My heart really goes out to all the people injured, killed, and displaced by this distaster. I wish I were a billionaire so I could help them all.

That being said, I also have mixed feelings about it. If you stop and think about it, everyone left in New Orleans is technically a criminal. The mayor ordered MANDITORY evacuations of the city well before the storm hit. So anyone who stayed was technically breaking the law.

And I know that alot of them didn't have the means to leave. But they should have went to the local officials and requested help with complying with the evacuation order. Then if the local officials didn't help evacuate them then I could absolve all responsibility from the people left there. So I kind of think they put themselves in the poor situation they are in now.

Don't get me wrong. My heart still goes out to them and I would do anything I could to help now that they are in that situation. It's just that sometimes you think that they need to take accountablity for themselves and their situation to some extent.

I urge everyone to do whatever they can to help out. Remember, it could be anyone of us at anytime. As I paint landscapes I stop and think Mother Nature can be very beautiful but she can also be very terrible and she's not particular where or when she wipes the slate clean.