Give Me Bacteria, Or Give Me Death

I have come to this conclusion (after watching this morning's news programs); No matter how much we spend on an education, common sense just cannot be bought. For about a week now, the devastation hurricane Katrina brought has been posted all over many media outlets. It goes without saying, many of our fellow countrymen are in desperate times. But as if having your home, job(s), pets, and in some cases family members swept away in storm water isn't enough, a major network's morning story is about the bacteria concentration in the flood water. My guess is, that even the untrained eye (and nose for that matter) would probably be able to determine that flood water may have just a "hint" of bacteria in it. One could only ponder the thought that if the city is immersed in two or more feet of water, the likelihood of the sewer system being completely functional is farfetched to say the least. But wait, it gets better. Water samples were taken and sent to be analyzed, thus yielding a high count and wide range of bacteria. So the major network newscasters did what they do best, inform the public via television. They advised all people that come in contact with the flood water to clean themselves thoroughly to prevent possible infection and illness. This very insightful broadcast only had two flaws; nobody in the flood zone has electricity to see this educational piece, nor the clean water to spare for personal hygiene.