D.C. homeless resent Katrina victims

I couldn't make this up if I tried, yet the Washington comPost runs the story that would normally look like satire. Hat tip to Michelle Malkin:

Advocates say the homeless have noticed -- and many resent -- the difference in perception and treatment. "Local homeless people are saying, 'Nobody cares about us -- we were here all the time,' " said Imagene Stewart, who has 17 homeless families from the area at her House of Imagene in Northwest Washington. "For Katrina people, they find money. We've been out here begging for years...."

Isn't there something a tad bit perverted about the line of thinking that we're seeing? People in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast were the victims of Mother Nature, i.e. forces beyond their control. The homeless in D.C. and elsewhere are by and large in their predicament due to addictions, poor planning, lack of initiative, or in some cases, mental disorders (the latter clearly would fall under the category of "forces beyond their control"). Most of the Katrina victims were productive members of society, or were retirees after having a lifetime of hard work and productivity.

Yet here come a group of people who are resentful at the fact that society seems to sympathize with victims of nature instead of victims of choice. The last sentence sums up their mentality: "We've been begging for years." Yes, you have been, and Katrina victims were not begging for years! Instead, they were busy working and planning and saving and sacrificing for years, and through no fault of their own, had it wiped out in one fell swoop. We Americans tend to sympathize greatly with people who play by the rules. And while I harbor no animosity towards the homeless, I've seen enough "Why lie? I need a beer!" panhandlers to siphon my sympathy tank dry.

I'll be accused of being insensitive, but I need you folks to do me a huge favor and remind me later to give a damned...m'kay? Much appreciated!