COMMENTS

Two days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Walgreen's store
at the corner of Royal and Iberville streets remained locked. The dairy
display case was clearly visible through the widows. It was now 48 hours
without electricity, running water, plumbing. The milk, yogurt, and
cheeses were beginning to spoil in the 90-degree heat. The owners and
managers had locked up the food, water, pampers, and prescriptions and
fled the City. Outside Walgreen's windows, residents and tourists grew
increasingly thirsty and hungry.

The much-promised federal, state and local aid never materialized and the
windows at Walgreen's gave way to the looters. There was an alternative.
The cops could have broken one small window and distributed the nuts,
fruit juices, and bottle water in an organized and systematic manner. But
they did not. Instead they spent hours playing cat and mouse, temporarily
chasing away the looters.

We were finally airlifted out of New Orleans two days ago and arrived
home yesterday (Saturday). We have yet to see any of the TV coverage or
look at a newspaper. We are willing to guess that there were no video
images or front-page pictures of European or affluent white tourists
looting the Walgreen's in the French Quarter.

We also suspect the media will have been inundated with "hero" images of
the National Guard, the troops and the police struggling to help the
"victims" of the Hurricane. What you will not see, but what we witnessed,
were the real heroes and sheroes of the hurricane relief effort: the
working class of New Orleans. The maintenance workers who used a fork
lift to carry the sick and disabled. The engineers, who rigged, nurtured
and kept the generators running. The electricians who improvised thick
extension cords stretching over blocks to share the little electricity we
had in order to free cars stuck on rooftop parking lots. Nurses who took
over for mechanical ventilators and spent many hours on end manually
forcing air into the lungs of unconscious patients to keep them alive.
Doormen who rescued folks stuck in elevators. Refinery workers who broke
into boat yards, "stealing" boats to rescue their neighbors clinging to
their roofs in flood waters. Mechanics who helped hot-wire any car that
could be found to ferry people out of the City. And the food service
workers who scoured the commercial kitchens improvising communal meals
for hundreds of those stranded. Most of these workers had lost their
homes, and had not heard from members of their families, yet they stayed
and provided the only infrastructure for the 20% of New Orleans that was
not under water.

On Day 2, there were approximately 500 of us left in the hotels in the
French Quarter. We were a mix of foreign tourists, conference attendees
like ourselves, and locals who had checked into hotels for safety and
shelter from Katrina. Some of us had cell phone contact with family and
friends outside of New Orleans. We were repeatedly told that all sorts of
resources including the National Guard and scores of buses were pouring
in to the City. The buses and the other resources must have been
invisible because none of us had seen them.

We decided we had to save ourselves. So we pooled our money and came up
with ,000 to have ten buses come and take us out of the City. Those
who did not have the requisite .00 for a ticket were subsidized by
those who did have extra money. We waited for 48 hours for the buses,
spending the last 12 hours standing outside, sharing the limited water,
food, and clothes we had. We created a priority boarding area for the
sick, elderly and new born babies. We waited
late into the night for the "imminent" arrival of the buses. The buses
never arrived. We later learned that the minute the arrived at the City
limits, they were commandeered by the military.

By day 4 our hotels had run out of fuel and water. Sanitation was
dangerously abysmal. As the desperation and despair increased, street
crime as well as water levels began to rise. The hotels turned us out and
locked their doors, telling us that the "officials" told us to report to
the convention center to wait for more buses. As we entered the center of
the City, we finally encountered the National Guard. The Guards told us
we would not be allowed into the Superdome as the City's primary shelter
had descended into a humanitarian and health hellhole. The guards further
told us that the City's only other shelter, the Convention Center, was
also descending into chaos and squalor and that the police were not
allowing anyone else in. Quite naturally, we asked, "If we can't go to
the only 2 shelters in the City, what was our alternative?" The guards
told us that was our problem, and no they did not have extra water to
give to us. This would be the start of our numerous encounters with
callous and hostile "law enforcement".

