The nation acknowledged the one-year anniversary of the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States Aug. 29.

I am, of course, talking about Hurricane Katrina.

A year after the incident, two questions must asked: has the U.S. government learned from their mistakes; and have the residents of Louisiana learned to forgive the leadership that left them out to dry?

The worst hurricane in American history devastated more than 93,000 square miles across 138 counties and parishes and has cost an estimated $125 billion in damage, according to a report last week from USA Today. The majority of the damage was centered in New Orleans, which before the hurricane’s landfall was a popular tourist attraction; it now stands desolate and in phases of rebuilding. Residents who once called Louisiana — and New Orleans in particular — home have been displaced by the government and shipped to different regions of the country.

Many of these displaced victims have found new homes in Illinois, and some even in DeKalb. Some of these residents have been separated from family members, friends and recognizable surroundings in the name of safety, not knowing if they will ever again see their old home.

While residents of Louisiana were fighting for their lives, many others stayed glued to their television sets to watch the drama unfold. The media called those deposed by Katrina refugees. Many of the displaced residents were of color and were predominately of lower class, but were not refugees. These were American citizens who were trying to survive the horror that was around them. There were people trapped in attics trying to hold on to their lives and survivors holding on to anything they could in order to stay alive until help came. Men, women and children without food or water and dead bodies lining the city of New Orleans were captured on television and in photographic images. These are scenes that many survivors will never forget.

The American population has to take a good look at the U.S. government when it comes to the response of Katrina. President George Bush’s infamous quote, “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job,” should resonate in everyone’s mind and expose the government’s deep faults. The government says it works for the people, but it took four days to generate any kind of assistance to those U.S. victims ravaged by Katrina. The tsunami in Sri Lanka received federal response in less than two days even though it had half the damage of Katrina. Instead of stepping foot on the wet New Orleans soil, our beloved President flew over the ravaged area on his way to less catastrophic areas like Alabama, Mississippi and his home state of Texas.

Maybe the question of our government’s growth and our citizens’ adjustment could be better answered on Aug. 29, 2007. If the city of New Orleans is in an era of rejoicing after rebuilding, and all displaced residents have returned to their familiar views, then the real rebuilding process will begin and the questions will be answered.

Harold Toliver is an Opinion Columnist for the Northern Star.