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Posted by: DJ_Donkey Aug 28 2005, 08:10 PM
As most of you know, there's a hurricane coming our way. It's a strong category 5 hurricane. The max I've seen with this storm was 190mph. It might have went down but it's still a cat 5.
I'm in Houston right now.
New Orleans is totally fucked. We're already below sea level and the landscape is like a bowl.
I hope we have a home to go home to...
Those jacked in the Matrix, do the rang-rang dance for me haha.
Posted by: Woe Aug 28 2005, 08:38 PM
be safe man, good luck weathering the storm
batten down the hatches!
Posted by: Bryn Aug 28 2005, 11:56 PM
| QUOTE (DJ_Donkey @ Aug 28 2005, 08:10 PM) |
| Those jacked in the Matrix, do the rang-rang dance for me haha. |
Done and done. Many rang-rang dances were done in your honor.
Glad to see you're somewhere safe. Here's hoping it loses some steam before hitting land.
Posted by: Dive Aug 29 2005, 12:25 AM
Yea I been monitoring this on the news all day, they are using the Superdome as a refuge. Glad to hear you are away from the danger.
Posted by: Wiryu Aug 29 2005, 02:37 AM
Glad to hear you're in a safe place. Good luck to you donkey.
Posted by: Ellianna Aug 29 2005, 05:42 AM
damn, i can honestly say i know what you're going through since i'm in fl. Katrina was the cause of 9 deaths in fl when it came through as a catagory 1, i can only imagine the dmg they're gonna have in in Louisiana. Hope you guys are safe!
Posted by: DarkEpyon Aug 29 2005, 06:06 AM
Take care and be safe my friend. Like Dive, I too have been watching this thing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, in addition to everyone else in the same situation.
Posted by: unitself Aug 29 2005, 07:45 AM
This hurricane sounds like a bad one. As of 8am (cst) this morning, things were not looking so well for the Superdome. I hope you are not one of those people held up in there, but better in there than waiting it out in your house. Living in Texas, I have been thru several hurricaine and even the small ones are really powerful and quite scary.
Be safe, my friend.
Posted by: Riel Aug 29 2005, 11:43 AM
They downgraded it to a 4 this morning,but still it might hit pretty hard....hope everything turns ok DJ.
Posted by: DarkEpyon Aug 29 2005, 12:13 PM
At the moment, it's a cat2.
Posted by: HC82 Aug 29 2005, 02:50 PM
Hopefully everything turns out ok for you, man. It's good to see that you're in a sheltered location.
Posted by: DivA Aug 29 2005, 07:49 PM
| QUOTE (DJ_Donkey @ Aug 28 2005, 08:10 PM) |
| As most of you know, there's a hurricane coming our way. It's a strong category 5 hurricane. The max I've seen with this storm was 190mph. It might have went down but it's still a cat 5. I'm in Houston right now. New Orleans is totally fucked. We're already below sea level and the landscape is like a bowl. I hope we have a home to go home to... Those jacked in the Matrix, do the rang-rang dance for me haha. |
many blessings for good fortunes, dj...in this i can relate very well; living in the tropics for the past year (until recently..) placed my family in direct paths to hurricanes that sped west from Africa...my family & i were hit by the outer rims of several hurricanes, & even that managed to tear up the place pretty good......no electricity, nor water & non-stop pouring of rain & wind for 2+ days is not a pleasure ride by any means...something i wouldn't wish unto anyone.. though it can be an awesome sight at a distance, pray it stays as that ~ distance..
...
again, many blessings in hope for speedy recovery..
Posted by: DJ_Donkey Aug 30 2005, 01:44 AM
I'm in Baton Rouge at this time. They're not letting us into the city till next Monday. I personally have no idea what damage was done in our neck of the woods. I only seen some videos from the city. Seems to be pretty bad judging what was said on the radio on the ride to Baton Rouge from Houston.
Posted by: DarkEpyon Aug 30 2005, 04:39 AM
Hopefully your place didn't sustain TOO much damage. Just be prepared to clean up after that thing for a while.
Posted by: Dive Aug 31 2005, 02:31 AM
Oh man New Orleans is pretty messed up. I wish you and your family the best.
Let me know if you need anything.
edit: Here is a whole bunch of information I gleaned from another site. Hopefully this will help out some.
http://flhurricane.com/
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Louisiana
According to officials nearly one million people were temporarily without electricity in Louisiana for several hours. Currently, 800,000 are without electricity. Numerous roadways are flooded or damaged and many evacuations are being conducted by boat and helicopter.
