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Genocide in New Orleans
I was seriously hoping that I would not have to write this article. But it has been too long now, and I have to say something. Regardless of whether the deaths en masse of poor black folks in New Orleans is due to neglect or maliciousness, the end result is constructively a genocide on poor blacks in America, right now, in 2005. The lack of aid to New Orleans at this late hour (7 pm, Sept. 1) is not explicable. I have only one explanation that I can muster up. And that explanation is classism and racism.
I was seriously hoping that I would not have to write this article. But it has been too long now, and I have to say something. Regardless of whether the deaths en masse of poor black folks in New Orleans is due to neglect or maliciousness, the end result is constructively a genocide on poor blacks in America, right now, in 2005. The lack of aid to New Orleans at this late hour (7 pm, Sept. 1) is not explicable. I have only one explanation that I can muster up. And that explanation is classism and racism.
The reality is these refugees in New Orleans right now were already poor, so that tells you how much the government cared about them BEFORE this disaster. Why would you expect the government to all of a sudden, now, prioritize the group they did not care about before, to the tune of inadequate health care, inadequate and expensive housing, etc.? So this is not a shock, I guess, that the American government is apparently going to let poor black Americans die for no apparent reason, right on the nightly news. They were already not caring about the health of these people, so I guess they are still in that mindset.
Look, New Orleans is not on Mars. I cannot explain why military aircraft carriers, the like we saw during the South Vietnamese evacuation in the Vietnam War, are not landing in New Orleans and airlifting these folks out. Are they all in Iraq or what? I also cannot explain why they are not, at the very least, airdropping food and water onto the people in New Orleans, like they did in Afghanistan after 9/11. These people are literally DYING because America is not doing that! I cannot explain why they did not evacuate the New Orleans jail until AFTER the disaster, either. The many, many ways that the American government has now jeopardized the lives of poor black Americans in this Katrina disaster has literally scared me to death, as a poor person. I feel very strongly that if those were middle class white people stuck in those conditions in New Orleans right now, that relief would have come days ago. For some reason, just as the cops let L.A. burn in the Rodney King riots, this smells of racism to me.
New Orleans is not even a day away from the West Coast. I cannot explain why it is taking days to get help to those people dying down in New Orleans right now. But I remember when I was in the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, that the white middle class people had all the water they could use from the national guard, while only a few miles to the south, the mostly Hispanic communities, were standing in lines for hours in the sun to get only 5 gallons of water. My son and I drove up from the San Fernando Valley into the Santa Clarita Valley in 1994 after the quake collapsed our apartment, after seeing block-long lines at stores for water and long lines at high schools and parks with National Guard trucks giving out water to anyone with a 5 gallon container. When we hit Santa Clarita, there were cases of bottled water at every I-5 off ramp, with military personnel just sitting there, waiting for these middle class families to drive up. When I hit the Santa Clarita Red Cross, they also asked me to take some water off their hands, unloading a few cases of Evian water into my trunk! They had a surplus. I asked both the military and the Red Cross to please load the water up and drive just a bit over the hill where the water was desperately needed. And they refused. Maybe that story is a microcosm of what is going on here in New Orleans right now. No one wants to drive over the hill with supplies?
I cannot explain why there is not at least food and water for the people we are seeing suffering in New Orleans, and the idea there is no landing strip is not true. I have seen flat lawns with massive people littered on them, I have seen abandoned highway strips that could sustain a landing, and I am sure if you told the refugees if they move out of the area for the plane to land, they will be airlifted out, they would cooperate right away!
I have watched insane police hold machine guns to the bodies of mothers carrying clothing out of department stores on TV news. I saw the cops force the mothers to drop the clothing, with his gun in her chest, and she dropped the clothing, and it floated away. A pure authoritarian waste. Even Nazi-ish in nature! I saw police allowing their own into stores for food, but holding the people back from the same luxury, calling poor blacks desperate for food and water “looters” while the cops do the same exact thing and are NOT called looters. I would assume some cops are gonna die if they keep trying to act like this. I see America fueling a heavy crisis in New Orleans, then blaming the refugees for getting desperate. Just as it is in the Middle East, if people were fed by American government, instead of patrolled and pointed at with guns while hungry, things will be safer for all.
The racist cops of L.A. used the Rodney King riots to validate some kind of weird racist theory that blacks are violent and riot. But that is bull. The movie “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd is a beautiful movie about this idea where you drive someone to desperation then call them criminals. My friend was cleaning pools in Beverly Hills during the Rodney King riots and she said there was a cop car on every block. But when she got into the lower income areas, a cop could not be found. So, from my own disaster experiences, I guess the class/caste separation of even disaster rescue in America is obvious and dominant.
I just told my 21 year old son that he is watching a genocide of people in America right now on TV, as this is what this feels like to me. I have heard NO logical argument as to how on earth those people could still be stranded in New Orleans. It is not Mars. This is ridiculous. And it has become obvious this delayed response in New Orleans is fueled by classism and racism, unless the U.S. government can spit out some logical explanation, but I have not heard one yet. New Orleans is a scene of constructive genocide right now on America’s poor blacks, and I do not know how Americans are just sitting quietly as they watch this on TV. I am out of my mind about this right now. Just out of my damned mind. I have never hated GWBush more, and I have never seen a better living example of classism and racism alive in America today. According to resources in Canada, Canadian TV is reporting they offered planes full of food, water, and supplies to help New Orleans refugees and America turned them down! Again, I wish I did not have to write this article. And I hope I am wrong in this conclusion. But again, I have waited days now for logical answers from the U.S. government and it appears those answers are not coming!
http://www.kirstenanderberg.com
The reality is these refugees in New Orleans right now were already poor, so that tells you how much the government cared about them BEFORE this disaster. Why would you expect the government to all of a sudden, now, prioritize the group they did not care about before, to the tune of inadequate health care, inadequate and expensive housing, etc.? So this is not a shock, I guess, that the American government is apparently going to let poor black Americans die for no apparent reason, right on the nightly news. They were already not caring about the health of these people, so I guess they are still in that mindset.
Look, New Orleans is not on Mars. I cannot explain why military aircraft carriers, the like we saw during the South Vietnamese evacuation in the Vietnam War, are not landing in New Orleans and airlifting these folks out. Are they all in Iraq or what? I also cannot explain why they are not, at the very least, airdropping food and water onto the people in New Orleans, like they did in Afghanistan after 9/11. These people are literally DYING because America is not doing that! I cannot explain why they did not evacuate the New Orleans jail until AFTER the disaster, either. The many, many ways that the American government has now jeopardized the lives of poor black Americans in this Katrina disaster has literally scared me to death, as a poor person. I feel very strongly that if those were middle class white people stuck in those conditions in New Orleans right now, that relief would have come days ago. For some reason, just as the cops let L.A. burn in the Rodney King riots, this smells of racism to me.
New Orleans is not even a day away from the West Coast. I cannot explain why it is taking days to get help to those people dying down in New Orleans right now. But I remember when I was in the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, that the white middle class people had all the water they could use from the national guard, while only a few miles to the south, the mostly Hispanic communities, were standing in lines for hours in the sun to get only 5 gallons of water. My son and I drove up from the San Fernando Valley into the Santa Clarita Valley in 1994 after the quake collapsed our apartment, after seeing block-long lines at stores for water and long lines at high schools and parks with National Guard trucks giving out water to anyone with a 5 gallon container. When we hit Santa Clarita, there were cases of bottled water at every I-5 off ramp, with military personnel just sitting there, waiting for these middle class families to drive up. When I hit the Santa Clarita Red Cross, they also asked me to take some water off their hands, unloading a few cases of Evian water into my trunk! They had a surplus. I asked both the military and the Red Cross to please load the water up and drive just a bit over the hill where the water was desperately needed. And they refused. Maybe that story is a microcosm of what is going on here in New Orleans right now. No one wants to drive over the hill with supplies?
I cannot explain why there is not at least food and water for the people we are seeing suffering in New Orleans, and the idea there is no landing strip is not true. I have seen flat lawns with massive people littered on them, I have seen abandoned highway strips that could sustain a landing, and I am sure if you told the refugees if they move out of the area for the plane to land, they will be airlifted out, they would cooperate right away!
I have watched insane police hold machine guns to the bodies of mothers carrying clothing out of department stores on TV news. I saw the cops force the mothers to drop the clothing, with his gun in her chest, and she dropped the clothing, and it floated away. A pure authoritarian waste. Even Nazi-ish in nature! I saw police allowing their own into stores for food, but holding the people back from the same luxury, calling poor blacks desperate for food and water “looters” while the cops do the same exact thing and are NOT called looters. I would assume some cops are gonna die if they keep trying to act like this. I see America fueling a heavy crisis in New Orleans, then blaming the refugees for getting desperate. Just as it is in the Middle East, if people were fed by American government, instead of patrolled and pointed at with guns while hungry, things will be safer for all.
The racist cops of L.A. used the Rodney King riots to validate some kind of weird racist theory that blacks are violent and riot. But that is bull. The movie “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd is a beautiful movie about this idea where you drive someone to desperation then call them criminals. My friend was cleaning pools in Beverly Hills during the Rodney King riots and she said there was a cop car on every block. But when she got into the lower income areas, a cop could not be found. So, from my own disaster experiences, I guess the class/caste separation of even disaster rescue in America is obvious and dominant.
I just told my 21 year old son that he is watching a genocide of people in America right now on TV, as this is what this feels like to me. I have heard NO logical argument as to how on earth those people could still be stranded in New Orleans. It is not Mars. This is ridiculous. And it has become obvious this delayed response in New Orleans is fueled by classism and racism, unless the U.S. government can spit out some logical explanation, but I have not heard one yet. New Orleans is a scene of constructive genocide right now on America’s poor blacks, and I do not know how Americans are just sitting quietly as they watch this on TV. I am out of my mind about this right now. Just out of my damned mind. I have never hated GWBush more, and I have never seen a better living example of classism and racism alive in America today. According to resources in Canada, Canadian TV is reporting they offered planes full of food, water, and supplies to help New Orleans refugees and America turned them down! Again, I wish I did not have to write this article. And I hope I am wrong in this conclusion. But again, I have waited days now for logical answers from the U.S. government and it appears those answers are not coming!
http://www.kirstenanderberg.com
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That the Bush administration was forewarned about the severe storm surge potential from global warming and failed to act is one indication..
Funneling FEMA funds to construct detention centers instead of implementing SELA flood control projects is another..
Ordering military NG troops to fire on people (instead of saving lives) attempting to procure food items for their survival is another.
All these actions (or lack thereof) by the US government indicate a clear intent of genocide against the predominantly African descended population trapped in the New Orleans flood..
Funneling FEMA funds to construct detention centers instead of implementing SELA flood control projects is another..
Ordering military NG troops to fire on people (instead of saving lives) attempting to procure food items for their survival is another.
All these actions (or lack thereof) by the US government indicate a clear intent of genocide against the predominantly African descended population trapped in the New Orleans flood..
One reason that Al Sharpton isn't being accused of genocide is that he is not holding the office of President of the US and therefore doesn't have the same responsibility and acess to emergency disaster funds as GW Bush..
The reasons are simple yet will require continued explaining to people who choose to defend the Bush regime despite growing international and domestic outrage about the Bush regime's lack of action when confronted with the information several years ago. Global warming scientific researchers continuously sent evidence to the Bush administration that because of higher ocean temperatures from global warming, there would be an increase in storm severity, primarily higher storm surge. Coastal cities of the southeast (ESPECIALLY New Orleans) were indicated as highly vulnerable to the storm surge from hurricanes..
Federal FEMA funding for preventative measures, community preparedness training, etc. was diverted by the Bush regime to the Homeland Security department, most was used to construct and add security to new or existing detainment camps. The military spending on the war in Iraq could have given just a FRACTION of their budget to prepare New Orleans from future hurricanes. However, Bush's control of Iraq's petroleum reserves was decided as more important, so no preparations were made despite continued warnings from global warming researchers..
article below from Socialist Worker;
http://www.countercurrents.org/cc-sustar010905.htm
"The levee system, crucial to the survival of a city surrounded on three sides by water, hasn’t been upgraded to withstand a Category 4 or 5 storm. Thanks to George Bush and his "war on terror." During the 1990s, following floods that killed six people, the federal government established the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (known as SELA). The Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of implementing the project and spent nearly $500 million shoring up levees and building pumping stations.
"But at least $250 million in crucial projects remained," wrote Philadelphia Daily News writer Will Bunch. "Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security--coming at the same time as federal tax cuts--was the reason for the strain…In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to [a] Feb. 16 , 2004 article in New Orleans CityBusiness.""
We can dismiss this (the corporate media already is) as playing the "blame game" and call it water under (or over) the bridge, yet the fact remains that prior knowledge of a future hurricane's disaster potential was deliberately ignored by the Bush administration who had the ability to fund prevention measures that would have saved lives. How else can we say this so the Bush supporters understand? Maybe they won't and are unable to, or just don't want to. Fine, go down with your sinking ship..
Another factor that supports the Bush regime's actions as genocide against the predominantly poverty stricken African community residing in the lowest elevations of New Orleans(Hey, does anyone believe it was coincidence that almost all the housing projects were placed in the lowest basin streets of flood prone New Orleans?) is the Bush regime's order National Guard troops to "shoot the looters." Instead of helping people, already overstressed national guard workers are now directed to expend their limited energy on violently fighting the people they are supposed to help? People in a survival situation (placed their by a result of government inaction) have needs that cannot be met by going to the store and using their fucking credit cards. How stupid are these government leaders trying to act? Food and other items are needed and the ONLY way to obtain these needed supplies is to enter the store and walk out without paying. The term "looting" is used by the corporate media to justify using violence against African people of color..
How do we know it wasn't the NOPD videotaped looting those TV sets?? They're the winners of most corrupt police force around, does anyone think they couldn't stage some tv looting then turn around and start shooting the Africans confined to flooded housing projects??
The reasons are simple yet will require continued explaining to people who choose to defend the Bush regime despite growing international and domestic outrage about the Bush regime's lack of action when confronted with the information several years ago. Global warming scientific researchers continuously sent evidence to the Bush administration that because of higher ocean temperatures from global warming, there would be an increase in storm severity, primarily higher storm surge. Coastal cities of the southeast (ESPECIALLY New Orleans) were indicated as highly vulnerable to the storm surge from hurricanes..
Federal FEMA funding for preventative measures, community preparedness training, etc. was diverted by the Bush regime to the Homeland Security department, most was used to construct and add security to new or existing detainment camps. The military spending on the war in Iraq could have given just a FRACTION of their budget to prepare New Orleans from future hurricanes. However, Bush's control of Iraq's petroleum reserves was decided as more important, so no preparations were made despite continued warnings from global warming researchers..
article below from Socialist Worker;
http://www.countercurrents.org/cc-sustar010905.htm
"The levee system, crucial to the survival of a city surrounded on three sides by water, hasn’t been upgraded to withstand a Category 4 or 5 storm. Thanks to George Bush and his "war on terror." During the 1990s, following floods that killed six people, the federal government established the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (known as SELA). The Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of implementing the project and spent nearly $500 million shoring up levees and building pumping stations.
"But at least $250 million in crucial projects remained," wrote Philadelphia Daily News writer Will Bunch. "Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security--coming at the same time as federal tax cuts--was the reason for the strain…In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to [a] Feb. 16 , 2004 article in New Orleans CityBusiness.""
We can dismiss this (the corporate media already is) as playing the "blame game" and call it water under (or over) the bridge, yet the fact remains that prior knowledge of a future hurricane's disaster potential was deliberately ignored by the Bush administration who had the ability to fund prevention measures that would have saved lives. How else can we say this so the Bush supporters understand? Maybe they won't and are unable to, or just don't want to. Fine, go down with your sinking ship..
Another factor that supports the Bush regime's actions as genocide against the predominantly poverty stricken African community residing in the lowest elevations of New Orleans(Hey, does anyone believe it was coincidence that almost all the housing projects were placed in the lowest basin streets of flood prone New Orleans?) is the Bush regime's order National Guard troops to "shoot the looters." Instead of helping people, already overstressed national guard workers are now directed to expend their limited energy on violently fighting the people they are supposed to help? People in a survival situation (placed their by a result of government inaction) have needs that cannot be met by going to the store and using their fucking credit cards. How stupid are these government leaders trying to act? Food and other items are needed and the ONLY way to obtain these needed supplies is to enter the store and walk out without paying. The term "looting" is used by the corporate media to justify using violence against African people of color..
How do we know it wasn't the NOPD videotaped looting those TV sets?? They're the winners of most corrupt police force around, does anyone think they couldn't stage some tv looting then turn around and start shooting the Africans confined to flooded housing projects??
"does anyone think they couldn't stage some tv looting then turn around and start shooting the Africans confined to flooded housing projects??
