silent on the Tragedy in Louisiana

August 16th 2016

The death toll from Louisiana's historic flooding has risen to eight and caused still uncounted damage to homes and infrastructure.

Yet even as scientists warn that climate change could create conditions leading to more catastrophic weather events in American cities, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been notably quiet on the topic.

People on social media, especially the ones struggling in Louisiana, have noticed the silence.

Besides the obvious humanitarian need for awareness about the dire situation in Louisiana, some questioned the political strategy behind not addressing the floods, especially given the region's fraught history of insufficient government responses to natural disasters.

Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast in 2005 and killed more than 1,800 people, most of them in Louisiana.

The U.S. Airforce flies over flooded neighborhoods after Hurricane Katrina. U.S. Airforce - dma.mil

Beyond the incredible loss of life, there was also $108 billion worth of damage and thousands of people were displaced.

"Hurricane Katrina survivors arrive at the Houston Astrodome Red Cross Shelter after being evacuated from New Orleans."Wikimedia Commons/FEMA - wikimedia.org

There was a huge backlash against President George W. Bush and what was deemed a lacking response by the federal government. Rapper Kanye West famously commented on the Bush administration's seeming indifference to the predominantly black victims of Katrina during a televised fundraiser.

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

Now, there seems to be a growing sentiment among those in Louisiana that both of the presidential candidates are similarly indifferent to their struggles.

ATTN: reached out to both campaigns about the Louisiana flooding disaster, but has yet to hear back.

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Do you think the presidential candidates should make the flooding in Louisiana a part of their campaign?

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