We walked to the police command center at Harrah's on Canal Street and
were told the same thing, that we were on our own, and no they did not
have water to give us. We now numbered several hundred. We held a mass
meeting to decide a course of action. We agreed to camp outside the
police command post. We would be plainly visible to the media and would
constitute a highly visible embarrassment to the City officials. The
police told us that we could not stay.

Regardless, we began to settle in and set up camp. In short order, the
police commander came across the street to address our group. He told us
he had a solution: we should walk to the Pontchartrain Expressway and
cross the greater New Orleans Bridge where the police had buses lined up
to take us out of the City. The crowd cheered and began to move. We
called everyone back and explained to the commander that there had been
lots of misinformation and wrong information and was he sure that there
were buses waiting for us. The commander turned to the crowd and stated
emphatically, "I swear to you that the buses are there."

We organized ourselves and the 200 of us set off for the bridge with
great excitement and hope. As we marched past the convention center, many
locals saw our determined and optimistic group and asked where we were
headed. We told them about the great news. Families immediately grabbed
their few belongings and quickly our numbers doubled and then doubled
again. Babies in strollers now joined us, people using crutches, elderly
clasping walkers and others people in wheelchairs. We marched the 2-3
miles to the freeway and up the steep incline to the Bridge. It now began
to pour down rain, but it did not dampen our
enthusiasm.

As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across
the foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began
firing their weapons over our heads. This sent the crowd fleeing in
various directions. As the crowd scattered and dissipated, a few of us
inched forward and managed to engage some of the sheriffs in
conversation. We told them of our conversation with the police commander
and of the commander's assurances. The sheriffs informed us there were no
buses waiting. The commander had lied to us to get us to move.

We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge anyway, especially as
there was little traffic on the 6-lane highway. They responded that the
West Bank was not going to become New Orleans and there would be no
Superdomes in their City. These were code words for if you are poor and
black, you are not crossing the Mississippi River and you were not
getting out of New Orleans.

Our small group retreated back down Highway 90 to seek shelter from the
rain under an overpass. We debated our options and in the end decided to
build an encampment in the middle of the Ponchartrain Expressway on the
center divide, between the O'Keefe and Tchoupitoulas exits. We reasoned
we would be visible to everyone, we would have some security being on an
elevated freeway and we could wait and watch for the arrival of the yet
to be seen buses.

All day long, we saw other families, individuals and groups make the same
trip up the incline in an attempt to cross the bridge, only to be turned
away. Some chased away with gunfire, others simply told no, others to be
verbally berated and humiliated. Thousands of New Orleaners were
prevented and prohibited from self-evacuating the City on foot.

Meanwhile, the only two City shelters sank further into squalor and
disrepair. The only way across the bridge was by vehicle. We saw workers
stealing trucks, buses, moving vans, semi-trucks and any car that could
be hotwired. All were packed with people trying to escape the misery New
Orleans had become.

Our little encampment began to blossom. Someone stole a water delivery
truck and brought it up to us. Let's hear it for looting! A mile or so
down the freeway, an army truck lost a couple of pallets of C-rations on
a tight turn. We ferried the food back to our camp in shopping carts.

Now secure with the two necessities, food and water; cooperation,
community, and creativity flowered. We organized a clean up and hung
garbage bags from the rebar poles. We made beds from wood pallets and
cardboard. We designated a storm drain as the bathroom and the kids built
an elaborate enclosure for privacy out of plastic, broken umbrellas, and
other scraps. We even organized a food recycling system where individuals
could swap out parts of C-rations (applesauce for babies and candies for
kids!).

This was a process we saw repeatedly in the aftermath of Katrina. When
individuals had to fight to find food or water, it meant looking out for
yourself only. You had to do whatever it took to find water for your kids
or food for your parents. When these basic needs were met, people began
to look out for each other, working together and constructing a
community.