"
LOL!!! Those wealth redistributors were filmed carrying the large screen plasma TV, which are necessary for survival during this crisis by none other than Coretta Scott King! Do you think King filmed these events to make Bush look bad, knowing that lefties would blame Bush because African Americans are liberating cosumer products?
"
LOL!!! Those wealth redistributors were filmed carrying the large screen plasma TV, which are necessary for survival during this crisis by none other than Coretta Scott King! Do you think King filmed these events to make Bush look bad, knowing that lefties would blame Bush because African Americans are liberating cosumer products?
There was some info left out that could explain why the NOPD would stage a tv looting event (convieniently caught on videotape) then turn around and open fire on the residents of the New Orleans housing projects. It may not even be actual officers on the videotape, just hired thugs who are allowed to loot for the cameras. This sort of police created propaganda makes it easier to appeal to authority figures that military support is needed to prevent looting..
The fraternal brotherhood of any police organization operates like an organized crime syndicate. The so-called "gang wars" are police thugs using one resident against another, the police call the shots, skim the profits and operate as the largest and most powerful gang in the city. People familiar with the mafia may have heard the term "omerta", a code of silence that states nobody speaks about their brother. The police uphold this code of omerta to the highest degree and reprecusions for snitching on a fellow cop are severe, especially in the NOPD where corruption occurs in all levels of the department..
Emergency crisis situations like hurricane flooding are a great time for revenge killings by corrupt police thugs. Here it may not be only race, but also class and status differences. Corrupt New Orleans police officers looking to avenge a fallen fraternal brother could use the chaotic environment of the flooding to orchestrate revenge killings against residents of the New Orleans housing projects. The ongoing battle between housing project residents and police doesn't stop because of flooding, corrupt egocentric (describes majority of NOPD) police focused on revenge can trigger it to escalate. When police and military are given orders by government authority (Bush y Blanco) to "shoot looters", they are able to operate with impunity and then the revenge killings against housing project residents begins..
Fear of police retribution may cause New Orleans poverty stricken residents to arm themselves in self defense. Unfortunately the corporate media will always uphold the police as heroes and the poverty afflicted housing project residents as villians. The truth is the exact polar opposite..
The fraternal brotherhood of any police organization operates like an organized crime syndicate. The so-called "gang wars" are police thugs using one resident against another, the police call the shots, skim the profits and operate as the largest and most powerful gang in the city. People familiar with the mafia may have heard the term "omerta", a code of silence that states nobody speaks about their brother. The police uphold this code of omerta to the highest degree and reprecusions for snitching on a fellow cop are severe, especially in the NOPD where corruption occurs in all levels of the department..
Emergency crisis situations like hurricane flooding are a great time for revenge killings by corrupt police thugs. Here it may not be only race, but also class and status differences. Corrupt New Orleans police officers looking to avenge a fallen fraternal brother could use the chaotic environment of the flooding to orchestrate revenge killings against residents of the New Orleans housing projects. The ongoing battle between housing project residents and police doesn't stop because of flooding, corrupt egocentric (describes majority of NOPD) police focused on revenge can trigger it to escalate. When police and military are given orders by government authority (Bush y Blanco) to "shoot looters", they are able to operate with impunity and then the revenge killings against housing project residents begins..
Fear of police retribution may cause New Orleans poverty stricken residents to arm themselves in self defense. Unfortunately the corporate media will always uphold the police as heroes and the poverty afflicted housing project residents as villians. The truth is the exact polar opposite..
Of course a race and class analysis is needed in whats happening in New Orleans. However refering to the situation as genocide guarntees that nobody will take you seriously.
Thank you for using the g-word. It's been running through my mind since it became clear what is going on. Bush Republicans and the many US whites who sympathize with them are actively contributing to the mass deaths in New Orleans and throughout the devastated region. Genocide is the only word for it because they are deliberately trying to maximize the demise of as many blacks as possible, by both their action and their inaction. It is disgusting and infuriating that so many whites refuse to see that race is the CENTRAL issue as to why this is happening the way it is.
If what's going on were an isolated incident, 'genocide' might be an inappropriate word, but the taint of apathy and passive hostility seen in overall US policy toward Africans, both here and on that continent, makes this word a lot more weighty. Is it possible you can't see it because you're just another of the self-centered American pigs fundamentally responsible for it??
" 'genocide'"
We're doing a really poor job at genocide. The populations of blacks both in Africa nad in the western hemisphere continues to grow at a rate higher than that of non- black people.
(Most "africans" here in the USA are actually Americans. Theresa Heinz is doing OK, she's an African American
We're doing a really poor job at genocide. The populations of blacks both in Africa nad in the western hemisphere continues to grow at a rate higher than that of non- black people.
(Most "africans" here in the USA are actually Americans. Theresa Heinz is doing OK, she's an African American
I am an Asian born in Zimbabwe- I got into Princeton by saying I was an African America! (No- I really got into college with my 4.2, but I'm sure the African part helped ,too!)
Have any of you considered the possibility that maybe are their some logistical factors involved here. Let's see we're talking about evacuating 100,000 or more refugees from a flood zone, that is also a war zone. Not exactly a simple task is it? To say that anyone wants to see those people die is a joke. Do you know how many people fit on the average Greyhound bus? About 50 or so. So imagine how many buses it takes to evacuate that many people.
"Maybe are their some logistical factors involved here"
Worse disasters have happened in other countries and many (such as flooding in Bagledesh and India) have killed far more people. But in all those countries (which have far less money to devote to rescue misions) the rescues in the cities started on a large scale immeditaely and you didnt see the 4 day delay you saw here. Why can India and Bangledesh get soliders to a disaster zone within hours of when it starts yet in the US many national guards didnt fly out until 4 days into the disaster?
Worse disasters have happened in other countries and many (such as flooding in Bagledesh and India) have killed far more people. But in all those countries (which have far less money to devote to rescue misions) the rescues in the cities started on a large scale immeditaely and you didnt see the 4 day delay you saw here. Why can India and Bangledesh get soliders to a disaster zone within hours of when it starts yet in the US many national guards didnt fly out until 4 days into the disaster?
America's infrastructure is worse than many poor countries when it comes to governmental adi for the poor. If there were a sudden mass infection of Malaria the US would do worse than most African countries. And when there was mass flooding the US did worse than some of the poorest countries in the world. Part of it is that the systems here are setup assuming indivuiduals can and will take care of themselves with everything structured towards the middle class. Those at FEMA planning for disaster based their plans on an assumption that everyone was Middle Class, had SUVs and could afford to pay for motels for a few weeks before returning home. The same would go to a mass spread of disease; in other countries health is assumed to be a common good that is provided en masse to the public. It wouldnt be too much of a surprise if an epidemic in the US would get out of hand faster than in most other countries since the governmental response would be based on an assumption that everyone has access to private healthcare (or the minimal amount provided by some public agencies).
New Orleans was a disaster ebcasue of clasism. Not a classisim where people actively wanted poor people to die but one where they didnt even really acknowledge the poverty that exists. If you turn on right-wing radio now and hear all the worry about water fdamaged products being looted and the little concern for the thousands dying from lack of water and food you get some feel for thee ugly nature of the racism; but if you could get inside the racists heads they would probably be blaming the victims partly because of false assumptions (with a "why didnt they drive out and stay in hotels" type view that is essentially the "let them eat cake" view of the old European elite in face of starvation in France)
New Orleans was a disaster ebcasue of clasism. Not a classisim where people actively wanted poor people to die but one where they didnt even really acknowledge the poverty that exists. If you turn on right-wing radio now and hear all the worry about water fdamaged products being looted and the little concern for the thousands dying from lack of water and food you get some feel for thee ugly nature of the racism; but if you could get inside the racists heads they would probably be blaming the victims partly because of false assumptions (with a "why didnt they drive out and stay in hotels" type view that is essentially the "let them eat cake" view of the old European elite in face of starvation in France)
While I think that this article contains a lot of very clear and powerful arguements, I think that the title of 'genocide' is sensationalistic and unhelpful. The author even admits from the outset that it is not likely an intentional slaughter, which is obvious, and a definition of genocide is not about mass accidents.
I think that the comments from the person pointing out the cult of individualism are right on.
American hospitals are perticularly suseptible to disease outbreaks because they are privately run, often for profit. In other countries where public healthcare is permitted and funded [such as Canada] the hospital is not going to try and stay open as long as possible into a disaster or outbreak - trying to stay open and make money. Here in canada, if there is a supected outbreak of SARS then the hospital gets shut down a quaranteened and patients are easily shifted to other hospitals which are not seen to be competitive business.
I suspect that some of the hospitals in N.O. stayed operational and did not begin evacuating earlier than they should have because [even if they were non-profit] they were not part of a coordinated public network and so they could not easily just transfer people.
Right now it seems that "law and order" in the form of guns held by those with traditional authority [often 'white' men] has returned to N.O. but I wonder if that is really helping very many people even now. CNN.com tells a very different story of this disaster and of course nothing but priase to those in authority who also take part in looting but among them it is called "requisitioning' and 'comandeering' nessesary supplies.
It is amazing how much people will think they know based on one TV shot played over and over. One incident of plasma TV by a group or even an individual and suddenly there is proof that "they" are all just greedy looters. I'm not saying that the majority of the looting was for survival or was greedy - because I have no idea - I live in Canada and have read a lot about this but not much about looting that was trustworthy information... But I do know after the WTO protests in Seattle 1999 where I was there, the TV footage of people trashing a NIKETOWN and a starbucks was such a distortion of the truth it was almost fiction. There were 50,000 people in the streets and the only 5 that make it onto the TV...
I think that the comments from the person pointing out the cult of individualism are right on.
American hospitals are perticularly suseptible to disease outbreaks because they are privately run, often for profit. In other countries where public healthcare is permitted and funded [such as Canada] the hospital is not going to try and stay open as long as possible into a disaster or outbreak - trying to stay open and make money. Here in canada, if there is a supected outbreak of SARS then the hospital gets shut down a quaranteened and patients are easily shifted to other hospitals which are not seen to be competitive business.
I suspect that some of the hospitals in N.O. stayed operational and did not begin evacuating earlier than they should have because [even if they were non-profit] they were not part of a coordinated public network and so they could not easily just transfer people.
Right now it seems that "law and order" in the form of guns held by those with traditional authority [often 'white' men] has returned to N.O. but I wonder if that is really helping very many people even now. CNN.com tells a very different story of this disaster and of course nothing but priase to those in authority who also take part in looting but among them it is called "requisitioning' and 'comandeering' nessesary supplies.
It is amazing how much people will think they know based on one TV shot played over and over. One incident of plasma TV by a group or even an individual and suddenly there is proof that "they" are all just greedy looters. I'm not saying that the majority of the looting was for survival or was greedy - because I have no idea - I live in Canada and have read a lot about this but not much about looting that was trustworthy information... But I do know after the WTO protests in Seattle 1999 where I was there, the TV footage of people trashing a NIKETOWN and a starbucks was such a distortion of the truth it was almost fiction. There were 50,000 people in the streets and the only 5 that make it onto the TV...
For more information:
http://www.bikesexual.org
I don't think you'd be limited to 50 people on a bus, faced with death and untold destruction, possibly a few extra people might not mind also standing up?
Don't you think?
Don't you think?
In addition to my last comment which was a reply to
"Do you know how many people fit on the average Greyhound bus? About 50 or so. So imagine how many buses it takes to evacuate that many people. "
About simplistic attitudes like this, which may also be used by politicians to make excuses for institutionalised racism:
Some of us also might have noticed that busses are capable of being made to turn corners, by use of a steering wheel, and make a return trip. Sometimes even several times a day. One bus doesn't carry 50 people for crying out loud.
If you are the most powerful government of the richest country in the world, you can make an effort to help people if you feel like it.
I think what is going on right now shows that in certain parts of the world, if you've got a brown face and are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you're basically screwed. Like over here where it can get you shot for catching a tube train. I really hope that the people still stuck there in New Orleans get some proper help.
"Do you know how many people fit on the average Greyhound bus? About 50 or so. So imagine how many buses it takes to evacuate that many people. "
About simplistic attitudes like this, which may also be used by politicians to make excuses for institutionalised racism:
Some of us also might have noticed that busses are capable of being made to turn corners, by use of a steering wheel, and make a return trip. Sometimes even several times a day. One bus doesn't carry 50 people for crying out loud.
If you are the most powerful government of the richest country in the world, you can make an effort to help people if you feel like it.
I think what is going on right now shows that in certain parts of the world, if you've got a brown face and are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you're basically screwed. Like over here where it can get you shot for catching a tube train. I really hope that the people still stuck there in New Orleans get some proper help.
Citing logistical complications is inexcusable. If there weren't enough available buses, they you comandeer a fucking cruise ship. You can bring in helicopters. Airdrop some fucking water at least. But nothing was done. It took four days. Four days.
Hyberbolic accusations of "genocide" at work in New Orleans result only in the loss of credibility toward the people who make them. I am no admirer of George Bush, but anyone who asserts that the federal government intentionally withheld aid to the hurricane victims because of their race is either intentionally misleading or utterly delusional. When the time comes to examine these events honestly and objectively, we will surely find a multitude of varying causes for the delays...and blame will be justifiably laid on a number of doorsteps, including FEMA and DHS, but also on local authorities (both white and black) for lack of an executable contingency plan. You can't fairly blame the feds for the near total disintegration of the New Orleans police department, can you? Or for Mayor Ray Nagin's less than stellar leadership as the crisis unfolded? Or for Governor Kathleen Blanco's delayed request for outside help?
In case of disaster, we are all on our own. Eevrything will grind to a halt. Look at your phone book, for crying out loud- the disaster planning sections says to stockpile enough food and water for 5 days. Certain groups, like the Mormons, carry a years worth of food, water and supplies. (in case of disaster-maybe the plan should be to go to Utah) We complain about too much government intervention, and when government is slow to act, we compalin about not enough government interaction. When the government actually stockpiled food water and supplies in "fallout shelters" (yes- I'm that old- i remember it well)-people complained that it was a waste of government money and effort and the program was cancelled.
Was anyone here around for the Oakland Hills fire? The people who took their safety into their own hands survived. The ones who stayed put and waited to be rescued perished. We need to take the initiative for our own survival. We can't relay on the government. This is earthquake country! Keep bottled water and canned food in your car, and in your homes. Learn first aid and CPR. Don't assume anyone is looking after your family but you.
Was anyone here around for the Oakland Hills fire? The people who took their safety into their own hands survived. The ones who stayed put and waited to be rescued perished. We need to take the initiative for our own survival. We can't relay on the government. This is earthquake country! Keep bottled water and canned food in your car, and in your homes. Learn first aid and CPR. Don't assume anyone is looking after your family but you.
D. Fiore said: "When the time comes to examine these events honestly and objectively, we will surely find a multitude of varying causes for the delays...and blame will be justifiably laid on a number of doorsteps, including FEMA and DHS"
Um, for someone who's "no admirer of Bush" you sure seem to have been off in never-never-land for the past four years. We had this purported intelligence failure called N-I-N-E E-L-E-V-E-N for which not one major US official has been held to account, as in fired or faced charges for criminal culpability. At least none I've ever heard of.
You know, it may just be that your sheltered white boy ideas about 'America the Wonderful Democracy' are, well, a FANTASY. How much money are you sitting on, Don? No this is not a red herring, it's as relevant as it gets
Um, for someone who's "no admirer of Bush" you sure seem to have been off in never-never-land for the past four years. We had this purported intelligence failure called N-I-N-E E-L-E-V-E-N for which not one major US official has been held to account, as in fired or faced charges for criminal culpability. At least none I've ever heard of.
You know, it may just be that your sheltered white boy ideas about 'America the Wonderful Democracy' are, well, a FANTASY. How much money are you sitting on, Don? No this is not a red herring, it's as relevant as it gets
Many of you indeed live in a fantasyland. The Article is highly CORRECT, this IS Systematic GENOCIDE and has been for a VERY long time. FEMA and the agencies were warned a LONG time ago of the possibility of such. Can you say: LACK of Preparedness, and don't you DARE blame the victims!! The WORLD is watching you bare naked racist ASSES, so if you have a speck of fecal brain matter, PULL UP your Conderferate Flag PANTIES and stop your RACIST BITCHING. If you cannot help as the rest of us are, well, JUST drop dead, YOU IGNORANT PIGS!!
You are the BIGGEST ASSHOLE on this damned blog, you and the other who was itching to use the "N" word. I hope that the lot of you pieces of trash would drop dead as the WORLD IS STILL WATCHING YOU REGARDLESS of WHAT you DEFEND!!! Take your White SUPREMACY ELSE WHERE You LYNCHING COCKSUCKERES
I THINK THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE JUST LOST YOUR CREDIBILITY WITH NASTY COMMENTS AGAINST THE VICTIMS. CALLING THEM REFUGEES? THEY ARE AMERICANS YOU DUMBASSES.!!
