Laura Bush urges families in Katrina areas: 'Try not to be sad'

(I usually steer clear of editorializing. But 'Try not too be sad' ? That pretty much sums up the federal response to this disaster. How about 'Just say no to saddness', okay? "Buck up. Suck it in. Walk it off. There ya go." -Ed.)

GULFPORT, Miss. - First lady Laura Bush on Monday urged parents here to cling to normal holiday practices even as families face dual hardships - recovering from Hurricane Katrina and coping while family members are stationed overseas for military service.

"There are still a lot of people not spending Christmas in their homes, but I encourage families to have all the same traditions," Bush said to children and parents at a Naval Construction Battalion Center.

Bush, accompanied by Santa during stops in New Orleans and Mississippi, said in Gulfport: "Try not to be sad. It's very important for your children."

More... (but, please, there's better reading down-thread than this)