If the relief organizations had saturated the City with food and water in
the first 2 or 3 days, the desperation, the frustration and the ugliness
would not have set in. Flush with the necessities, we offered food and
water to passing families and individuals. Many decided to stay and join
us. Our encampment grew to 80 or 90 people.

>From a woman with a battery powered radio we learned that the media was
talking about us. Up in full view on the freeway, every relief and news
organizations saw us on their way into the City. Officials were being
asked what they were going to do about all those families living up on
the freeway? The officials responded they were going to take care of us.
Some of us got a sinking feeling. "Taking care of us" had an ominous tone
to it.

Unfortunately, our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City) was
correct. Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up, jumped out of
his patrol vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces, screaming, "Get off the
...ing freeway". A helicopter arrived and used the wind from its blades
to blow away our flimsy structures. As we retreated, the sheriff loaded
up his truck with our food and water. Once again, at gunpoint, we were
forced off the freeway. All the law enforcement agencies appeared
threatened when we congregated or congealed into groups of 20 or more. In
every congregation of "victims" they saw "mob" or "riot". We felt safety
in numbers. Our "we must stay together" was impossible because the
agencies would force us into small atomized groups.

In the pandemonium of having our camp raided and destroyed, we scattered
once again. Reduced to a small group of 8 people, in the dark, we sought
refuge in an abandoned school bus, under the freeway on Cilo Street. We
were hiding from possible criminal elements but equally and definitely,
we were hiding from the police and sheriffs with their martial law,
curfew and shoot-to-kill policies.

The next days, our group of 8 walked most of the day, made contact with
New Orleans Fire Department and were eventually airlifted out by an urban
search and rescue team. We were dropped off near the airport and managed
to catch a ride with the National Guard. The two young guardsmen
apologized for the limited response of the Louisiana guards. They
explained that a large section of their unit was in Iraq and that meant
they were shorthanded and were unable to omplete all the tasks they were
assigned.

We arrived at the airport on the day a massive airlift had begun. The
airport had become another Superdome. We 8 were caught in a press of
humanity as flights were delayed for several hours while George Bush
landed briefly at the airport for a photo op. After being evacuated on a
coast guard cargo plane, we arrived in San Antonio, Texas.

There the humiliation and dehumanization of the official relief effort
continued. We were placed on buses and driven to a large field where we
were forced to sit for hours and hours. Some of the buses did not have
air-conditioners. In the dark, hundreds if us were forced to share two
filthy overflowing porta-potties. Those who managed to make it out with
any possessions (often a few belongings in tattered plastic bags) we were
subjected to two different dog-sniffing searches.

Most of us had not eaten all day because our C-rations had been
confiscated at the airport because the rations set off the metal
detectors. Yet, no food had been provided to the men, women, children,
elderly, disabled as they sat for hours waiting to be "medically
screened" to make sure we were not carrying any communicable diseases.

This official treatment was in sharp contrast to the warm, heart-felt
reception given to us by the ordinary Texans. We saw one airline worker
give her shoes to someone who was barefoot. Strangers on the street
offered us money and toiletries with words of welcome. Throughout, the
official relief effort was callous, inept, and racist. There was more
suffering than need be. Lives were lost that did not need to be lost.

Lyn H. Lofland
Research Professor
Department of Sociology University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, California 95616 USA
Telephone: 530-756-8699/752-1585
FAX: 530-752-0783
e-mail: lhlofland#ucdavis.edu

We all have seen and heard more than we can take on the Hurricane that hit the southen states of this great nation, wiping out homes, businesses, life in general. We call the living in the aftermath of this devistation and destruction~ SURVIVORS. (I'm so totally AGAINST the term refugees!) And indeed, they are survivors. We have always viewed the term 'survivor' as those lucky and fortunate to survive. Yet this opens a questions in my mind. (Sorry Folks....she's thinkin again!)