2 police officiers in new orleans committed suicide last night- can you imagine the stress they've been under? Get away from your computers, start raising money, start giving blood, and for goodness sake, start preparing for the inevitable disaster that will be coming our way.
Fear ratcheted up the tension, with disturbing reports of mistaken identity emerging from the chaos. Police and national guardsmen were accused of killing innocent people.
"They killed a man here last night," Steve Banka, 28, told the Reuters news agency before he left on Sunday.
"A young lady was being raped and stabbed.
"And the sounds of her screaming got to this man and so he ran out into the street to get help from troops, to try to flag down a passing truck of them.
"He jumped up on the truck's windscreen and they shot him dead," Mr Banka said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4213214.stm
"They killed a man here last night," Steve Banka, 28, told the Reuters news agency before he left on Sunday.
"A young lady was being raped and stabbed.
"And the sounds of her screaming got to this man and so he ran out into the street to get help from troops, to try to flag down a passing truck of them.
"He jumped up on the truck's windscreen and they shot him dead," Mr Banka said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4213214.stm
I've read some of your writings before and thought they were at least thoughtful. This piece was pure wingnuttery. I sugest you ask for your money back on that political science degree because your professors definetly didn't teach you the meaning of the word genocide. A serious leftist writer would put forth a race and class analysis that illuminates that failings of this country in this particular situation. Your piece is just an absurd distraction.
What are you, some kind of racist? Making all those suppositions that I'm "sheltered" or am "sitting on money" because I'm white? You don''t know anything about me personally, yet this doesn't prevent you from sprewing out all sorts of nonsense without having any evidence to support it.
My GOP card is showing, eh? That's odd becuase I'm a lifelong Democrat. You must have bad perception. In any case, your arguments indiacte so.
The apparent difference between me and you is that I think before I talk (or write) and try to employ logic rather than shrillness, high decibel levels, and insults.
My GOP card is showing, eh? That's odd becuase I'm a lifelong Democrat. You must have bad perception. In any case, your arguments indiacte so.
The apparent difference between me and you is that I think before I talk (or write) and try to employ logic rather than shrillness, high decibel levels, and insults.
What are you, some kind of racist? Making all those suppositions that I'm "sheltered" or am "sitting on money" because I'm white? You don''t know anything about me personally, yet this doesn't prevent you from sprewing out all sorts of nonsense without having any evidence to support it.
My GOP card is showing, eh? That's odd becuase I'm a lifelong Democrat. You must have bad perception. In any case, your arguments indiacte so.
The apparent difference between me and you is that I think before I talk (or write) and try to employ logic rather than shrillness, high decibel levels, and insults.
My GOP card is showing, eh? That's odd becuase I'm a lifelong Democrat. You must have bad perception. In any case, your arguments indiacte so.
The apparent difference between me and you is that I think before I talk (or write) and try to employ logic rather than shrillness, high decibel levels, and insults.
since the catastrophy of katrina has left the city in such conditions as to need "thousands" of troops in to "help" the needed, has been defended from every spectrum of political though; from democtrats to greens, and even the "left" like democracy now, who argues the need from trhousands more national guardsmen.
But at the same time this troops are going in there to put "order" as they are puttig "order in iraq".
IN new orleans, no Targe or Safeway, Super America, Cub Foods, Walmart, or any of this coorporations around the cities and small little towns have donated any of their stock, having enough food to feed half of africa.
At the same time they move in to protect their interest, "get back de rule" and stablish the "law"
"Our streets"(?)
How short it lasted for the progressiva political spectrum this slogan when it actually came slamming like a hurrican into realy, and soon now , they are calling desperately for thousands more troops to tablisk back the old order..
no to bush's martal law in new orleans!
But at the same time this troops are going in there to put "order" as they are puttig "order in iraq".
IN new orleans, no Targe or Safeway, Super America, Cub Foods, Walmart, or any of this coorporations around the cities and small little towns have donated any of their stock, having enough food to feed half of africa.
At the same time they move in to protect their interest, "get back de rule" and stablish the "law"
"Our streets"(?)
How short it lasted for the progressiva political spectrum this slogan when it actually came slamming like a hurrican into realy, and soon now , they are calling desperately for thousands more troops to tablisk back the old order..
no to bush's martal law in new orleans!
No, Don, I'm a white American boy just as I assume you are, only I grew up very poor and acutely aware of what a bunch of spoiled trough-wallowing pig assholes most other WABs are. Then I attended an elite university for a few years and took a long hard look at the fraternity crowd, and then I REALLY knew. So when I see a WAB 'defending the system' the way you did -- a system that keeps a giant cream-filled boob wrapped around your head -- my immediate thought is "yup, here's another spoiled complacent white boy who just doesn't want to know how much his own kind sucks."
"You don''t know anything about me ... spewing ... nonsense without ... any evidence."
I didn't make an assumption about you sitting on a pile of money. I asked you a direct question about it: "How much money are you sitting on, Don?" Well, how about it?
"You don''t know anything about me ... spewing ... nonsense without ... any evidence."
I didn't make an assumption about you sitting on a pile of money. I asked you a direct question about it: "How much money are you sitting on, Don?" Well, how about it?
Im very glad that im not the only person that sees this for what it is. Just prepare yourself...
This is a exact quote from national televison news. It says alot more about this country then you can imagine. When a figure such as a mayor of a major city says things of this nature. This it is not funny nore a joke; it is a bad thing. This is not a hoax, nore is it out of context. it is exact and word for word and don't believe it when they disinformation system says it is bogus. nothing is true, everything is permited?
Think about this; louisanna is basically a toxic waste dump now and might remain this way for years to come. The Mississippi river is now loaded with prehaps thousands to millions of gallons of oil and unknown amounts raw and toxic waste, bodies of the dead, untreated sewerage and garbage. landfills have been washed all over the state and this water goes into the gulf. An entire state is a biohazard now and is seeping into the gulf of Mexico. this is the tip of the iceburg. the lives of millions are changed mostly for the worst why because they live in a place that could not handle human life under sea level and a huge swamp.
They? ask for money to help. what can we do for these people? We get taxed and pay up to 3-4 dollars a gallon for gas and then they ask for more money from us. Yes i am a cynic but am I wrong? Will these bigshot bankers and major coperations take the bite and help? No they will not take pay cuts but they will give if they get a tax cdeduction or what ever makes them look good to us consumers. Will the politicians take a pay cut? Will Donald Trump give up 5 dollar a litter water habit or order one less dominos pizza? No they will not, the rich of america will make the common man pay they will not suffer for the great unwashed.
On a good news note is these countries are sending money to help us; Qatar $100 million, Australia $7.6 million, India & China $ 5 million, Mexico $1 million, Sri Lanka $ 25,000 white house is still not desided to except this money. lets pray for more help. I am sure many have expressed doubt that we would recieve international help after a world wide effort to help tsunami relief efforts. would we get help needed. do you question the system as much as our political leaders do, question thier motives and ill preparedness? makes me feel not so good about things going on. what is next folks ?
The mayor of New Orleans is quoted saying in referance to hurricane relief efforts and what is going on on a national response to situation " We keep trying to find resources, we're making calls. i am complaining to the govenor and the president, the C.I.A. could come in anytime and wipe me out, i am gonna stay here till eveyone is out of the city and safe."
WHY IS THE MAYOR SAYING THE C.I.A. COULD WIPE HIM OUT???
Think about this; louisanna is basically a toxic waste dump now and might remain this way for years to come. The Mississippi river is now loaded with prehaps thousands to millions of gallons of oil and unknown amounts raw and toxic waste, bodies of the dead, untreated sewerage and garbage. landfills have been washed all over the state and this water goes into the gulf. An entire state is a biohazard now and is seeping into the gulf of Mexico. this is the tip of the iceburg. the lives of millions are changed mostly for the worst why because they live in a place that could not handle human life under sea level and a huge swamp.
They? ask for money to help. what can we do for these people? We get taxed and pay up to 3-4 dollars a gallon for gas and then they ask for more money from us. Yes i am a cynic but am I wrong? Will these bigshot bankers and major coperations take the bite and help? No they will not take pay cuts but they will give if they get a tax cdeduction or what ever makes them look good to us consumers. Will the politicians take a pay cut? Will Donald Trump give up 5 dollar a litter water habit or order one less dominos pizza? No they will not, the rich of america will make the common man pay they will not suffer for the great unwashed.
On a good news note is these countries are sending money to help us; Qatar $100 million, Australia $7.6 million, India & China $ 5 million, Mexico $1 million, Sri Lanka $ 25,000 white house is still not desided to except this money. lets pray for more help. I am sure many have expressed doubt that we would recieve international help after a world wide effort to help tsunami relief efforts. would we get help needed. do you question the system as much as our political leaders do, question thier motives and ill preparedness? makes me feel not so good about things going on. what is next folks ?
The mayor of New Orleans is quoted saying in referance to hurricane relief efforts and what is going on on a national response to situation " We keep trying to find resources, we're making calls. i am complaining to the govenor and the president, the C.I.A. could come in anytime and wipe me out, i am gonna stay here till eveyone is out of the city and safe."
WHY IS THE MAYOR SAYING THE C.I.A. COULD WIPE HIM OUT???
The topic of economics can be used to analyse the New Orleans issue.
Just like inequity in income distribution in wages and salaries.
Inequity can also affect distribution of health and environmental services.
The New Orleans case clearly reflects a case of adverse selection in which emergency services (and media) "cherry picked" who they were going to help. Or simply decided not to help.
Because emergency services are paid out of the general tax pool, does not mean to say that the distrubution of those services have been applied to those with the most need.
The US have social welfare policies based on utilaterianism ethics (ie everyone is assumed to have the same needs or utility) people with greater needs (ie poor, disabled elderly) are marginalised. In this case a greater proportion of the poor are black in New Orleans.
This is opposite to Minmax social welfare policy solution where those with biggest needs are helped first.
Obviously in the New Orleans case was a case of institutional genocide reflected by the initial inactions of some emergency services,local politicians, and civil servants to help those in need.
Just like inequity in income distribution in wages and salaries.
Inequity can also affect distribution of health and environmental services.
The New Orleans case clearly reflects a case of adverse selection in which emergency services (and media) "cherry picked" who they were going to help. Or simply decided not to help.
Because emergency services are paid out of the general tax pool, does not mean to say that the distrubution of those services have been applied to those with the most need.
The US have social welfare policies based on utilaterianism ethics (ie everyone is assumed to have the same needs or utility) people with greater needs (ie poor, disabled elderly) are marginalised. In this case a greater proportion of the poor are black in New Orleans.
This is opposite to Minmax social welfare policy solution where those with biggest needs are helped first.
Obviously in the New Orleans case was a case of institutional genocide reflected by the initial inactions of some emergency services,local politicians, and civil servants to help those in need.
I suggest we call it Bushocide instead.
Bushocide (n.) The criminal negligence of the elite resulting in widespread death and destruction.
Examples:
9-11
Afghanistan
Darfur
Iraq
New Orleans
Bushocide (n.) The criminal negligence of the elite resulting in widespread death and destruction.
Examples:
9-11
Afghanistan
Darfur
Iraq
New Orleans
"IN new orleans, no Targe or Safeway, Super America, Cub Foods, Walmart, or any of this coorporations around the cities and small little towns have donated any of their stock, having enough food to feed half of africa."
I believe Walmart did some contributing when the residents of New Orleans smashed opened one of their stores and helped themselves to everything inside, including guns & ammo.
I believe Walmart did some contributing when the residents of New Orleans smashed opened one of their stores and helped themselves to everything inside, including guns & ammo.
For more information:
http://www.agentsofchaos.org
I am a white male who lives in the Police States of America (P.S.A.). While I feel that the blocking of aid into New Orleans has been deliberately done by state, federal, and even some local governments, I do not believe that this has a thing to do with race. I believe it has everything to do with these people being poor. If all of these people were to die, the local, state, and federal, governments would save hundres of millions of dollars in various types of welfare and "social security", payments.
In this day of governement-cartel governance, people are only expendable "human resources." When this resource is no longer producing wealth for the corporations, the resource is no longer needed and may be disposed of in an expedient manner. Because there are laws (at this point in time) that prevent the mass murder of people, the government cannot just load all of them into the gas chambers and ovens for disposal (yet). I believe that the governments have found a better, more convenient way of doing away with these people. It is called "Help is coming propaganda". The governments said that help is coming, yet they blockaded many relief convoys sent by both private and public groups.
I do not believe in the forced transfer of money from one individual to another. However, corporations are chartered by the state and should serve a public interest. It was the corporation that was to be income taxed when the 16 Admendment to the Constitution was passed. Now days, it is the working people who pay the highest percentage of their income in taxes. The politicians and cartels have found a way to turn a limited, constitutional form of government into an a totalitarian police state that enslaves the population. "Leave the country if you hate it this much," is the cry you will hear from the neo-conservatives. I might leave if there was another country to go to that is not run by the same type of cartel-political alliance that is now in power in the P.S.A. Don't be fooled!!! This type of government is in control all over the world. The Beast is in power!!!
When all is said and done, there will be investigations and congressional hearings into why this "flop" of a relief effort happened. These committees will come up with "factors responsible," yet nobody in high places in government will be held criminally responsible. What will happen instead is that congress will create yet more agencies to deal with the "factors responsible" putting even more burden on the taxpayers. The people will be angry and show this anger at the ballot box. Instead of electing people from a party (Libertarian, Constitution, Green, or Socialist parties) that may very well return the government back to the people, the people will be brainwashed into electing the "Democrats."
What is the difference between a Democrat and Republican? It is simple. The only difference between the two is the campaign rhetoric use to get themselves elected!!! That is the only difference I can see. I will point out this fact with the following:
Clinton promised to protect American jobs from slave labour, what he did instead was open the borders to a flood of slave made goods from China, Mexico, Philipean, Bangladesh, and other places which routinely use slave labour. He also did little to stop the drug trade that is crippling the population and subjecting it to slavery.
Bush promised a return to honest and ethical government. He also promised to eliminate the oppressive Department of Education. The Bush government is now rife with no-bid contracts, porous borders that allow drugs and slaves to pour in , and many other abominations. Bush promised the Christians that he would protect the family, however and bill he proposed has been watered down to be completely ineffective.
The government IS THE PROBLEM. The political PARTY (singular) that has been in charge for the last century is called by Democrats and Republicans. These two are essentially a single party offering different promises to different groups of people in order to stay in power. As long as Americans continue to vote Democrat-Republican when there are other options on the ballot, the slide into genocide and slavery will continue.
In this day of governement-cartel governance, people are only expendable "human resources." When this resource is no longer producing wealth for the corporations, the resource is no longer needed and may be disposed of in an expedient manner. Because there are laws (at this point in time) that prevent the mass murder of people, the government cannot just load all of them into the gas chambers and ovens for disposal (yet). I believe that the governments have found a better, more convenient way of doing away with these people. It is called "Help is coming propaganda". The governments said that help is coming, yet they blockaded many relief convoys sent by both private and public groups.
I do not believe in the forced transfer of money from one individual to another. However, corporations are chartered by the state and should serve a public interest. It was the corporation that was to be income taxed when the 16 Admendment to the Constitution was passed. Now days, it is the working people who pay the highest percentage of their income in taxes. The politicians and cartels have found a way to turn a limited, constitutional form of government into an a totalitarian police state that enslaves the population. "Leave the country if you hate it this much," is the cry you will hear from the neo-conservatives. I might leave if there was another country to go to that is not run by the same type of cartel-political alliance that is now in power in the P.S.A. Don't be fooled!!! This type of government is in control all over the world. The Beast is in power!!!
When all is said and done, there will be investigations and congressional hearings into why this "flop" of a relief effort happened. These committees will come up with "factors responsible," yet nobody in high places in government will be held criminally responsible. What will happen instead is that congress will create yet more agencies to deal with the "factors responsible" putting even more burden on the taxpayers. The people will be angry and show this anger at the ballot box. Instead of electing people from a party (Libertarian, Constitution, Green, or Socialist parties) that may very well return the government back to the people, the people will be brainwashed into electing the "Democrats."
What is the difference between a Democrat and Republican? It is simple. The only difference between the two is the campaign rhetoric use to get themselves elected!!! That is the only difference I can see. I will point out this fact with the following:
Clinton promised to protect American jobs from slave labour, what he did instead was open the borders to a flood of slave made goods from China, Mexico, Philipean, Bangladesh, and other places which routinely use slave labour. He also did little to stop the drug trade that is crippling the population and subjecting it to slavery.
Bush promised a return to honest and ethical government. He also promised to eliminate the oppressive Department of Education. The Bush government is now rife with no-bid contracts, porous borders that allow drugs and slaves to pour in , and many other abominations. Bush promised the Christians that he would protect the family, however and bill he proposed has been watered down to be completely ineffective.
