“An old man in a chaise lounge lay dead in a grassy median as hungry babies wailed around him. Around the corner, an elderly woman lay dead in her wheelchair, covered up by a blanket, and another body lay beside her wrapped in a sheet…”
Sounds like a bad horror movie, but it’s actually an even more horrific reality for the people of New Orleans. This article details the current despair in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I don’t know whether the article is accurately reporting the event or sensationalizing the situation, but when reading about it and watching reports on the news, it all seems like a movie (and it probably will be soon; Hollywood’s probably already on it).
The shock hadn’t really settled in for me until recently. I thought: “Oh another hurricane, property damaged, people dying like everywhere else in the world, happens all the time.” Becaus I’m not experiencing it and because I live so far from it, I feel disconnected. And maybe it’s me, but not many people in California seem to care about what is going on except for how the damaged oil refineries are going to raise gas prices.
The people aren’t receiving enough aid from the city or federal government and are turning against each other. There are people being raped, people rioting, looting, attacking the national guard. At a time like this, shouldn’t the people unite? I just dont’ understand how a man could capitalize on another person’s suffering. The military had to be sent in to restore order, and even that’s not helping.
We send help overseas, let’s help our own people out for a change.
Right then, I’ve been glued to the news all day today, and now I officially have absolutely no clue as to what’s going on. Zero. I mean, it’s a hurricane. They get lots of hurricanes in the south. It’s like a light sprinkle to them. But this has gotten insane and scary and weird.
The latest is that the Astrodome is turning away people. I don’t understand why we still have refugees–and the idea of American refugees is full-on shocking–stepping over dead bodies and going without food and water.
This is America, the richest, meanest, most bad-ass country ever. How hard can it be to get these folks out of there? Send a boat. Send 50 boats. Rent the QEII. We can afford it. What the hell is going on?
Latasha Currell
is a contributor on this blog. I am a friend of hers. Last I heard, she was in New Orleans. I have not heard from her, and I am not sure she is safe. If anyone on this blog gets word from her somehow, please contact me at jaskart@yahoo.com
We can send 200+ Billion to Iraq to fight a war based on lies and assumptions.
Meanwhile our citizens lay dying in the flooded streets of New Orleans.
The utter failure of this government starts at the desk of George W. Bush and rolls downhill from there.
9/11 should have taught us the lessons of preparedness. Obviously it has not.
Heads need to roll….
Do great minds think alike? I also likened New Orleans to that fabulous 80s movie, Escape from New York, on my Sept. 2nd post.
Hi I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know I really enjoyed
Be prepared for the next hurricane katrina victim or find another one that’s similar. As the Boy Scouts say: “Be Prepared”!