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Controversial Subject Rebuttal Essay On August 29, 2005, the Gulf Coast was struck with one of the most unforgettable natural disasters in American History. The effects of Hurricane Katrina have been shattering and long-lasting. However, could the question been plausibly raised whether or not to rebuild New Orleans? Evidently it was. Lance Winslow, freelance writer, from California did just that in an article titled: Why did God Destroy New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina? Winslow states â€Å"Many people believe that God was real angry at mankind and got a wild hair up his butt and sent Hurricane Katrina into the Gulf Shore and New Orleans to teach people a lesson†¦and if it was a lesson did the little human learn anything? It appears they did not. Humans in their ultimate defiance are rebuilding the city under sea level as before† (Winslow, n. d. ). Winslow included no resources or data to back his opinion. There can be no reliability or credibility attached to this article; however; for those who have been victims of Hurricane Katrina these words create an emotional anger, which is verbally indescribable. Loss of personal possessions are only one aspect of devastation, but the loss of homestead, life as it once was, people and places, which once represented home, and the cultures that make each person a unique individual are characteristics that can never be replaced. History and People of New Orleans Historically the people who inhabited early New Orleans came from many groups including Native American, French, African, and Caribbean islands. No group was dominant in the early days and there was a mixing of the cultures. From this mixing came a unique culture that influenced food, music, architecture, and language. New Orleans became one of Americas’ most unique cities with its multicultural influence and it joie de vivre (joy of life) attitude (A Brief History of New Orleans, n. d. ). The Act of God In the Acts of God department: the catastrophe in New Orleans is the result of human error, not divine malice. Hurricane Katrina’s winds and rain were naturally disastrous, there is no question. However, the massive and catastrophic destruction that affected this beloved city was a result of flooding that occurred because of the failure of the levees. The primary responsibility for that tragic turn of events, and for fixing it, lies directly with the U. S.  Army Corps of Engineers, who have admitted as much (Piazza, 2006) . Anyone that asks the question should New Orleans be rebuilt needs to consider, what happens to the people in San Francisco when it gets destroyed again by an earthquake? Should the government tell them, Sorry, you should have not built on a fault line. What will be done when Los Angeles is ravaged by wildfires and mudslides? How should the government proceed in helping other citizen’s homeland or any other national treasure? Economic Reasons Those who argue the question whether to rebuild New Orleans also fail to consider the costs associated with abandoning New Orleans. The country would suffer economically with its abandonment: more than 500 million tons of cargo comes through the port of New Orleans each year, and 13% of the imported petroleum enters the United States through the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (Villere, n. d. ). Certainly anyone who relies on the import and export of grain, textiles, hard or dry goods of any sort, electronics, and automobiles, which is to say anyone in the United States, depends on the health of New Orleans as a port. Anyone who uses petroleum products should recognize the importance of New Orleans and Louisiana in general to supply oil. It would be amiss to forget to mention that the Gulf Coast is second only to Alaska as a source of seafood (Piazza, 2006). For those who have taken this attitude, it sounds as if they are just writing off the United part of the United States. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, â€Å"We must all hang together or we will certainly hang separately. † President George W. Bush on September 16, 2005, while standing in Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter, stated â€Å"All who question the future of the Crescent City need to know: There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans and this great city will rise again† (Taipei Times, 2005) .