The government IS THE PROBLEM. The political PARTY (singular) that has been in charge for the last century is called by Democrats and Republicans. These two are essentially a single party offering different promises to different groups of people in order to stay in power. As long as Americans continue to vote Democrat-Republican when there are other options on the ballot, the slide into genocide and slavery will continue.
For more information:
http://www.constitutionparty.com
Jump on the bus where everyone likes to blame someone else for their troubles. In this case you blame the government, AKA Bush's Regime, for not helping. I do believe they told people to get out of the city before the Katrina came and Yes I do remember that press conference. Now if people stayed, that is not the governments fault. If people are to poor to get transportaion, they do have two legs. Now if that is a bad thing to say to someone who is 74, I am sorry but personal responsibilty comes before any blame or anything else. Maybe the gangs who are shooting the rescue crews or invading the hospitols would help this poor BLACK woman out of the city. They have guns so maybe they have transportation. Maybe the looters can helpm this poor 74 BLACK woman, or even better , its past the first of the month. Do you think she collected her check or maybe one of her BLACK friends collected their checks this month. If you think I am a racist, my Black wife and my WHITE self are here responding to you Idiotic artilce. Just jump on the I hate Bush bus and ride on down to New Orleans and protest instead of sending money or suppplies like us "rich White racists" are doing. All together, those people are in need of help. They will get it, it might not be as fast as you would like, but they will get it. They could also have evacuated the city before the hurricane even got there and there are white people there also. So don't play the racist card on this one.
"If people are to poor to get transportaion, they do have two legs. Now if that is a bad thing to say to someone who is 74, I am sorry"
you're not sorry about a thing
you just sit there smug that those who died deserved it
typical repug dog-eat-dog BS
I hope you rot in hell for the mean shit you write
you're not sorry about a thing
you just sit there smug that those who died deserved it
typical repug dog-eat-dog BS
I hope you rot in hell for the mean shit you write
until the entire Republican leadership has been put in front of a wall. The Democrats come next.
Every local rescue worker Ive heard interviewed on a New Orleans TV station (WWL) blames FEMA and the federal response and I havnt hear one blame the mayor or governor (most say the lcoal response was everything it oculd have been but they were overwhelmed). All the spin about the governor and mayor is just part of a Republican smoke screen by people with no first had information and just a few random pictures Drudge has been promoting.
I've read so many anti-government oh-Bush-hates-black-people articles it's not even amusing anymore. If the entirety of the urban poor was white there would still be the same amount of crisis and to think otherwise is ignorance. The reality of the situation is that most urban poor are black, for whatever reasons I'm not entirely certain, and to say that the government didn't care about the poor population is ignorance as well. A government running a whole country can only do so much before the resources are streached thin. This is getting quite old. No matter how many cry-for-me articles you wright, it all remains the same and circumstances will not change. Everyone is suffering here. And look up your definition of genocide.
Dear "Responsible person"
I have three main arguments with the logic of your article.
(1)You have asked the following individuals to walk HUNDREDS of miles.
a) people who have not had the health to walk beyond their local shop in ten years.
b)people who cannot walk
b) people connected to dialysis machines
c) people locked in a cage
d) people with a group of 6 children or small new born babies
e) people with no money left in their budget for food nor shelter along the way (It was the end of the month an dthe welfare checks would have been coming in at the beginning of the month).
f)People who chose to stay behind to care for elderly or sick relatives who could not travel.
Even if some people did choose to walk, it would have been a silly and useless thing to do. People who did not have the funds to get public transport out were RIGHT to go to the Astrodome. NOBODY was killed directly by the Hurricane inside that Astrodome. Would they have been killed by the storm, by thirst, by heat, by huger if they had walked? The storm ended up covering an area the size of Geat Britain. Could they have walked that far before the storm hit? Did they have mobile shelter or enough money left in their food budget to buy supplies? You, too, would have chosen the shelter of the Astrodome. We ALL have survival instincts. Why do you think that these people are any different to you in that respect? Of COURSE the majority of these people did not want to die. But what if you felt that your financial circumstances were suc that you were more likely to survive if you stayed?
(2)
Some of the most unfortunate residents of New Orleans would no doubt agree with your statement that 'Personal Responsibility comes first". They had no food, no water, no clothing and had lost everything. To make things worse, days had passed and NOTHING WAS COMING. People were sick and hungry. They did what you or I would do. They took persoanl responsibility of themselves and their families and friends. They took emergency supplies from devastated shops to SURVIVE. I would preceive some of these poeple as heroes. They took control by accessing food, cometimes travelling in debgerous conditions to find it, and helping their families. They did what they could to HELP. If I was in that situation, as a victime of one of the largest humnabitarian crises ever to hit the USA, I would never think for ONCE that my government and the justice sytem would be more concerned about private property than the DEATH of its citizens, under extreme and tragic conditions. And these poor, poor shocked hungry and desperate people were subjected to the threats an GUNS ofd the government that was elected to protect them, in an effort to survive. These people who could have helped these people - indeed were trained to - but were ordered to patrol with guns instead.
A lesser majority used the sudden lack of law and order to take advantage. You write: "Maybe the gangs who are shooting the rescue crews or invading the hospitols would help this poor BLACK woman out of the city. They have guns so maybe they have transportation. Maybe the looters can helpm this poor 74 BLACK woman". You have just compared those people who engage in criminal behaviour with the government. What an insult to the American government, some might say! It strikes me as ridiculous to compare the behaviour of criminals with the behaviour of a body that we have elected to uphold the best and most just values in society. Those who engage in criminal behaviour and the governments are incomparable mn terms of their responsibilities. The government has a democratically elected eesponsibilty to the people and itself. There is ALWAYS an element that will take advantage of any situation. Criminal behaviour passes wealth boundaries, class boundaries, and nationalities. I don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the grace, goodness and selflessness of many people. I also don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the opportunism, and greed of others. Life is not a hollywood movie, however, and I don't doubt that those who were good, gracious and selflish were so before the hurricane, and those who were opportunistic and greedy were so before the hurricanbe also. Most people simply remained the same. And to suggest that the anti-socail element of a city should suddenly disappear in the face of a massive humanitarian disaster is naive and unrealistic. To blame the victims of a hurricane and, of genocide, for the behaviour of thos who engage in criminal behaviour among them is grossy unfair. The small minority who engage in crimninal beahvoiur did exectly what we expected them to, but the government did not act as it was elected to do. Should we leave the people of the USA to simply rot everywhere where we see criminal behaviour?? We may as well give up on the whole country. We may as well give up on humanity.
(3)
You believe that those who got out of New Orleans are more important than those who stayed behind. Why??
We have already taken as given that most people have an instinct to survive and we have already outlined the (logical, well-founded) reasons as to why the vast majority of those who stayed behind did so.
Now, let's take this point further, because a much smaller percentage of people who stayed behind probably had more complex reasons for staying behind than finance. Let's concern ourselves with these poeple for a moment.
Maybe they did not have the mental ability to fully comprehend crisis; maybe they did not have the full mental capability to fully imagine the possible outcome of the crisis; maybe they did not watch the news; maybe they spoke to nobody; maybe they did not trust the government (well-founded suspicion, as we have found of late); maybe they did not trust the news; maybe they trusted God to take care of them; maybe they were too scared to leave their homes, knowing nothing beyond new Orleans; maybe they had an extraordinary faith in destiny; maybe they decided that if they died, they would die in New Orleans, and if they lived it was a blessing.
I mean none of the above as EXCUSES for these people, for these people do not need excuses. These people had a RIGHT to stay in their own homes. A RIGHT. Poeple, like you said, take 'personal resonsibility' for thir survival, and those of their loved ones. Should the fact that they chose home, the Astrodome, or Texas as the safest place to be suddenly preclude their right to humanitarian aid?
Most people did their best under their own particular circumstances for themselves and eachother. That does NOT mean that we can judge them to be less important, or more important, in the distribution of aid. That to me is dreadfully unhumanitarian and a dangerous idea.
I have three main arguments with the logic of your article.
(1)You have asked the following individuals to walk HUNDREDS of miles.
a) people who have not had the health to walk beyond their local shop in ten years.
b)people who cannot walk
b) people connected to dialysis machines
c) people locked in a cage
d) people with a group of 6 children or small new born babies
e) people with no money left in their budget for food nor shelter along the way (It was the end of the month an dthe welfare checks would have been coming in at the beginning of the month).
f)People who chose to stay behind to care for elderly or sick relatives who could not travel.
Even if some people did choose to walk, it would have been a silly and useless thing to do. People who did not have the funds to get public transport out were RIGHT to go to the Astrodome. NOBODY was killed directly by the Hurricane inside that Astrodome. Would they have been killed by the storm, by thirst, by heat, by huger if they had walked? The storm ended up covering an area the size of Geat Britain. Could they have walked that far before the storm hit? Did they have mobile shelter or enough money left in their food budget to buy supplies? You, too, would have chosen the shelter of the Astrodome. We ALL have survival instincts. Why do you think that these people are any different to you in that respect? Of COURSE the majority of these people did not want to die. But what if you felt that your financial circumstances were suc that you were more likely to survive if you stayed?
(2)
Some of the most unfortunate residents of New Orleans would no doubt agree with your statement that 'Personal Responsibility comes first". They had no food, no water, no clothing and had lost everything. To make things worse, days had passed and NOTHING WAS COMING. People were sick and hungry. They did what you or I would do. They took persoanl responsibility of themselves and their families and friends. They took emergency supplies from devastated shops to SURVIVE. I would preceive some of these poeple as heroes. They took control by accessing food, cometimes travelling in debgerous conditions to find it, and helping their families. They did what they could to HELP. If I was in that situation, as a victime of one of the largest humnabitarian crises ever to hit the USA, I would never think for ONCE that my government and the justice sytem would be more concerned about private property than the DEATH of its citizens, under extreme and tragic conditions. And these poor, poor shocked hungry and desperate people were subjected to the threats an GUNS ofd the government that was elected to protect them, in an effort to survive. These people who could have helped these people - indeed were trained to - but were ordered to patrol with guns instead.
A lesser majority used the sudden lack of law and order to take advantage. You write: "Maybe the gangs who are shooting the rescue crews or invading the hospitols would help this poor BLACK woman out of the city. They have guns so maybe they have transportation. Maybe the looters can helpm this poor 74 BLACK woman". You have just compared those people who engage in criminal behaviour with the government. What an insult to the American government, some might say! It strikes me as ridiculous to compare the behaviour of criminals with the behaviour of a body that we have elected to uphold the best and most just values in society. Those who engage in criminal behaviour and the governments are incomparable mn terms of their responsibilities. The government has a democratically elected eesponsibilty to the people and itself. There is ALWAYS an element that will take advantage of any situation. Criminal behaviour passes wealth boundaries, class boundaries, and nationalities. I don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the grace, goodness and selflessness of many people. I also don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the opportunism, and greed of others. Life is not a hollywood movie, however, and I don't doubt that those who were good, gracious and selflish were so before the hurricane, and those who were opportunistic and greedy were so before the hurricanbe also. Most people simply remained the same. And to suggest that the anti-socail element of a city should suddenly disappear in the face of a massive humanitarian disaster is naive and unrealistic. To blame the victims of a hurricane and, of genocide, for the behaviour of thos who engage in criminal behaviour among them is grossy unfair. The small minority who engage in crimninal beahvoiur did exectly what we expected them to, but the government did not act as it was elected to do. Should we leave the people of the USA to simply rot everywhere where we see criminal behaviour?? We may as well give up on the whole country. We may as well give up on humanity.
(3)
You believe that those who got out of New Orleans are more important than those who stayed behind. Why??
We have already taken as given that most people have an instinct to survive and we have already outlined the (logical, well-founded) reasons as to why the vast majority of those who stayed behind did so.
Now, let's take this point further, because a much smaller percentage of people who stayed behind probably had more complex reasons for staying behind than finance. Let's concern ourselves with these poeple for a moment.
Maybe they did not have the mental ability to fully comprehend crisis; maybe they did not have the full mental capability to fully imagine the possible outcome of the crisis; maybe they did not watch the news; maybe they spoke to nobody; maybe they did not trust the government (well-founded suspicion, as we have found of late); maybe they did not trust the news; maybe they trusted God to take care of them; maybe they were too scared to leave their homes, knowing nothing beyond new Orleans; maybe they had an extraordinary faith in destiny; maybe they decided that if they died, they would die in New Orleans, and if they lived it was a blessing.
I mean none of the above as EXCUSES for these people, for these people do not need excuses. These people had a RIGHT to stay in their own homes. A RIGHT. Poeple, like you said, take 'personal resonsibility' for thir survival, and those of their loved ones. Should the fact that they chose home, the Astrodome, or Texas as the safest place to be suddenly preclude their right to humanitarian aid?
Most people did their best under their own particular circumstances for themselves and eachother. That does NOT mean that we can judge them to be less important, or more important, in the distribution of aid. That to me is dreadfully unhumanitarian and a dangerous idea.
Dear "Responsible person"
I have three main arguments with the logic of your article.
(1)You have asked the following individuals to walk HUNDREDS of miles.
a) people who have not had the health to walk beyond their local shop in ten years.
b)people who cannot walk
b) people connected to dialysis machines
c) people locked in a cage
d) people with a group of 6 children or small new born babies
e) people with no money left in their budget for food nor shelter along the way (It was the end of the month an dthe welfare checks would have been coming in at the beginning of the month).
f)People who chose to stay behind to care for elderly or sick relatives who could not travel.
Even if some people did choose to walk, it would have been a silly and useless thing to do. People who did not have the funds to get public transport out were RIGHT to go to the Astrodome. NOBODY was killed directly by the Hurricane inside that Astrodome. Would they have been killed by the storm, by thirst, by heat, by huger if they had walked? The storm ended up covering an area the size of Geat Britain. Could they have walked that far before the storm hit? Did they have mobile shelter or enough money left in their food budget to buy supplies? You, too, would have chosen the shelter of the Astrodome. We ALL have survival instincts. Why do you think that these people are any different to you in that respect? Of COURSE the majority of these people did not want to die. But what if you felt that your financial circumstances were suc that you were more likely to survive if you stayed?
(2)
Some of the most unfortunate residents of New Orleans would no doubt agree with your statement that 'Personal Responsibility comes first". They had no food, no water, no clothing and had lost everything. To make things worse, days had passed and NOTHING WAS COMING. People were sick and hungry. They did what you or I would do. They took persoanl responsibility of themselves and their families and friends. They took emergency supplies from devastated shops to SURVIVE. I would preceive some of these poeple as heroes. They took control by accessing food, cometimes travelling in debgerous conditions to find it, and helping their families. They did what they could to HELP. If I was in that situation, as a victime of one of the largest humnabitarian crises ever to hit the USA, I would never think for ONCE that my government and the justice sytem would be more concerned about private property than the DEATH of its citizens, under extreme and tragic conditions. And these poor, poor shocked hungry and desperate people were subjected to the threats an GUNS ofd the government that was elected to protect them, in an effort to survive. These people who could have helped these people - indeed were trained to - but were ordered to patrol with guns instead.
A lesser majority used the sudden lack of law and order to take advantage. You write: "Maybe the gangs who are shooting the rescue crews or invading the hospitols would help this poor BLACK woman out of the city. They have guns so maybe they have transportation. Maybe the looters can helpm this poor 74 BLACK woman". You have just compared those people who engage in criminal behaviour with the government. What an insult to the American government, some might say! It strikes me as ridiculous to compare the behaviour of criminals with the behaviour of a body that we have elected to uphold the best and most just values in society. Those who engage in criminal behaviour and the governments are incomparable mn terms of their responsibilities. The government has a democratically elected eesponsibilty to the people and itself. There is ALWAYS an element that will take advantage of any situation. Criminal behaviour passes wealth boundaries, class boundaries, and nationalities. I don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the grace, goodness and selflessness of many people. I also don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the opportunism, and greed of others. Life is not a hollywood movie, however, and I don't doubt that those who were good, gracious and selflish were so before the hurricane, and those who were opportunistic and greedy were so before the hurricanbe also. Most people simply remained the same. And to suggest that the anti-socail element of a city should suddenly disappear in the face of a massive humanitarian disaster is naive and unrealistic. To blame the victims of a hurricane and, of genocide, for the behaviour of thos who engage in criminal behaviour among them is grossy unfair. The small minority who engage in crimninal beahvoiur did exectly what we expected them to, but the government did not act as it was elected to do. Should we leave the people of the USA to simply rot everywhere where we see criminal behaviour?? We may as well give up on the whole country. We may as well give up on humanity.
(3)
You believe that those who got out of New Orleans are more important than those who stayed behind. Why??
We have already taken as given that most people have an instinct to survive and we have already outlined the (logical, well-founded) reasons as to why the vast majority of those who stayed behind did so.