Thousands of families are displaced, homeless, jobless, business-less and worse. Some are now finding temporary shelter and apts, homes, and will be out, after relocating to already hard hit American cities, to look for gainful employment to begin again. The big question on MY MIND, (please, don't go there) is where will ANYONE find employment in this day and age in America????? Let alone be it someone that has been relocated to a particular area unfamiliar? Without documents to prove experience, schooling, even citizenship? Identity? Age?

We, the 'normal everyday working from pay check to pay check American citizen' KNOW that the employment field is not exactly PRIME FOR HIRING. Now what happens when all the displaced Americans come into an already city with large unemployment status seeking jobs? And we are to think that America can handle this? Just absorb all the people without housing, without food, without clothes, without employment when we already have those exact same issues within our cities NOW, without adding to it the survivors from the south?

I am not against the American people displaced and suffering who survived this tremendous tragedy. I am AGAINST the American Government sending so much work to overseas countries that the jobs just ARE NOT IN AMERICA ANYMORE! And now we are adding more people to the already overcrowded list of 'seeking employment'. One of the MAIN THOUGHTS MUST BE, RETURN TO AMERICA, AMERICAN WORK! Doesn't it? What are any of us supposed to do, even with the handouts of the disaster, if no one can FIND EMPLOYMENT? The government disaster services and hand outs is not going to continue forever! The American Government already dismisses and closes it's perverbial eyes to those less fortunate. Now what will they do that the numbers of "poor and unfortunates" have increased by the thousands??? Can they, Will they, continue to ignor the wants, needs of American Society? Unfortunately, I'm AFRAID that the answer is 'yes'.

Does no one see now, AMERICA IS IN CRISIS?? ALL OF AMERICA?? ALL AMERICAN PEOPLE??

America and it's government are running in 'self destruct' mode and NO ONE IS NOTICING! LET ALONE NOT NOTICING, NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE!! When will we start caring? Not just you or me, but EVERYONE?? Help MUST begin at home! We MUST start taking care of Americans and our nation. We MUST or we shall ALL suffer and die. AMERICA IS SELF DESTRUCTING. WE DON'T NEED TERRORISTS NOR ACTS OF MOTHER NATURE. FOR WE ARE SURELY KILLING OURSELVES OFF NOW.....

Yes, we MUST care about other human beings in other nations, in ALL NATIONS. But if we do not START with rebuilding THIS NATION, not just New Orleans or the southern states, then there will soon be no reason to rebuild anything, anywhere.

We MUST rebuild America, the American People, then help, aid and assist the others as they should be doing in their own Nations. HELP MUST START IN THE HOMELAND, FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE HOMELAND, whatever that homeland might be, America, Africa, Asia, Iraq, whatever!; and carry on from there. Mr. Bush, Government Officials, Americans, isn't it time to HELP THE HOMELAND and THEN help the Nations and Peoples of the world? What will we have to offer all these other impoverished and needing lands if we allow America to fall to ruin? To fall to poverty? To fall to unemployed with our businesses going overseas to save the precious penny that OUR NATION AND OUR PEOPLE NEED to survive? What good will that penny be when America ceases to be?

Stepping off the soap box. Still not understanding....probably never will.

Cheryl Ford RN

My day talking to the survivors of Katrina

Wed Sep 14, 2005 15:57

64.140.158.100

September 13, 2005

Dear Friends,
Today, I spent approximately 5 hours on the phone volunteering my time with the Katrina Caravan; a volunteer organization created by a wonderful group of concerned citizens wanting to help with out- of- state transportation for those who were left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

I spoke to many Katrina survivors and listened carefully as they each told me their frightening stories about what they have been through over these last two weeks. I cannot even begin to imagine how they are emotionally holding up, let alone, how they are capable of dialing a phone and asking for help, whilst still living in loud, crowded conditions and what sounded like utter chaos in the background. Many survivors are still in the Astrodome. Some have been separated from their families and are living in different shelters. Others are in hospitals or held up in airports not knowing what tomorrow will bring. What I ascertained, is that there are still hundreds, if not thousands, who are still seeking host families who will take them into their homes until they can financially become reestablished.

