Stupidity = Life on a Rooftop

This just in: The U.S. Government cannot save its citizens from themselves. That’s right ladies and gentleman, the government is not responsible for one’s own stupidity. I say this because despite warnings and ample time to flee, there were still people who choose to stay in their homes and wait out hurricane Ivan. Now these same people are costing the government daily as they are currently being saved from their flooded homes. This is not something that needs to happen. There are consequences to every choice you make, and the consequence for these brave souls is life on a rooftop for a little while.
According to a survey on sciencedaily.com, almost a third of people facing evacuation due to a hurricane will choose to stay. The government is making decisions according to what is in the best interest of the residents, and the residents should act accordingly. Sure this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but in these circumstances the “brave” should not be deployed to help out the “free.”
The cost of a hurricane can be staggering. MSNBC.com states that Hurricane Katrina will end up costing over 200 billion dollars. With Hurricane Ike looking eerily similar, it is looking like the cost will be close as well. The money being used comes from nonprofit organizations and the taxpayers. Everyone pays taxes, and most would like to pay less. What gets under my skin isn’t the money spent on rebuilding after the hurricane or even the money spent helping people evacuate, it’s the money that will be spent saving the people who chose not to evacuate. Rescuers must be paid for doing their job. Helicopters, boats, and hummers that will be used in the rescue effort all cost a great deal to operate.
The safety of the lives of rescue workers is also a huge concern. Why should anyone be sent to save someone who was too stubborn for their own good? According to an associated press article on Salon.com, there has been one recorded death of a rescue worker. The brave worker fell into a rising river while attempting to save someone trapped in a SUV. This was an unneeded fatality. The driver of the car was attempting to flee the hurricane well after the initial evacuation.
The government of this great nation of ours should not but its employees through this. Once warnings are sent out and the evacuation becomes mandated, those who choose to stay should be on their own. No unnecessary spending and no additional lives should be lost!