Now, let's take this point further, because a much smaller percentage of people who stayed behind probably had more complex reasons for staying behind than finance. Let's concern ourselves with these poeple for a moment.
Maybe they did not have the mental ability to fully comprehend crisis; maybe they did not have the full mental capability to fully imagine the possible outcome of the crisis; maybe they did not watch the news; maybe they spoke to nobody; maybe they did not trust the government (well-founded suspicion, as we have found of late); maybe they did not trust the news; maybe they trusted God to take care of them; maybe they were too scared to leave their homes, knowing nothing beyond new Orleans; maybe they had an extraordinary faith in destiny; maybe they decided that if they died, they would die in New Orleans, and if they lived it was a blessing.
I mean none of the above as EXCUSES for these people, for these people do not need excuses. These people had a RIGHT to stay in their own homes. A RIGHT. Poeple, like you said, take 'personal resonsibility' for thir survival, and those of their loved ones. Should the fact that they chose home, the Astrodome, or Texas as the safest place to be suddenly preclude their right to humanitarian aid?
Most people did their best under their own particular circumstances for themselves and eachother. That does NOT mean that we can judge them to be less important, or more important, in the distribution of aid. That to me is dreadfully unhumanitarian and a dangerous idea.
I have three main arguments with the logic of your article.
(1)You have asked the following individuals to walk HUNDREDS of miles.
a) people who have not had the health to walk beyond their local shop in ten years.
b)people who cannot walk
b) people connected to dialysis machines
c) people locked in a cage
d) people with a group of 6 children or small new born babies
e) people with no money left in their budget for food nor shelter along the way (It was the end of the month an dthe welfare checks would have been coming in at the beginning of the month).
f)People who chose to stay behind to care for elderly or sick relatives who could not travel.
Even if some people did choose to walk, it would have been a silly and useless thing to do. People who did not have the funds to get public transport out were RIGHT to go to the Astrodome. NOBODY was killed directly by the Hurricane inside that Astrodome. Would they have been killed by the storm, by thirst, by heat, by huger if they had walked? The storm ended up covering an area the size of Geat Britain. Could they have walked that far before the storm hit? Did they have mobile shelter or enough money left in their food budget to buy supplies? You, too, would have chosen the shelter of the Astrodome. We ALL have survival instincts. Why do you think that these people are any different to you in that respect? Of COURSE the majority of these people did not want to die. But what if you felt that your financial circumstances were suc that you were more likely to survive if you stayed?
(2)
Some of the most unfortunate residents of New Orleans would no doubt agree with your statement that 'Personal Responsibility comes first". They had no food, no water, no clothing and had lost everything. To make things worse, days had passed and NOTHING WAS COMING. People were sick and hungry. They did what you or I would do. They took persoanl responsibility of themselves and their families and friends. They took emergency supplies from devastated shops to SURVIVE. I would preceive some of these poeple as heroes. They took control by accessing food, cometimes travelling in debgerous conditions to find it, and helping their families. They did what they could to HELP. If I was in that situation, as a victime of one of the largest humnabitarian crises ever to hit the USA, I would never think for ONCE that my government and the justice sytem would be more concerned about private property than the DEATH of its citizens, under extreme and tragic conditions. And these poor, poor shocked hungry and desperate people were subjected to the threats an GUNS ofd the government that was elected to protect them, in an effort to survive. These people who could have helped these people - indeed were trained to - but were ordered to patrol with guns instead.
A lesser majority used the sudden lack of law and order to take advantage. You write: "Maybe the gangs who are shooting the rescue crews or invading the hospitols would help this poor BLACK woman out of the city. They have guns so maybe they have transportation. Maybe the looters can helpm this poor 74 BLACK woman". You have just compared those people who engage in criminal behaviour with the government. What an insult to the American government, some might say! It strikes me as ridiculous to compare the behaviour of criminals with the behaviour of a body that we have elected to uphold the best and most just values in society. Those who engage in criminal behaviour and the governments are incomparable mn terms of their responsibilities. The government has a democratically elected eesponsibilty to the people and itself. There is ALWAYS an element that will take advantage of any situation. Criminal behaviour passes wealth boundaries, class boundaries, and nationalities. I don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the grace, goodness and selflessness of many people. I also don't doubt that the tragic circumstances in New Orleans brought out the opportunism, and greed of others. Life is not a hollywood movie, however, and I don't doubt that those who were good, gracious and selflish were so before the hurricane, and those who were opportunistic and greedy were so before the hurricanbe also. Most people simply remained the same. And to suggest that the anti-socail element of a city should suddenly disappear in the face of a massive humanitarian disaster is naive and unrealistic. To blame the victims of a hurricane and, of genocide, for the behaviour of thos who engage in criminal behaviour among them is grossy unfair. The small minority who engage in crimninal beahvoiur did exectly what we expected them to, but the government did not act as it was elected to do. Should we leave the people of the USA to simply rot everywhere where we see criminal behaviour?? We may as well give up on the whole country. We may as well give up on humanity.
(3)
You believe that those who got out of New Orleans are more important than those who stayed behind. Why??
We have already taken as given that most people have an instinct to survive and we have already outlined the (logical, well-founded) reasons as to why the vast majority of those who stayed behind did so.
Now, let's take this point further, because a much smaller percentage of people who stayed behind probably had more complex reasons for staying behind than finance. Let's concern ourselves with these poeple for a moment.
Maybe they did not have the mental ability to fully comprehend crisis; maybe they did not have the full mental capability to fully imagine the possible outcome of the crisis; maybe they did not watch the news; maybe they spoke to nobody; maybe they did not trust the government (well-founded suspicion, as we have found of late); maybe they did not trust the news; maybe they trusted God to take care of them; maybe they were too scared to leave their homes, knowing nothing beyond new Orleans; maybe they had an extraordinary faith in destiny; maybe they decided that if they died, they would die in New Orleans, and if they lived it was a blessing.
I mean none of the above as EXCUSES for these people, for these people do not need excuses. These people had a RIGHT to stay in their own homes. A RIGHT. Poeple, like you said, take 'personal resonsibility' for thir survival, and those of their loved ones. Should the fact that they chose home, the Astrodome, or Texas as the safest place to be suddenly preclude their right to humanitarian aid?
Most people did their best under their own particular circumstances for themselves and eachother. That does NOT mean that we can judge them to be less important, or more important, in the distribution of aid. That to me is dreadfully unhumanitarian and a dangerous idea.
With Duh W hoping by stalling National Guard and other help. He could make himself look like the saviour later. With hope a discrediting a Female Democratic Governor. In the typical let them eat cake style of all Bush decisions, thought of what would really happen in terms of suffering were absent by trademark.
For more information:
http://www.SteveSellsRealty.com
If the entirety of the urban poor was white, you wouldn't be in America. This is a racist country.
First of all the MAYOR is the one that told the people there to evacuate not our "poor-people-loving-pig of a president!" And where are a the MILLION people that occupy that city supposed to go on 2 days notice? I'm sure the surrounding "WHITE" citys would have welcomed them with open arms, right?
And what is "they'll get the help, not as fast as you like" tens of thousands of people are dead due to lack of response!
Having a black wife does not justify a word you said, but if it happend to be Condasleezy Rice it would explain a few things!
And what is "they'll get the help, not as fast as you like" tens of thousands of people are dead due to lack of response!
Having a black wife does not justify a word you said, but if it happend to be Condasleezy Rice it would explain a few things!
Firsthand account from a FEMA detention center:
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html
Google "Rex84," "Operation Garden Plot" for more details.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html
Google "Rex84," "Operation Garden Plot" for more details.
For more information:
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html
Hal Turner thinks he's funny but just a sick racist methinks.
The lesson of history is clear. If we are not ready, willing and able to defend ourselves effectively, sooner or later, guys like this will kill us. If we let them, we deserve to die.
It is not just the foreign aid that was turned away in NOLA. This is a news release from http://www.democracynow.org on 06 Spet 2005:
Pentagon: USS Bataan Waited Days For Orders to Help Out
Criticism of the federal government's response is also coming from some unlikely sources including the Pentagon. Lt. Commander Sean Kelly, a Pentagon spokesman for Northern Command, revealed on the BBC that NorthCom was prepared to send in search and rescue helicopters from the USS Bataan almost immediately after the hurricane hit. He said, "We had things ready. The only caveat is: we have to wait until the president authorizes us to do so." That authorization didn't happen for days even though the ship was docked just outside New Orleans. On board the ship had doctors, hospital beds, food and the ability to make up to 100,000 gallons of water a day.
Pentagon: USS Bataan Waited Days For Orders to Help Out
Criticism of the federal government's response is also coming from some unlikely sources including the Pentagon. Lt. Commander Sean Kelly, a Pentagon spokesman for Northern Command, revealed on the BBC that NorthCom was prepared to send in search and rescue helicopters from the USS Bataan almost immediately after the hurricane hit. He said, "We had things ready. The only caveat is: we have to wait until the president authorizes us to do so." That authorization didn't happen for days even though the ship was docked just outside New Orleans. On board the ship had doctors, hospital beds, food and the ability to make up to 100,000 gallons of water a day.
This is criminal. The perps should hang.
yes, I've been fired from min wage jobs for much less. At one, they decided that the dishes were coming out with too many spots on them after drying, and so they said they couldn't afford a dishwasher at $6 anymore, and I saw their ad in the paper for the next month for a $5 position. Next, I applied for a job that turned out to be a researcher who needed someone to take care of her research pigs and to feed and anesthetize them for her experiment. It looked really gross. She fired another guy for giving them a handful of kibble without asking first, then I think she thought I was talking too much and asking about her research. My sister said her secretary coworker was recently fired after her programmer coworkers started hating him for being too bubbly and often popping in to ask questions and bothering their train of thought. FEMA clearly doesn't have such sensitive standards for holding a job.
Absolutely. and I'm white, not that there's anything wrong with that. What happened in the Gulf Coast was pure genocide- ethnic cleansing, if you will. Not that there's anything wrong with that- if you're a Bushie. I truly hope that those who can see this truth will keep their eyes open and stay away from the hypnotic media that tries to tell them otherwise. Turn off your TV!
Basically, the key is to stay geographically away from anywhere that there might be OIL and you'll be safer. This was obviously all a government scheme to acquire oil laden lands for the purpose of greed and the American way. It's shameful that they had to use the power of Mother Nature in order to do so, but what else can you expect from cowards? The next step to fight it all, I suppose is to get a HORSE- but then the midwest will be taken over for it's production of hay. Not to mention our President of the U-nited Staytes has a ranch! Let's face it- our "modern" ways are failing and our society has forgotten how to live on the Earth. It's time we re-learn some basic survival skills, no?
I open my heart to all who have suffered this catastrophe and realize that I too (living in Florida) could easily be next. But wait- we're a RED state and we have JEB on our side.
When Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne hit my area last year, FEMA was right there everyday to lend a hand. No one died of starvation. No one was forgotten or "not found until too late". Communication was rampant. There were no reasons for lame excuses except from the overworked contractors trying to fix things. No babies died.
Racism as we know it is permanent. Sadly, it will always exist in a capitalist society like ours. That's what happens when one group of people takes over another's land or people. Yes, we can all try to get along and co-exist but people have a natural tendency to flock to their own kind. Just look at any Chinatown or Mexican Hood. That's just a fact of life and we see it more because we're supposedly a "melting pot". There IS something wrong with that.
I wish that our fearless leader, Sir W, could have enough forsight to see what will happen in IRAQ down the road. Those people will always remember the USA as the people who took over their country. This regime is perpetuating racism, as history repeats itself. KATRINA will repeat herself in many manifestations- just ya'll wait-n-see.
Basically, the key is to stay geographically away from anywhere that there might be OIL and you'll be safer. This was obviously all a government scheme to acquire oil laden lands for the purpose of greed and the American way. It's shameful that they had to use the power of Mother Nature in order to do so, but what else can you expect from cowards? The next step to fight it all, I suppose is to get a HORSE- but then the midwest will be taken over for it's production of hay. Not to mention our President of the U-nited Staytes has a ranch! Let's face it- our "modern" ways are failing and our society has forgotten how to live on the Earth. It's time we re-learn some basic survival skills, no?
I open my heart to all who have suffered this catastrophe and realize that I too (living in Florida) could easily be next. But wait- we're a RED state and we have JEB on our side.
When Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne hit my area last year, FEMA was right there everyday to lend a hand. No one died of starvation. No one was forgotten or "not found until too late". Communication was rampant. There were no reasons for lame excuses except from the overworked contractors trying to fix things. No babies died.
Racism as we know it is permanent. Sadly, it will always exist in a capitalist society like ours. That's what happens when one group of people takes over another's land or people. Yes, we can all try to get along and co-exist but people have a natural tendency to flock to their own kind. Just look at any Chinatown or Mexican Hood. That's just a fact of life and we see it more because we're supposedly a "melting pot". There IS something wrong with that.
I wish that our fearless leader, Sir W, could have enough forsight to see what will happen in IRAQ down the road. Those people will always remember the USA as the people who took over their country. This regime is perpetuating racism, as history repeats itself. KATRINA will repeat herself in many manifestations- just ya'll wait-n-see.
GOOD POINT!!!
I, like the author who began this thread, watched, waited, wondered. But in the face of so much suffering, for so long, only one conclusion could be reached: Bull Conner was running the country and this was clearly a diabolical plan to rid the nation of "niggers". All of those faces, young, old, hungry, thirsty, sick, dying, left out in the dark, neglected, thrown away like garbage, dark faces mostly. Weren't they all the relatives of the young, old, hungry, thirsty, sick, beaten, bought, sold, murdered, raped, treated like garbage, dark faces, who literally built this this country so we could all sit in our air conditioned white flight suburban homes and watch this horror unfold on our TVs expressing sympathy and writing checks to Operation Blessing? This appears to be the final wake-up call for the Hannity and Limbaugh worshippers to leave behind the "we all start out from a level playing field" theory. Now would be the time to join Congressman John Conyers on the Reparations Bandwagon and admit that "left behind" is not just a series of Kirk Cameron movies about the coming armaggedon. This whole "blame game" chatter is utterly ridiculous.We know who to blame. And they know, too. The far right is scrambling--but only the far right. Check it out. Even Robert Novak is having a problem with this mess! And he's pretty far over there. The bottom line is this: it matters not what the mayor or the governor did or did not do--THOSE are the issues to reexamine later. It doesn't matter why the situation with the lake was allowed to go underfunded. We'll get back to that, too. What does matter is this: something went wrong, everything went wrong. Thousands and thousands of our fellow citizens were suffering and drowning and dying, right before our eyes. The media got to them, a Hollywood actor got to them, we all had tons of ideas about how to save them. But our "We'll protect you from the terrorists" government was completely apathetic. Bush had a date with a guitar, Condi had tickets to a Broadway show, Cheney was still unpacking at his new digs, and Brown, well, I don't know...Whatever had been fucked up prior to the disaster was irrelevant--the leader of the country was supposed to act. This was a national disaster, he's the commander-in-chief. Did he learn nothing from the "My Pet Goat" freeze up? Scarborough is saying he can't understand why the response in '04 in Florida was so terrific, he thinks it's because Jeb was heading it up. Well, sort of. Jeb was CAMPAINING for his brother, as was FEMA, as was Dubya himself, IN A SWING STATE! There is a chillingly interesting piece on Tom Tomorrow's site. Please check it out. For some reason??? Bush declared a state of emergency for all the coastal areas of Alabama and Mississippi, but only the LANDLOCKED areas of Louisiana, excluding New Orleans and virtually ALL the coastal parishes! Hmmm.This was prior to the storm. Perhaps this is evidence of "intent to kill". God knows, this man is a despicable criminal. I would ask everyone who believes in the worth and dignity of ALL who inhabit this fragile planet to speak out against the reprehensible lack of morality and values by those who claim to have cornered the market on them. I've been ashamed of my country for many things--global neglect, greed, international mettling, war mongering, hubris, power bribing, racism, on and on--but, never, never, have I been this ashamed. When your own country fails--refuses!--to care for her own citizens--not that we were doing such a terrific job anyway, which is why "they" have always been expendable--but the leaders of the country cannot even get water in to their dying...Well, who can pledge allegiance to a country like that?
Sadly it seems that the only racism that occurred involved whites. A lot of blogs have reported on this. The foriegn media has also reported on it. I guess it is largely anectodal. But it seems pretty clear that whites in the Superdome were made to feel very unsafe and subjected to tremendous verbal abuse and threats. They literally feared for their lives and were eventually evacuated by the mlitary for their own safety. Many of them were British and Australian tourists who were given a first hand introduction to race relations in America. There are reports that whites were also targeted for rape and murder. The cover of the NY Daily News shows a white man nearly beaten to death by a black mob. Being silent about things like this is really not helping anyone. I mean if you care about human rights you have to speak out right? Even if its painful to talk about. How are blacks ever going to confront this if people are scared to talk about it? If people had been silent about white racism in the 1950's and 1960's where would we be now? There's no doubt in my mind that these are hate crimes and that these crimes should be viewed in the same light as any other act of political terrorism.
