We're not perfect. We admit it. Go ahead, look at the second page of the paper -- that's where you'll find the proof. Well, not today. But keep checking, it'll be there. They're called corrections.
Anyway, the point is, The State Press is no stranger to screw-ups. But our screw-ups don't cost people their lives.
Michael Brown resigned as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Monday.
Before managing federal emergencies and submerged cities, Brown managed Arabian horses -- though not very well. After seven years of work with the International Arabian Horse Association, Brown was fired ... we mean, asked to resign.
Apparently, Brown had just as much trouble managing horses as he did Hurricane Katrina and the thousands of people who went days without aid.
Now, our strong suit here at The State Press isn't math -- we're not even sure it's writing -- but even we realize something doesn't exactly add up. Brown is asked to resign from his horse job, and all of the sudden he's equipped to handle national emergencies.
Brown's appointment as director has been defended by Washington officials who pointed out he had worked with FEMA in other capacities, such as deputy director and general counsel. And, Brown has handled the job since his appointment in 2003.
So maybe -- just maybe -- Brown's horse-show days and two years of prior experience with the agency were enough to qualify him for the position.
In which case, can anybody say the word "scapegoat?"
Well, hurricanes are a lot harder to put behind bars than terrorists. So it seems that, in an effort to save itself, the federal government has thrown Brown to the public -- somebody to blame.
In any case, there is no doubt FEMA would do well to have another leader -- if only to rejuvenate the relief effort and offer another approach to clearing up the Big Easy and many other Gulf Coast cities destroyed by Katrina.
This brings us to another subject, our own little relief project -- or rather, Thomas Turner's project.
Turner is an ASU student who, by all accounts, rocks our collective socks. The destructive images of Hurricane Katrina scrawling along Thomas' TV screen prompted him to action. This action, it turns out, has become a school-wide fundraising effort for the victims of Katrina.
And, believe it or not, we are leaving our dungeon to help out, too.
Thirty-five student organizations will be collecting money from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at donation sites all around campus. All the money collected will be donated to the Red Cross.
So, as you walk by the campus Starbucks, don't get sucked in. Ditch your $4 latte, and make a donation. We'll be waiting and perspiring right outside of the Matthews Center.
