Katrina overwhelmed in every way possible: decimating the coast of our own beloved state; breaching the levees of beautiful New Orleans; stretching the limits of towns now home to so many displaced residents.

There will be time in the future to point fingers of blame at the disorganization of local and state officials that left the least among us behind; the painfully slow response of the federal government that sunk them further into despair; and the lawlessness of a handful of New Orleans’ own residents who turned a Category 4 storm into Defcon 5. There will be time to learn lessons in disaster preparedness and response.

What is important now is organizing for the future.

We predict those responsible for the catastrophe that ensued after Mother Nature wreaked her havoc will lose their jobs &045; or should &045; whether through firings or at the ballot box.

But while rescuers are still plucking refugees off rooftops, right now it’s time to put one foot in front of the other and move forward &045; getting help to the areas that need it, mobilizing the communities that have welcomed new neighbors; rebuilding lives and communities.

We can take a cue from the stoic survivors of the storm, who have begun to pick up the pieces while their governments argue about who’s to blame.

Schools ready to welcome new students to classrooms today

It’s the first day of school all over again. Children who have already been through a traumatic experience will enter classrooms across the Miss-Lou today as coast and New Orleans residents enroll at our local schools.

We know that teachers and administrators have been making quick plans to welcome them, and we’re sure students will open their hearts to new friends as well.

We can’t imagine every little thing will go smoothly; few things do when organized on such short notice. But we give credit to everyone who has pitched in to make this work.