You might want consider the context,
Before spewing words at people in the projects.
Tens of thousands of people were left to die,
And you got the nerve, to sit and ask why.
There getin uncomfortable, sittin in cages,
While you’re reading lies, keep turning the pages.
Instead try to find out why there hurtin,
Go down to New Orleans, and peel back the curtain.
Help the people who are lonely and devastated,
They lost their loved ones and they barely made it.
Don't send your money, go feed families,
Listen to their stories, get a glimpse of the tragedies.
White privilege blinds us from the reality,
Modern America is the living history of brutality.
Laws might change, but peoples fear remains,
Laws might change, but peoples fear remains.
The big moneys flowin to the burbs,
While we got people sleepin on the curbs.
The inner city gets money and gentrification,
The inner people get forced with relocation.
The ones who know, are the ones who have to live with it,
Poverty, drugs, unemployment, and imprisonment.
While half of the country rides the real estate bubble,
The other side is getting half and working double.
Billions of dollars on this disgraceful war,
So Mother Nature reminds us of the poor.
While corporations, write it off as a loss,
People steeling for food, get beat by riot cops.
Leaving people and communities in ruin,
Are we surprised what happened, after what we’ve been doin.
We all know, you can't keep a people down,
The Big Easy knows more than any other town.
Yeah, theres racism in New Orleans and America.
Thats why we need reparations NOW, Did that take of you?
Before spewing words at people in the projects.
Tens of thousands of people were left to die,
And you got the nerve, to sit and ask why.
There getin uncomfortable, sittin in cages,
While you’re reading lies, keep turning the pages.
Instead try to find out why there hurtin,
Go down to New Orleans, and peel back the curtain.
Help the people who are lonely and devastated,
They lost their loved ones and they barely made it.
Don't send your money, go feed families,
Listen to their stories, get a glimpse of the tragedies.
White privilege blinds us from the reality,
Modern America is the living history of brutality.
Laws might change, but peoples fear remains,
Laws might change, but peoples fear remains.
The big moneys flowin to the burbs,
While we got people sleepin on the curbs.
The inner city gets money and gentrification,
The inner people get forced with relocation.
The ones who know, are the ones who have to live with it,
Poverty, drugs, unemployment, and imprisonment.
While half of the country rides the real estate bubble,
The other side is getting half and working double.
Billions of dollars on this disgraceful war,
So Mother Nature reminds us of the poor.
While corporations, write it off as a loss,
People steeling for food, get beat by riot cops.
Leaving people and communities in ruin,
Are we surprised what happened, after what we’ve been doin.
We all know, you can't keep a people down,
The Big Easy knows more than any other town.
Yeah, theres racism in New Orleans and America.
Thats why we need reparations NOW, Did that take of you?
welfare, food stamps and affirmative action are all part of the reparation packet
"welfare, food stamps and affirmative action are all part of the reparation packet"
I'm guessing thats a swipe at people who need foodstamps. How can the US RIght claim to be moral and "godly" when they are so full of hatred for the poor. What's the difference between Republicans and the shoes Condi bought as she was getting ready to go to Spamalot while people were dying in New Orleans? Those shoes have souls. How can people win elections talking about moral values when their snide remarks about the poor suggest a total lack of such values.
I'm guessing thats a swipe at people who need foodstamps. How can the US RIght claim to be moral and "godly" when they are so full of hatred for the poor. What's the difference between Republicans and the shoes Condi bought as she was getting ready to go to Spamalot while people were dying in New Orleans? Those shoes have souls. How can people win elections talking about moral values when their snide remarks about the poor suggest a total lack of such values.
If you dont believe racism exists think about who is going to end up getting most of the blame for the disaster.
Will it be:
1. The white male President for appointing a buddy's roomate with no disaster experience to run FEMA and who took most of the National Guard (who didnt even fight in this numbers in Vietnam) out of the states that were effected to fight in the quagmire that is Iraq.
2. The white male head of FEMA who took days to respond and bungled almost everything he did
3. The white female governor who called the feds ahead of time to get help but was responsible for the Louisiana National Guard that wasnt in Iraq.
4. The head of Homeland Security who was responsible for cooridnating between federal and local agencies
4. The white male governor of Mississippi who failed to get help to most of ths state for days after the disaster
5. The black male mayor of New Orleans who declared an emergency got 80%+ of the city to leave, got busses to get everyone who wanted to leave ahead of time out and then had no communications within the city after all communications got destroyed by the storm.
Lets see Republicans seem to be blaming the mayor and the governor but are really focusing most of their hatred on the mayor. He was the only one of any of these figures who was actually on the ground working to help people from within New Orleans and considering the challenges and risks did a much better job than Guilliani did in NYC but of course you will never hear that because as a black male mayor "Nager" (as Rush Limbaugh calls him http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/09/1766296.php ) he must be the one at fault.
Will it be:
1. The white male President for appointing a buddy's roomate with no disaster experience to run FEMA and who took most of the National Guard (who didnt even fight in this numbers in Vietnam) out of the states that were effected to fight in the quagmire that is Iraq.
2. The white male head of FEMA who took days to respond and bungled almost everything he did
3. The white female governor who called the feds ahead of time to get help but was responsible for the Louisiana National Guard that wasnt in Iraq.
4. The head of Homeland Security who was responsible for cooridnating between federal and local agencies
4. The white male governor of Mississippi who failed to get help to most of ths state for days after the disaster
5. The black male mayor of New Orleans who declared an emergency got 80%+ of the city to leave, got busses to get everyone who wanted to leave ahead of time out and then had no communications within the city after all communications got destroyed by the storm.
Lets see Republicans seem to be blaming the mayor and the governor but are really focusing most of their hatred on the mayor. He was the only one of any of these figures who was actually on the ground working to help people from within New Orleans and considering the challenges and risks did a much better job than Guilliani did in NYC but of course you will never hear that because as a black male mayor "Nager" (as Rush Limbaugh calls him http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/09/1766296.php ) he must be the one at fault.
Its intersting to ask what Rudolph Giuliani after 9/11 that made him such a hero and made it so every right-wing site is saying Nagin is no Giuliani. His communicatiosn broke down and he sent firefighters into the buildings to their death but he was seen as a national hero... the reason why relates to less with what he did then how the media decided to portray him... he became a hero because of the media coverage where he "pulled the city together" and "helped unite people", not because of any action he did to make the city get through the crisis better. The difference in how people se Nagin vs Giuliani has little to do with actions and everything to do with the politics of the media and racism. Nagin probably coudl have done more and done things better to have saved many more lives. Giuliani could have done things differently and saved the lives on many NYC firefighters. When you here people say that Giuliani "looked more like a leader" they are essentially just saying that a white guy looks more like a leader. Republicans may point to Nagin's anguished call for help but Rudolph Giuliani didnt need to make sure a call since the media was already there with the federal aid while Nagin was left with nothing and had to make his plea to get things moving (which they did once he made the plea).
"...the more I think about it, definitely race played into this,” he said. “How do you treat people that just want to walk across the bridge and get out, and they’re turned away, because you can’t come to a certain parish? How do resources get stacked up outside the city of New Orleans and they don’t make their way in?" - Ray Nagin 9/10/2205
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/09/1766350.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2005/09/1766350.php
QUOTE:
"Look, New Orleans is not on Mars. I cannot explain why military aircraft carriers, the like we saw during the South Vietnamese evacuation in the Vietnam War, are not landing in New Orleans and airlifting these folks out. Are they all in Iraq or what? I also cannot explain why they are not, at the very least, airdropping food and water onto the people in New Orleans, like they did in Afghanistan after 9/11. These people are literally DYING because America is not doing that! I cannot explain why they did not evacuate the New Orleans jail until AFTER the disaster, either. The many, many ways that the American government has now jeopardized the lives of poor black Americans in this Katrina disaster has literally scared me to death, as a poor person. I feel very strongly that if those were middle class white people stuck in those conditions in New Orleans right now, that relief would have come days ago. For some reason, just as the cops let L.A. burn in the Rodney King riots, this smells of racism to me."
Hrmm Do you know what race the mayor of New Orleans is? He is African American. Do you know what race most of the top political figures are in New Orleans including the Police Chief?... I'll give you one guess.. African American. I really get tired of hearing this RACE card played over and over and over until people are blue in the face.
Let's talk about realities. 70% of the poor are African Americans in New Orleans. That translates to seeing a lot of poor African Americans on the news. This is a class issue, not a racial issue, and let's stop trying to make it one.
Referring to your arguement about why things were not doing ASAP in Afghanistan and the Vietnam War. Do you know what planning is? Do you know how long the Vietnam War went on? These things do not happen overnight. Do you know how much 90,000 sq miles of land is? Well that's how much was UNDERWATER. Did I mention that almost all power and telecommunications were knocked out? Wait, did I mention that it is not the military's job to evacuate a large city. Sure they can come in and help, but that's not there job. Did you know over half of the New Orleans police force left their posts after the hurricane? How about this is probably the worst natural disaster in the past 200 years in America... How do you prepare for that? Oh I have more for you... even if the levees were secured and fixed, which is a political nightmare that has to do with the Senators/Governors of Louisiana over the years more than anything, that the former Army Corp of Engineers head said that they would of still been breached?
I guess you decided to leave all of that information out of the mix. The bottom line is nobody was prepared. New Orleans wasn't prepared, the people of New Orleans who did not leave thought they would be ok, so they were not prepared. The Federal Government was not fully prepared, I'll give you that, but I don't believe that any country would of been prepared for what happened in New Orleans.
You can only learn from mistakes, but I live in Florida, and we are used to hurricanes, so when we "THINK" one might hit anywhere close, we evacuate. I'm sorry for the people who were not able to leave for whatever reason, but I'm sure my tax dollars were paying for some people's welfare checks... but that's another topic for another day.
You have to fend for yourself, and when you don't you are left at the mercy of others to come to your aid and rescue you. So ultimately you have only yourself to blame if you are totally relying on others to come to your aid. Sad as it may be but that's reality.
I love how people come crawling out of the cracks, and are ready to bash down our government after some catastrophe. If 70% of individuals who were living in poverty were White in New Orleans you would of seen the same thing, but you know what... you wouldn't of seen the word Race come to surface... did I mention the Major and Police Chief and many of the top political individuals in New Orleans are African American?..
So you may be right... Genocide in New Orleans... it very well could of occurred if you want to look at from my perspective. You just forgot to mention it was the leadership of New Orleans who were African Americans who let their own people down.
"Look, New Orleans is not on Mars. I cannot explain why military aircraft carriers, the like we saw during the South Vietnamese evacuation in the Vietnam War, are not landing in New Orleans and airlifting these folks out. Are they all in Iraq or what? I also cannot explain why they are not, at the very least, airdropping food and water onto the people in New Orleans, like they did in Afghanistan after 9/11. These people are literally DYING because America is not doing that! I cannot explain why they did not evacuate the New Orleans jail until AFTER the disaster, either. The many, many ways that the American government has now jeopardized the lives of poor black Americans in this Katrina disaster has literally scared me to death, as a poor person. I feel very strongly that if those were middle class white people stuck in those conditions in New Orleans right now, that relief would have come days ago. For some reason, just as the cops let L.A. burn in the Rodney King riots, this smells of racism to me."
Hrmm Do you know what race the mayor of New Orleans is? He is African American. Do you know what race most of the top political figures are in New Orleans including the Police Chief?... I'll give you one guess.. African American. I really get tired of hearing this RACE card played over and over and over until people are blue in the face.
Let's talk about realities. 70% of the poor are African Americans in New Orleans. That translates to seeing a lot of poor African Americans on the news. This is a class issue, not a racial issue, and let's stop trying to make it one.
Referring to your arguement about why things were not doing ASAP in Afghanistan and the Vietnam War. Do you know what planning is? Do you know how long the Vietnam War went on? These things do not happen overnight. Do you know how much 90,000 sq miles of land is? Well that's how much was UNDERWATER. Did I mention that almost all power and telecommunications were knocked out? Wait, did I mention that it is not the military's job to evacuate a large city. Sure they can come in and help, but that's not there job. Did you know over half of the New Orleans police force left their posts after the hurricane? How about this is probably the worst natural disaster in the past 200 years in America... How do you prepare for that? Oh I have more for you... even if the levees were secured and fixed, which is a political nightmare that has to do with the Senators/Governors of Louisiana over the years more than anything, that the former Army Corp of Engineers head said that they would of still been breached?
I guess you decided to leave all of that information out of the mix. The bottom line is nobody was prepared. New Orleans wasn't prepared, the people of New Orleans who did not leave thought they would be ok, so they were not prepared. The Federal Government was not fully prepared, I'll give you that, but I don't believe that any country would of been prepared for what happened in New Orleans.
You can only learn from mistakes, but I live in Florida, and we are used to hurricanes, so when we "THINK" one might hit anywhere close, we evacuate. I'm sorry for the people who were not able to leave for whatever reason, but I'm sure my tax dollars were paying for some people's welfare checks... but that's another topic for another day.
You have to fend for yourself, and when you don't you are left at the mercy of others to come to your aid and rescue you. So ultimately you have only yourself to blame if you are totally relying on others to come to your aid. Sad as it may be but that's reality.
I love how people come crawling out of the cracks, and are ready to bash down our government after some catastrophe. If 70% of individuals who were living in poverty were White in New Orleans you would of seen the same thing, but you know what... you wouldn't of seen the word Race come to surface... did I mention the Major and Police Chief and many of the top political individuals in New Orleans are African American?..
So you may be right... Genocide in New Orleans... it very well could of occurred if you want to look at from my perspective. You just forgot to mention it was the leadership of New Orleans who were African Americans who let their own people down.
For more information:
http://www.bimmerinfo.com
It must be strange in "Superdome's" world since the head injury...sometimes that causes one to lose any sense of compassion, responsibility, and even a conscience. I've tossed that theory around about Bush, but now I just think he's pure EVIL!!!
Regarding "no doubt in my mind that these are hate crimes" you stated, against whites, did you forget that your fearless leader, the appointed prez, doesn't BELIEVE in hate crimes? Even when a black man is hooked up on a chain to the back of a pick-up truck in Bum-Fuck, TX and dragged until his limbs and his HEAD are TORN off of his BODY???? And, yes, we certainly addressed all of the problems with racism in the 50's and 60's--that's why the incident in Texas happened, right? The guy probably had it coming!
And welfare checks and food stamps as reparations?? Not exactly. It's estimated that the amount due for the labor that slaves provided to this country is in the TRILLIONS. Have you ever seen a welfare check? I can tell you, we're a bit short. And if you argue that WE don't owe THEM because it was years ago, that's just stupid. You know that that retarded confederate flag that people wave around and claim "it's all about our heritage"? Well, there you go---it's all about their heritage! And you know that idiotic thing people say, "if they don't like it, they can go back to Africa!" Nope. How 'bout "it we don't like it, we can go back to Europe!"??? Thank God most of the country seems to be coming around since this horrific display of inhumanity--it seems to have really disturbed folks. I'm hopeful that FOX news will not be able to spin this for the majority. And the rest of the world is deeply disturbed. We are all just people here, just people, trying to make the most of our lives, wanting to be happy. The minute that you start to think that you're better than someone else, that's when you become a danger to rest of us. When you think that you're "above all of that", that's when you have the potential to sink the lowest--because you just don't give a shit about anyone but yourself--and you don't even know it!
Regarding "no doubt in my mind that these are hate crimes" you stated, against whites, did you forget that your fearless leader, the appointed prez, doesn't BELIEVE in hate crimes? Even when a black man is hooked up on a chain to the back of a pick-up truck in Bum-Fuck, TX and dragged until his limbs and his HEAD are TORN off of his BODY???? And, yes, we certainly addressed all of the problems with racism in the 50's and 60's--that's why the incident in Texas happened, right? The guy probably had it coming!
And welfare checks and food stamps as reparations?? Not exactly. It's estimated that the amount due for the labor that slaves provided to this country is in the TRILLIONS. Have you ever seen a welfare check? I can tell you, we're a bit short. And if you argue that WE don't owe THEM because it was years ago, that's just stupid. You know that that retarded confederate flag that people wave around and claim "it's all about our heritage"? Well, there you go---it's all about their heritage! And you know that idiotic thing people say, "if they don't like it, they can go back to Africa!" Nope. How 'bout "it we don't like it, we can go back to Europe!"??? Thank God most of the country seems to be coming around since this horrific display of inhumanity--it seems to have really disturbed folks. I'm hopeful that FOX news will not be able to spin this for the majority. And the rest of the world is deeply disturbed. We are all just people here, just people, trying to make the most of our lives, wanting to be happy. The minute that you start to think that you're better than someone else, that's when you become a danger to rest of us. When you think that you're "above all of that", that's when you have the potential to sink the lowest--because you just don't give a shit about anyone but yourself--and you don't even know it!