I volunteer as an intake coordinator for transportation. Consequently, one of the questions I have to ask of the evacuees is, how many bags of luggage or belongings they will be transporting with them. Essentially, they have nothing.....nothing at all! Despite only having the clothes on their backs, and maybe a bag or two, each and every one of them were all so courteous and thankful for my time and for anything the Katrina Caravan could do for them. I could hear their fears of the unknown, but more importantly, I could hear how many have faith in God, and how God's love was protecting and embracing them.

Regretfully, many of them recounted stories of being turned away by the Red Cross and FEMA. The numerous complaints I heard today about the Red Cross were all consistent. The tales of the untenable encounters the survivors were having with these two organizations was quite frankly, more then I had wanted to hear. It appeared that if they were fortunate enough to even get through to FEMA or the Red Cross people, they were given the run around and eventually either denied the help they needed, or not given any confirmation if, or when, help would be given to them. With regard to all the millions of dollars I have heard the Red Cross recently collected, I was disappointed when hearing from the survivors that their immediate and urgent needs were not being acknowledged. None of the people who survived Katrina were asking for much. After two weeks of being herded around like cattle, they were focused on obtaining help to connect with their lost families, transportation, prescription medications, and the minimum assistance required for them to have a place to reside while seeking new employment and the opportunity of rebuilding a home.

I might add, how I was also surprised when I had received four calls while on my shift, from the American Red Cross asking for Katrina Caravan, (a volunteer group of citizens organized for the survivors of Katrina needing rides to other states, and who have been given none of the financial resources available to them that the Red Cross has been given) to provide local rides to the people at the Astrodome, to such places as the DMV in Houston. I could not help but to wonder why the Red Cross wasn't using some of the millions of dollars donated to them to have shuttles already available to the people at the Astrodome who are in need of local rides.

On a more personal note...last year when Hurricane Charley hit Port Charlotte, Florida, I had decided to rent a 17 foot u-haul truck and fill it with goods and drive into the devastated and less populated areas. Before I had departed into the areas of devastation, I was warned that my safety might be in jeopardy because the people in their desperation might become rowdy and storm the truck all at once. I decided to ignore the warnings and instead allow God to decide my fate when on my Hurricane Charley mission. The areas I encountered in Arcadia, Wachula and Zolpho Springs, Florida were indeed devastated from the hurricane. Hundreds were homeless, but not in the high numbers like the people left homeless from Katrina. I had come across people standing in front of their splintered homes, picking up clothing that was literally strewn all over the land. What I saw and heard from the survivors of Hurricane Charley was similar to what I heard today from those who survived the Katrina hurricane. Despite the shock, they were all kind, humble, grateful, and very patient. Most of all, they were as equally worried over their fellow neighbors, as they were of their own plight.

I will be volunteering three days a week from here on in. I must convey that hearing the stories of the survivors is very heart wrenching, however, I could not think about wanting to be doing anything else with my life right now other then trying to help these people. They are in such desperate need of help from fellow citizens.

The phones ring off the hook the entire time I am on call. The need is still great in the areas that were hit by Katrina. By writing this email to you, I am hoping that you will consider volunteering your time in some way to the citizens who were harmed by Katrina, and will remember to tell others how much their prayers are still needed. To volunteer with the Katrina Caravan contact Annie at hobbledog@yahoo.com

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am heading off to bed now so I am prepared for another day with the Katrina Caravan tomorrow.

Good Night All!
Cheryl Ford RN
http://www.Fight4Terri.com

Cheryl Ford, RN (www.Fight4Terri.com) is not affiliated with any other group and works to protect the rights of the disabled community.

