There is much debate over whether Disaster Tours should be going on in the city of New Orleans. Some argue that the capitalizing on the misery of others is morbid, while others say that the only way people can understand the magnitude of the disaster is to view it first hand, and then go on and tell others.

Another facet of this is that any dollars spent in New Orleans will hasten its recovery. The tendency to rely solely on government support undercuts the free market that needs to be rebuilt. Otherwise the city will not have vital parts of its commercial structure when it needs it.

The three-hour tour, called “Hurricane Katrina — America’s Worst Catastrophe,” takes passengers down Canal Street, where many businesses remain boarded up after the floods that hit 80 percent of the city and the widespread looting that followed.

Wednesday morning’s tour was given by Joe Gendusa, a retired teacher and lifelong New Orleans resident. He told them about his own grim hurricane experiences, including being trapped by floodwaters in a tall building where he had sought shelter and seeing dead bodies.

“This is not just a tour for me,” said tour guide Joe Gendusa, whose childhood home in the Gentilly neighborhood was flooded. “This is my home.”

 CNN.com