" My GOP card is showing, eh? That's odd becuase I'm a lifelong Democrat."
Same thing, different spelling.
Same thing, different spelling.
In that case, you are woefully uninformed.
A category 5 hurricane just went through the middle of Cuba. Not a single person died. The Cubans are better organized than we are. So are the Canadians. A couple years ago, when that ice storm knocked out power over an area the size of new England, the Canadian military was on the seen in two hours, making sure everybody that needed to be evacuated was evacuated.
America was unprepared because America didn't bother to prepare. It was not a priority. In America, people are required to pay for their own survival. If you are too poor, too old, too sick, or too young to take care of yourself, you're doomed. If you don't have money, in America, your life is worth nothing. That's the kind of place America is.
A category 5 hurricane just went through the middle of Cuba. Not a single person died. The Cubans are better organized than we are. So are the Canadians. A couple years ago, when that ice storm knocked out power over an area the size of new England, the Canadian military was on the seen in two hours, making sure everybody that needed to be evacuated was evacuated.
America was unprepared because America didn't bother to prepare. It was not a priority. In America, people are required to pay for their own survival. If you are too poor, too old, too sick, or too young to take care of yourself, you're doomed. If you don't have money, in America, your life is worth nothing. That's the kind of place America is.
hey I appreciate the rhyme that whomever put out there. I was out of town when Katrina hit, but I'm a denizen of the 9th ward. people can talk about who's fault this is and who's screwing it all up later. Right now NOTHING stops me from getting in and helping my friends and neighbors, NOTHING AT ALL.. we have also made a circus ( my usual profession....) to try to help kids in the camps. we call it
third line circus -look it up.
any ways nothing in yer life is as important as helping us now. I have nowhere else to go. we could use any kind of super-power you've got- it's going to be hard fixing our city and healing all our hurt people.
third line circus -look it up.
any ways nothing in yer life is as important as helping us now. I have nowhere else to go. we could use any kind of super-power you've got- it's going to be hard fixing our city and healing all our hurt people.
This is from an e-mail that was fwded to me by a trusted community organizer in the bay area. Please read and contribute dough to those who have decided to take direct action against injustice by helping out first hand and exposing truths about what's going on with survivors of Katrina:
What up community.
> I'm forwarding an email from 2 of our girls who got
> up off they angry activist asses on Saturday and
> flew to Houston to try and DO SOMETHING about the
> madness of this whole situtation that yall are all
> too familar with by now.
>
> Many of yall know Patricia Barazza from her lifelong
> commitment to the SF Mission Distict, Corpus Christi
> Church, United Playaz, Olin, the Xicana Moratorium
> Coalition, Peer Resources, and Purple Sun. I know
> you have seen her helpin some kids stay outta
> trouble, serving food, running security, or working
> the door at a community event.
>
> Jaya Mejia is currently a nursing student at UCSF,
> but is better known as the homegirl with the big
> hoop earings who grew up in Bernal Hieghts and went
> to Urban Pioneers, got hella involved at City
> College in PEACE ( Pilipinos for Education, Arts,
> Culture, and Empowerment), Freedom School, Education
> In Action, and the anti-war movement. Which all
> helped push her into UC Berkeley where she pulled a
> B.A. in Political Science.
>
> We are considering them our Bay Area Ambassadors!
> They are over there providing leadership and
> structure that they gained in the YOUTH MOVEMENT
> HERE IN THE BAY!!!!
>
> These homegirls are our symbol of GHETTO SOLIDARITY
> with the folks who have had their lives torn apart
> in the last week, cause it could be and might
> someday be our neighborhoods left hangin by the US
> government (oh shit, ain't that what's happening
> right now?)
>
> If yall wanna help, we are hosting a fundraiser to
> send them money that they are distributing DIRECTLY
> to the folks who hella need it right now, not to pay
> some Red Cross excutive's salary. You can call to
> volunteer or drop off donations to Aleks at Precita
> (415) 724-3949.
>
> Garage Sale and Food Sale
> Sunday September 11, 2005
> 10am-4pm
> Precita Community Center
> (Precita St. @ Alabama St.)
> San Francisco, Aztlan
>
> Please read what they have written about where they
> are, what they are seeing, and what they are doing
> about it.
> Peace and Justice,
> Nancy
>
> Day 1 in Houston September 4, 2005
>
> What's up girl, it's me and Patty here in Houston,
> We've been here twenty four hours, we're struggling
> to organize ourselves and find the best places to be
> useful, there are lots of places to volunteer but
> there's a flood of volunteers at the big stadiums,
> not sure about the smaller shelters. We think it's
> because it's the weekend, when the work week starts
> it may not be as many people to help. We spent four
> hours driving to the different stadiums and red
> cross center but it was unorganized and people
> didn't have information or had conflicting
> information on where to go or what and who were
> needed when. It was hella frustrating. We got to
> help at the Convention Center in downtown Houston
> today for a few hours...the Astrodome was turning
> volunteers away until the nightshift. We'll try
> again tomorrow morning. Anyway, we got to help
> people with translation, medical emergencies, and
> getting food to people who were alone and unable to
> walk up to the third floor to the kitchen. Tomorrow
> we
> will try to go to the KPFA branch up here and hope
> to get more information about youth org's and
> locations that are in need. Everyone has been very
> appreciative of us although they are frustrated with
> how long it took for help to come, and many we have
> spoke with are really worried about missing family
> and friends, and are traumatized by what they went
> through to survive. There are a lot of youth here in
> the COnvention center. The energy was mellow there,
> the food looked good, there were lots of clothes,
> air mattresses, and other supplies, a lot of medical
> personnel but people's important medications are
> still not being supplied because the computers are
> backed up. I helped a man in line whose blood
> pressure was 190/100, a dangerous level and they
> still could not get his medication because it was
> not in stock. I was able to take his blood pressure
> and cut in the emergency care line to get him
> emergency meds and a change in prescription, or else
> he would have been waiting in line for
> hours while his pressure continued to rise. He
> almost had a heart attack yesterday but was able to
> get emergency nitroglycerine. Patty was able to do
> Spanish translation for residents who lost their
> paperwork but were only spanish speaking. Patty
> helped her get to the Honduran consulate.Military
> showed up today but only a few. We have heard from a
> police officer that was inside The Reliant and
> Astrodome that they are in need of volunteers asap,
> but we were turned away when we went there. We hope
> the organization of volunteers will improve by
> tomorrow.
>
> Taxi drivers, airlines,restaurants, hotels, are all
> giving discounts to volunteers, and it seems hotels
> are accomodating survivors. Apartment buildings are
> giving 6 months accomodations to them also, but
> really more people are in need of help and there are
> reported thousands more people coming.
>
> Jaya and Patty
>
>
>
>
>
> Day 2 in Houston September 5, 2005
>
> From Jaya Mejia and Patricia Barraza:
>
> We went back to the Convention Center to check on
> some people we met the day before including an
> elderly woman in a wheelchair who was caring for her
> disabled son, and two elderly men who were at the
> shelter alone and hadn¡¦t contacted any of their
> families. So far we know the woman is on her way to
> family, we could not locate the rest.
>
> Monday we helped set up the new registration site
> for people just arriving at the Astrodome from
> Louisiana or other shelters, and hotels. At the
> beginning of set up in the afternoon there were over
> 200 volunteers (in this one area, there were
> thousands elsewhere), and there was not enough work
> for everyone to do, and little direction from any
> leader. Little by little over four hours later we
> had converted an empty stadium in the Reliant Arena
> into an evacuee reception site with an entrance
> where police had to search everyone arriving, a
> sign-in area, supplies station (they could get food,
> clothing, diapers, baby formula, and water), medical
> check in and transportation area. By the time buses
> started arriving few volunteers were left, there was
> no leader, no Red Cross people, and much confusion
> about where people were to be sent. DMAT (Disaster
> Medical Assistance Team) from Colorado were doing
> the medical check ins and were doing a good job
> making sure those who needed medical
> attention got it, though there were times we felt
> they were overwhelmed and understaffed and so we had
> to advocate for a few individuals including infants
> to get care.
>
> One older gentlemen who was an evacuee told us that
> no social security, birthdates, or identification
> cards were being checked (if they had any). He was
> concerned because he had witnessed a lot of
> confusion and frustration since there are many
> people with the same name and no way for people
> looking for each other to find out who¡¦s who. There
> was no one assigned to collecting the registration
> forms or escorting people to get beds and medical
> care after the initial sign-in process. There was a
> family of nine from New Orleans including small
> children and babies who almost got split up by a
> National Guard because they didn¡¦t know where to
> send them and some of them needed medical attention.
> Jaya went to help get them to not get separated and
> to find accommodation and medical care. Upon
> arrival, they found they needed to get tetanus shots
> and the line was very long. They became discouraged
> about the whole process and decided to leave with a
> friend who lived in Houston but that person
> could not keep them for much longer. They left
> without receiving any services. One young woman who
> came in complained of a toothache and was able to
> get medical care and then went to find information
> on enrolling back into college but there was no
> central place to go. There were posters with some
> college information randomly on the walls. We have
> spoken with many youth interested in reenrolling in
> school.
>
> Day 3 in Houston September 6, 2005
>
> Today we went through the orientation and were told
> they didn¡¦t need anyone and to wait for
> instructions. Since we love listening to directions
> we went off to survey the area ourselves to find
> what was needed. In the Astrodome and Reliant
> Buildings all the cots were spread out and there
> were areas sectioned off by families, women, lost
> children, deaf people, and elderly. There were
> nurses walking throughout the sleeping quarters
> taking care of people. People throughout the day
> were sleeping, eating, braiding hair, listening to
> music, looking for loved ones on various walls taped
> up with names and messages written on cards. Kids
> were running around in groups playing jump rope,
> football, catch, tag, and just having fun. Many
> older kids played with and watched out for the
> younger ones, many young fathers were playing with
> their babies. Some people played dominoes, and
> amongst it all people were trying to get medical
> care and information on family, jobs, school, and
> places to stay.
> People were keeping their belongings in garbage
> bags next to their cots. We were very surprised and
> concerned to see that we were easily able to come in
> and out of all the sleeping areas and childcare
> areas without being questioned or searched. We were
> able to walk through the Control Center and see all
> the officials discussing work but all we saw were
> people in uniform eating. We checked all the
> bathrooms in the different arenas and they were all
> clean, the custodians we talked to are getting extra
> hours and working very hard. We saw FEMA, child
> support services, Section 8 services, Consulates,
> and Food Stamps and WIC offices in the Reliant
> Center.
>
> Jaya was able to get into the medical clinic with
> her UCSF School of Nursing ID and was approved to
> take vital signs and was able to work in the
> pharmacy giving people their prescriptions, getting
> medical charts, track down lost medications,
> advocate for pharmacists and doctor¡¦s to rewrite
> prescriptions that hadn¡¦t been filled although they
> had been processed days before, and help people who
> were confused that the meds they ordered were
> replaced with different medications because a
> specific brand was not available (i.e. birthcontrol
> pills, generic versions of drugs etc.) Some sick
> people had to wait in line for long periods of time,
> some could not wait and just left. The pharmacy had
> wonderful people working but they were incredibly
> understaffed and the lines were long, often a
> pharmacist or doctor was needed but was difficult
> and time consuming to track down. There were
> different sections of the makeshift hospital
> including adult care, OB-gyn, pediatrics, surgery,
> quarantined, and
> isolation areas for people with contagious
> illnesses.
>
> We decided to return to the Reliant Arena. We saw
> families just arriving from Louisiana looking for
> shelter, as well as people just needing services but
> were staying elsewhere. Many with small children did
> not want to stay at the Astrodome because they did
> not feel safe. One family with three young girls
> told Patty that they would sleep in their car until
> FEMA could place them in an apartment, no word on
> how long that could be. Others came in clusters of
> friends and wanted to stay together to stay safe and
> Patty registered them as one family as brothers and
> sisters in the hopes they would not be separated.
> Patty and Jaya had to advocate many times to keep
> families and friends together. Some children came in
> with rashes, vomiting, and asthma. Patty and Jaya
> registered a young woman less than 22 years who was
> 7 months pregnant and all alone at the Astrodome.
> She was forced to separate from her family upon
> reaching the evacuation buses after walking through
> the floods carrying their
> belongings. She was able to contact her boyfriend
> who was placed in an apartment in Dallas, Jaya gave
> her $100 and she took a shuttle to the Greyhound
> station to take a bus to Dallas. She was very upset
> and afraid at certain moments and cried because of
> her experience to make it to Houston. She is
> extremely strong to have made it out of the floods
> and still have the energy to travel and search for
> her family alone. She plans to name her son Sincere
> like in the movie Belly. She has not seen a doctor
> since the emergency and left without receiving
> medical care.
>
> Patty witnessed a lot of drama and inconsistencies
> between the officials about paperwork, bracelets
> people had to wear, where to place people, and
> whether we had space. By the time we left they said
> there were altogether 2,000 vacant beds, though
> throughout the day we heard people were getting sent
> away because supposedly there was no space.
>
> There was a family of 12 including 7 small children
> who had just came in from New Orleans on a bus and
> amongst the chaos the police found one pound of
> marijuana in the grandmother¡¦s bag and tried to
> place her under arrest. An officer said they had to
> check with the DA if they were to detain her because
> too many police witnessed what they found in her
> bag. Her family was extremely upset and crying and
> said their bags were handled by other people in the
> evacuation process and that they could point out who
> put the marijuana in their mother¡¦s bag. After
> having survived the hurricane and floods and long
> travel, they had to deal with almost being separated
> at the shelter. After about 30 minutes they let the
> grandmother in and we made sure the family was not
> separated and they all got beds together and medical
> care.
>
> Jaya was able to help a young man of 23 find his
> mother and family and neighbors who he did not know
> were alive before getting to the Astrodome. He was
> planning on leaving to Baton Rouge if he did not
> find them in one day. They now have beds next to
> each other.
>
> There was an elderly woman in a wheelchair looking
> for her lost husband who was a diabetic and didn¡¦t
> have legs and was also in a wheelchair. Patty sent
> two volunteers to go through all the facilities to
> look for him as there is no centralized data base
> for evacuees, and the volunteers were able to
> reunite the couple.
>
> A custodian woman at the medical center told Jaya a
> four year old girl was almost raped behind the
> medical center but the man was caught and sent to
> jail today. She said people express fear of sleeping
> and keep waking up at night to make sure they are
> not under water. She also said that many people have
> discussions about the politics of the whole
> situation and that many feel that the flood was
> caused on purpose by the police who were retaliating
> after a white police officer was shot in New Orleans
> the night before. She also said many people
> expressed that right after the hurricane the store
> owners were opening their stores and letting people
> get supplies but in the news it was all only
> depicted as pure looting. Oprah Winfrey, Barack
> Obama, Jaime Fox, and Sean Penn all came for tours
> today and yesterday and are donating money. She also
> said she sees the police sitting around all day
> eating the food and not helping the people.
>
> An old man in a wheelchair¡¦s arm was broken last
> night because someone beat him because he was
> accused of urinating on him. The man got medical
> treatment, and the other guy got sent to jail.
>
> There is definitely an alarming lack of organization
> but we have found that if you direct people to
> needed positions and tasks they will do it, even
> those in uniform. Everyone seems to be looking for a
> leader. We both feel blessed, guided, helped, and
> empowered by our creator to have taken a part in
> constructing the reception area and being able to
> talk with people about their experiences before
> getting to the shelter, and being able to make sure
> they don¡¦t fall through the cracks upon arrival. We
> are now working on keeping in contact with
> individuals we¡¦ve connected with to determine
> future needs, rather than organizations soliciting
> donations. We have found local churches and
> community organizations doing good work, but we feel
> the money needs to be in people¡¦s hands rather then
> in red tape. Although much of what we report is
> negative, the overall feel of the area is mellow,
> people are reforming communities, helping themselves
> and each other, and the place is clean enough,
> vibrant, and full of hope. People¡¦s different
> faiths have been strengthened and tested, faith has
> been a common topic of conversation, and has been a
> unifying force here. We thank everyone who helps us
> and many people thank and bless us for the smallest
> things. Many people inside the dome just want to
> feel safe and are actively working to rebuild their
> lives, and many people from all places and
> professions really care about everyone there.
>
>
>
> This is what happens step by step at the
> Astrodome¡KIf you were a person arriving for
> shelter¡K
>
> Get searched by at least 30 state and federal
> police with 10 gallon cowboy hats and boots,
> fatigues, bright badges, sunglasses, and guns.