NOW, Georgie Porgie, you see just how strong and determined Americans can be; the response and uprising to help fellow Americans has been WONDERFUL!!!!!! The military taking into their own hands has been BEAUTIFUL!!!! Americans going there has been MAGNIFICANT!!!!

SO, do you really want to continue this senseless battle for evil control against spiritually strong, caring, and wonderful American citizens? This is a battle between Good and Evil and you sir, are the Evil and you will loose!!! We don't have to turn to revolution to win; we just have to keep our spirituality and let it grow to overcome Evil doers such as yourself and your followers and leaders.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, BUT you can't fool all of the people all of the time; think about it, George; there's a message in there JUST for you and your cronies who wish to ruin, kill, destroy and mame this country and us TRUE Americans!!! How do you sleep at night---miserably I hope.

Next we will begin warning the public about San Francisco and your plans to cause havoc there; they will be ready and they will not need your sorry ass FEMA and heartless Brown and Chartoff (both definitely are dangerous and need to be pink slipped from their positions).

You have made us all VERY VERY angry with the way you allowed the people to suffer and die needlessly in New Orleans and NOTHING in this entire world that is more difficult to deal with than an ANGRY, TRUE AMERICAN (play Toby Keith's "Angry American" and REALLY listen to the words). I cried and cried and many times had to change the tv channel because I just couldn't watch what was going on.

Us TRUE AMERICANS love this country, it's Constitution, what America stands for and represents and NO ONE will ever compromise this--not you, your cronies, the US Supreme Court and it's outlandish decisions; I could go on and on, but I think I have expressed myself quite enough and will stop here.

Geraldo said today on FOX news that "Katrina was a 'practice run' for a nuclear attack on a city." You "failed" didn't you!!! But, of course, that was your goal, wasn't it; to see how long people would take to die, could live in such horrible environment before becoming disorderly and angry. Well, that part of the "test" you won; but the survival part you lost because WE CAME TO THE AID OF OUR AMERICANS!!!!

You have totally lost the support of this nation, the world and probably the universe. What are your ratings now? -0 I hope.

Please realize people in this nation are waking up to what is going on and it will be a very tough fight between Good and Evil and Good will overcome--plan on it.

Have a very miserable minute, hour, day, week, month and rest of your life,

An Original Texas (from birth to age 51 yrs.) citizen who has never been a supporter for ANY Bush, period.

The gestapo CHPs in the video above should be tried and imprisoned or shot for treason and human rights violations, along with the politicians who ordered them to forcibly "evacuate" and disarm decent citizens.

You know..when our country is in great need such as now...Hubby and I
just sit and think...where the heck is the help from our Military when we
need it? I tell ya...they are over saving other countries and on stand by
Just in case". Oh come on..they keep saying theres a back up of Guys and
gals on a list to be deployed...cuz their just not needed right now..well...
.why don't they send them over to help these people out....? Don't get me
wronge...Its great that we can help other people out...but look at our own
country...alot of kids can't go to college because the parents can't afford
it...but ohhhh they can bring kids from other countries over and pay for it.
.but they can't help our kids..Geezz...bring our guys home to help US out!!!
I know they are sending some ships over but they can't get in there to get
the people out..they can only take them out a little at a time...by then
those people will be dead. Yeah they were told to get out..and like they say
.alot of them didn't have gas or a car or elderly. Then theres some that
just stay and think they are goin to ride it out. Whats up with that..."Get
Real People" Better safe then sorry, I say. Anyway...its heart renching to
see this happen, especailly when I think of the kids and elderly people and
the sick. Lord help them. I guess all we can do is pray for them. Sorry..had
to get that off my chest...it just ticks me off how this country is ran
sometimes. Have a good day all..

Welcome to Bush's America; where the uber-rich can expect lavish tax cuts and the huddled masses get a 3 day lock-up at the Superdome; where the government redirects desperately-needed resources to the oil wars in Mesopatamia and entire regions disappear beneath the flood-waters at home.
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