George W. Bush Returns to New Orleans, Says Everything Is Better Now

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, George W. Bush returns to New Orleans.

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Complex Original

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A decade after the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still considered a source of contention by many. Time has framed the events of Katrina, particularly those events directly related to government response, in an increasingly damning light. In fact, a recent study revealed that nearly 80 percent of white citizens believed the city had "mostly recovered" from the damage of Katrina, while 60 percent of black citizens disagreed entirely.

Speaking to an audience at Warren Easton Charter School on Friday morning, Bush referred to Katrina as a tragedy that "brought despair to what should have been a season of hope," according to BBC. However, Bush made a point to also highlight what he feels are crowning achievements for the city and people of New Orleans. "Because of the success schools like this have achieved," Bush told the group of students and teachers, "it gives a message to Americans that New Orleans is back, and better than ever."

Bush's trip comes just one day after a visit from President Barack Obama, who criticized the Bush regime's failed approach to Hurricane Katrina relief and the ramifications of those failures. "What started out as a natural disaster became a man-made disaster," Obama told the audience. "[It was] a failure of government to look out for its own citizens."

 

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