> DMAT squirts hand sanitizer on your hands and
> bombards you with questions for emergency medical
> care
> Volunteers register you and ask more questions to
> place you in one of the stadiums by a color coded
> bracelet
> Walk through supply area and get food, clothes,
> and baby products
> Wait in area to be taken to shelter, while
> different people squabble about where to take you
> This is where things get chaotic. There is not
> system for making sure people get led to the clinic
> or sleeping area, but next stop should be to medical
> area.
> Once medical is cleared you are either left to
> figure out on your own where to sleep or a volunteer
> or Red Cross person helps you find an empty cot and
> some blankets. Last night tetanus shots were
> mandatory, today they weren¡¦t, tomorrow no se.
> Then you are free to search for loved ones and
> other services, or leave the dome and come back, but
> it is all on your own initiative to figure out
> what¡¦s going on and what¡¦s available for you.
>
> From Houston Texas and the Astrodome, much love,
> Patty and Jaya.
>
>
>
> To contact Patty and Jaya, you can text message Jaya
> at (415) 401-5436 ( but don't waste her minutes
> cause she's using them for folks to contact their
> relatives). To send monetary donatations to them to
> distribute or help out at all holla at Nancy (415)
> 261-1367 nancypili [at] yahoo.com.
>
What up community.
> I'm forwarding an email from 2 of our girls who got
> up off they angry activist asses on Saturday and
> flew to Houston to try and DO SOMETHING about the
> madness of this whole situtation that yall are all
> too familar with by now.
>
> Many of yall know Patricia Barazza from her lifelong
> commitment to the SF Mission Distict, Corpus Christi
> Church, United Playaz, Olin, the Xicana Moratorium
> Coalition, Peer Resources, and Purple Sun. I know
> you have seen her helpin some kids stay outta
> trouble, serving food, running security, or working
> the door at a community event.
>
> Jaya Mejia is currently a nursing student at UCSF,
> but is better known as the homegirl with the big
> hoop earings who grew up in Bernal Hieghts and went
> to Urban Pioneers, got hella involved at City
> College in PEACE ( Pilipinos for Education, Arts,
> Culture, and Empowerment), Freedom School, Education
> In Action, and the anti-war movement. Which all
> helped push her into UC Berkeley where she pulled a
> B.A. in Political Science.
>
> We are considering them our Bay Area Ambassadors!
> They are over there providing leadership and
> structure that they gained in the YOUTH MOVEMENT
> HERE IN THE BAY!!!!
>
> These homegirls are our symbol of GHETTO SOLIDARITY
> with the folks who have had their lives torn apart
> in the last week, cause it could be and might
> someday be our neighborhoods left hangin by the US
> government (oh shit, ain't that what's happening
> right now?)
>
> If yall wanna help, we are hosting a fundraiser to
> send them money that they are distributing DIRECTLY
> to the folks who hella need it right now, not to pay
> some Red Cross excutive's salary. You can call to
> volunteer or drop off donations to Aleks at Precita
> (415) 724-3949.
>
> Garage Sale and Food Sale
> Sunday September 11, 2005
> 10am-4pm
> Precita Community Center
> (Precita St. @ Alabama St.)
> San Francisco, Aztlan
>
> Please read what they have written about where they
> are, what they are seeing, and what they are doing
> about it.
> Peace and Justice,
> Nancy
>
> Day 1 in Houston September 4, 2005
>
> What's up girl, it's me and Patty here in Houston,
> We've been here twenty four hours, we're struggling
> to organize ourselves and find the best places to be
> useful, there are lots of places to volunteer but
> there's a flood of volunteers at the big stadiums,
> not sure about the smaller shelters. We think it's
> because it's the weekend, when the work week starts
> it may not be as many people to help. We spent four
> hours driving to the different stadiums and red
> cross center but it was unorganized and people
> didn't have information or had conflicting
> information on where to go or what and who were
> needed when. It was hella frustrating. We got to
> help at the Convention Center in downtown Houston
> today for a few hours...the Astrodome was turning
> volunteers away until the nightshift. We'll try
> again tomorrow morning. Anyway, we got to help
> people with translation, medical emergencies, and
> getting food to people who were alone and unable to
> walk up to the third floor to the kitchen. Tomorrow
> we
> will try to go to the KPFA branch up here and hope
> to get more information about youth org's and
> locations that are in need. Everyone has been very
> appreciative of us although they are frustrated with
> how long it took for help to come, and many we have
> spoke with are really worried about missing family
> and friends, and are traumatized by what they went
> through to survive. There are a lot of youth here in
> the COnvention center. The energy was mellow there,
> the food looked good, there were lots of clothes,
> air mattresses, and other supplies, a lot of medical
> personnel but people's important medications are
> still not being supplied because the computers are
> backed up. I helped a man in line whose blood
> pressure was 190/100, a dangerous level and they
> still could not get his medication because it was
> not in stock. I was able to take his blood pressure
> and cut in the emergency care line to get him
> emergency meds and a change in prescription, or else
> he would have been waiting in line for
> hours while his pressure continued to rise. He
> almost had a heart attack yesterday but was able to
> get emergency nitroglycerine. Patty was able to do
> Spanish translation for residents who lost their
> paperwork but were only spanish speaking. Patty
> helped her get to the Honduran consulate.Military
> showed up today but only a few. We have heard from a
> police officer that was inside The Reliant and
> Astrodome that they are in need of volunteers asap,
> but we were turned away when we went there. We hope
> the organization of volunteers will improve by
> tomorrow.
>
> Taxi drivers, airlines,restaurants, hotels, are all
> giving discounts to volunteers, and it seems hotels
> are accomodating survivors. Apartment buildings are
> giving 6 months accomodations to them also, but
> really more people are in need of help and there are
> reported thousands more people coming.
>
> Jaya and Patty
>
>
>
>
>
> Day 2 in Houston September 5, 2005
>
> From Jaya Mejia and Patricia Barraza:
>
> We went back to the Convention Center to check on
> some people we met the day before including an
> elderly woman in a wheelchair who was caring for her
> disabled son, and two elderly men who were at the
> shelter alone and hadn¡¦t contacted any of their
> families. So far we know the woman is on her way to
> family, we could not locate the rest.
>
> Monday we helped set up the new registration site
> for people just arriving at the Astrodome from
> Louisiana or other shelters, and hotels. At the
> beginning of set up in the afternoon there were over
> 200 volunteers (in this one area, there were
> thousands elsewhere), and there was not enough work
> for everyone to do, and little direction from any
> leader. Little by little over four hours later we
> had converted an empty stadium in the Reliant Arena
> into an evacuee reception site with an entrance
> where police had to search everyone arriving, a
> sign-in area, supplies station (they could get food,
> clothing, diapers, baby formula, and water), medical
> check in and transportation area. By the time buses
> started arriving few volunteers were left, there was
> no leader, no Red Cross people, and much confusion
> about where people were to be sent. DMAT (Disaster
> Medical Assistance Team) from Colorado were doing
> the medical check ins and were doing a good job
> making sure those who needed medical
> attention got it, though there were times we felt
> they were overwhelmed and understaffed and so we had
> to advocate for a few individuals including infants
> to get care.
>
> One older gentlemen who was an evacuee told us that
> no social security, birthdates, or identification
> cards were being checked (if they had any). He was
> concerned because he had witnessed a lot of
> confusion and frustration since there are many
> people with the same name and no way for people
> looking for each other to find out who¡¦s who. There
> was no one assigned to collecting the registration
> forms or escorting people to get beds and medical
> care after the initial sign-in process. There was a
> family of nine from New Orleans including small
> children and babies who almost got split up by a
> National Guard because they didn¡¦t know where to
> send them and some of them needed medical attention.
> Jaya went to help get them to not get separated and
> to find accommodation and medical care. Upon
> arrival, they found they needed to get tetanus shots
> and the line was very long. They became discouraged
> about the whole process and decided to leave with a
> friend who lived in Houston but that person
> could not keep them for much longer. They left
> without receiving any services. One young woman who
> came in complained of a toothache and was able to
> get medical care and then went to find information
> on enrolling back into college but there was no
> central place to go. There were posters with some
> college information randomly on the walls. We have
> spoken with many youth interested in reenrolling in
> school.
>
> Day 3 in Houston September 6, 2005
>
> Today we went through the orientation and were told
> they didn¡¦t need anyone and to wait for
> instructions. Since we love listening to directions
> we went off to survey the area ourselves to find
> what was needed. In the Astrodome and Reliant
> Buildings all the cots were spread out and there
> were areas sectioned off by families, women, lost
> children, deaf people, and elderly. There were
> nurses walking throughout the sleeping quarters
> taking care of people. People throughout the day
> were sleeping, eating, braiding hair, listening to
> music, looking for loved ones on various walls taped
> up with names and messages written on cards. Kids
> were running around in groups playing jump rope,
> football, catch, tag, and just having fun. Many
> older kids played with and watched out for the
> younger ones, many young fathers were playing with
> their babies. Some people played dominoes, and
> amongst it all people were trying to get medical
> care and information on family, jobs, school, and
> places to stay.
> People were keeping their belongings in garbage
> bags next to their cots. We were very surprised and
> concerned to see that we were easily able to come in
> and out of all the sleeping areas and childcare
> areas without being questioned or searched. We were
> able to walk through the Control Center and see all
> the officials discussing work but all we saw were
> people in uniform eating. We checked all the
> bathrooms in the different arenas and they were all
> clean, the custodians we talked to are getting extra
> hours and working very hard. We saw FEMA, child
> support services, Section 8 services, Consulates,
> and Food Stamps and WIC offices in the Reliant
> Center.
>
> Jaya was able to get into the medical clinic with
> her UCSF School of Nursing ID and was approved to
> take vital signs and was able to work in the
> pharmacy giving people their prescriptions, getting
> medical charts, track down lost medications,
> advocate for pharmacists and doctor¡¦s to rewrite
> prescriptions that hadn¡¦t been filled although they
> had been processed days before, and help people who
> were confused that the meds they ordered were
> replaced with different medications because a
> specific brand was not available (i.e. birthcontrol
> pills, generic versions of drugs etc.) Some sick
> people had to wait in line for long periods of time,
> some could not wait and just left. The pharmacy had
> wonderful people working but they were incredibly
> understaffed and the lines were long, often a
> pharmacist or doctor was needed but was difficult
> and time consuming to track down. There were
> different sections of the makeshift hospital
> including adult care, OB-gyn, pediatrics, surgery,
> quarantined, and
> isolation areas for people with contagious
> illnesses.
>
> We decided to return to the Reliant Arena. We saw
> families just arriving from Louisiana looking for
> shelter, as well as people just needing services but
> were staying elsewhere. Many with small children did
> not want to stay at the Astrodome because they did
> not feel safe. One family with three young girls
> told Patty that they would sleep in their car until
> FEMA could place them in an apartment, no word on
> how long that could be. Others came in clusters of
> friends and wanted to stay together to stay safe and
> Patty registered them as one family as brothers and
> sisters in the hopes they would not be separated.
> Patty and Jaya had to advocate many times to keep
> families and friends together. Some children came in
> with rashes, vomiting, and asthma. Patty and Jaya
> registered a young woman less than 22 years who was
> 7 months pregnant and all alone at the Astrodome.
> She was forced to separate from her family upon
> reaching the evacuation buses after walking through
> the floods carrying their
> belongings. She was able to contact her boyfriend
> who was placed in an apartment in Dallas, Jaya gave
> her $100 and she took a shuttle to the Greyhound
> station to take a bus to Dallas. She was very upset
> and afraid at certain moments and cried because of
> her experience to make it to Houston. She is
> extremely strong to have made it out of the floods
> and still have the energy to travel and search for
> her family alone. She plans to name her son Sincere
> like in the movie Belly. She has not seen a doctor
> since the emergency and left without receiving
> medical care.
>
> Patty witnessed a lot of drama and inconsistencies
> between the officials about paperwork, bracelets
> people had to wear, where to place people, and
> whether we had space. By the time we left they said
> there were altogether 2,000 vacant beds, though
> throughout the day we heard people were getting sent
> away because supposedly there was no space.
>
> There was a family of 12 including 7 small children
> who had just came in from New Orleans on a bus and
> amongst the chaos the police found one pound of
> marijuana in the grandmother¡¦s bag and tried to
> place her under arrest. An officer said they had to
> check with the DA if they were to detain her because
> too many police witnessed what they found in her
> bag. Her family was extremely upset and crying and
> said their bags were handled by other people in the
> evacuation process and that they could point out who
> put the marijuana in their mother¡¦s bag. After
> having survived the hurricane and floods and long
> travel, they had to deal with almost being separated
> at the shelter. After about 30 minutes they let the
> grandmother in and we made sure the family was not
> separated and they all got beds together and medical
> care.
>
> Jaya was able to help a young man of 23 find his
> mother and family and neighbors who he did not know
> were alive before getting to the Astrodome. He was
> planning on leaving to Baton Rouge if he did not
> find them in one day. They now have beds next to
> each other.
>
> There was an elderly woman in a wheelchair looking
> for her lost husband who was a diabetic and didn¡¦t
> have legs and was also in a wheelchair. Patty sent
> two volunteers to go through all the facilities to
> look for him as there is no centralized data base
> for evacuees, and the volunteers were able to
> reunite the couple.
>
> A custodian woman at the medical center told Jaya a
> four year old girl was almost raped behind the
> medical center but the man was caught and sent to
> jail today. She said people express fear of sleeping
> and keep waking up at night to make sure they are
> not under water. She also said that many people have
> discussions about the politics of the whole
> situation and that many feel that the flood was
> caused on purpose by the police who were retaliating
> after a white police officer was shot in New Orleans
> the night before. She also said many people
> expressed that right after the hurricane the store
> owners were opening their stores and letting people
> get supplies but in the news it was all only
> depicted as pure looting. Oprah Winfrey, Barack
> Obama, Jaime Fox, and Sean Penn all came for tours
> today and yesterday and are donating money. She also
> said she sees the police sitting around all day
> eating the food and not helping the people.
>
> An old man in a wheelchair¡¦s arm was broken last
> night because someone beat him because he was
> accused of urinating on him. The man got medical
> treatment, and the other guy got sent to jail.
>
> There is definitely an alarming lack of organization
> but we have found that if you direct people to
> needed positions and tasks they will do it, even
> those in uniform. Everyone seems to be looking for a
> leader. We both feel blessed, guided, helped, and
> empowered by our creator to have taken a part in
> constructing the reception area and being able to
> talk with people about their experiences before
> getting to the shelter, and being able to make sure
> they don¡¦t fall through the cracks upon arrival. We
> are now working on keeping in contact with
> individuals we¡¦ve connected with to determine
> future needs, rather than organizations soliciting
> donations. We have found local churches and
> community organizations doing good work, but we feel
> the money needs to be in people¡¦s hands rather then
> in red tape. Although much of what we report is
> negative, the overall feel of the area is mellow,
> people are reforming communities, helping themselves
> and each other, and the place is clean enough,
> vibrant, and full of hope. People¡¦s different
> faiths have been strengthened and tested, faith has
> been a common topic of conversation, and has been a
> unifying force here. We thank everyone who helps us
> and many people thank and bless us for the smallest
> things. Many people inside the dome just want to
> feel safe and are actively working to rebuild their
> lives, and many people from all places and
> professions really care about everyone there.
>
>
>
> This is what happens step by step at the
> Astrodome¡KIf you were a person arriving for
> shelter¡K
>
> Get searched by at least 30 state and federal
> police with 10 gallon cowboy hats and boots,
> fatigues, bright badges, sunglasses, and guns.
> DMAT squirts hand sanitizer on your hands and
> bombards you with questions for emergency medical
> care
> Volunteers register you and ask more questions to
> place you in one of the stadiums by a color coded
> bracelet
> Walk through supply area and get food, clothes,
> and baby products
> Wait in area to be taken to shelter, while
> different people squabble about where to take you
> This is where things get chaotic. There is not
> system for making sure people get led to the clinic
> or sleeping area, but next stop should be to medical
> area.
> Once medical is cleared you are either left to
> figure out on your own where to sleep or a volunteer
> or Red Cross person helps you find an empty cot and
> some blankets. Last night tetanus shots were
> mandatory, today they weren¡¦t, tomorrow no se.
> Then you are free to search for loved ones and
> other services, or leave the dome and come back, but
> it is all on your own initiative to figure out
> what¡¦s going on and what¡¦s available for you.
>
> From Houston Texas and the Astrodome, much love,
> Patty and Jaya.
>
>
>
> To contact Patty and Jaya, you can text message Jaya
> at (415) 401-5436 ( but don't waste her minutes
> cause she's using them for folks to contact their
> relatives). To send monetary donatations to them to
> distribute or help out at all holla at Nancy (415)
> 261-1367 nancypili [at] yahoo.com.
>
Yeah they left us here to die some did and some did not they plan back fired on they ass and as for calling us refugees u have a nerve I'm a tax paying citizens and was a register voter that's just y I don't vote no more and they will pay for the damage they caused.
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