The Sheriff of Jefferson Parish reported through WDSU that he expects his district to remain uninhabitable for at least the coming week and that residents should not return to the area. Incidents of looting have been reported throughout affected areas of Louisiana, most notably in New Orleans. Lousiana governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has ordered all roadways into the state closed, as reported by WDSU TV.
Currently some 7,500 National Guardsmen are en route to New Orleans as part of the disaster relief effort. The United States Navy has also annouced that four amphibious ships will be dispatched from Norfolk, Virginia sometime in the next few days to assist with the relief efforts.
[edit]
New Orleans
Main article: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
Eighty percent of New Orleans is now flooded, with some parts of the city under 20 feet of water. Two levees were breached, including the 17th Street Canal levee. In an earlier report, three people died of dehydration during the evacuation phase and another two died at the Superdome. [11]. There has been no other update of casualties since. Many refugees are trapped in flooded houses and rooftops waiting to be rescued. On August 30, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco ordered the complete evacuation of the city of New Orleans, including the thousands of people seeking shelter in the Superdome. [12] Shortly after 8:00PM CDT, New Orleans Mayor C Ray Nagin confirmed on WWL-TV that pumping station 6 at the 17th St. Canal Levee, which had been partially offsetting the levee breach at that location, had indeed failed. He suggested that people take refuge in a second story and discouraged more people from going to the Superdome.
[edit]
Jefferson Parish
As of 9:35 a.m. on August 30, residents of Jefferson Parish who have ID proving they live in the parish will be allowed to return to their homes to retrieve essentials in about a week, but will then be required to leave the parish for another month. The failed attempt to repair the 17th street Canal levee will likely cause additional flooding in the parish.
[edit]
Terrebonne Parish
In Terrebonne Parish, signs, trees, roofs and utility poles suffered the brunt of Hurricane Katrina's fury when the storm roared across Terrebonne and Lafourche [13].
[edit]
Plaquemines Parish
On 29 August, the President of Plaquemines Parish Benny Rousselle issued the following statement: "Do not return to the parish until further notice. There are no public services available and all roads are closed and impassable at this time. Parish President Benny Rousselle has requested that only employees in Drainage, Heavy Equipment, Public Right-of-Way Maintenance and Solid Waste Departments return to the parish if possible" [14].
As of 9:35 a.m. on August 30, Plaquemines Parish is under martial law [15].
Reports from various sources confirm that the southern part of this parish has been "reclaimed" by the Mississippi River.
[edit]
St. Bernard Parish
At 3PM, August 29, in St. Bernard Parish, approximately 150 people were sighted on rooftops in areas that were under approximately 8-10 feet (perhaps more) of water. Among those on the roofs was a WDSU reporter and St. Bernard resident on a Government Complex rooftop. Search and rescue teams are being dispensed to these areas. Presently no deaths have been reported [16].
[edit]
Mississippi
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials have also recorded deaths in Hinds, Warren, and Leake counties. About 800,000 people are suffering power outages in Mississippi according to the Clarion Ledger. This is almost a third of the population. Rescuers are now reaching and saving residents from rooftops [17].
[edit]
Hancock County
Limited information is coming out of Hancock County. Sporadic reports from citizen journalists are posted at WLOX-TV [18].
The Clarion-Ledger reports the bridge between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian is out. The roads in Pass Christian are filled with rubble. Casinos were ripped from their moorings and pushed inalnd. Destruction was heavy to residences and businesses. Some looting reported. [19].
[edit]
Harrison County
Harrison County, Mississippi was hit particularly hard by the hurricane and the storm surge. Its two coastal cities, Biloxi and Gulfport suffered severe damages and many casualties were reported.
In the city of Biloxi, Mississippi widespread damage was reported as several of the city's attractions were destroyed. Various restaurants have been destroyed in addition to news that several casino barges had been pulled out of the water and onto land [20]. In addition, most of the currently reported deaths (as of 6am CDT, the total death toll is 55) occurred in Biloxi. Residents that survived Hurricane Camille state that Katrina was "much worse," with storm surge reportedly reaching further inland than the previous catastrophic storm.
Four people are confirmed dead due to fallen trees. Jim Pollard, spokesman for the Harrison County emergency operations center, said there were 54 deaths in Harrison County, Mississippi, Thirty of those confirmed deaths in Harrison County were at the St. Charles apartment complex, near the beach in casino resort town of Biloxi, said Kelly Jakubic with the county's Emergency Operations Center [21] [22]. The apartment complex was reported, by local news sources, to have collapsed with dozens of residents inside. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said that there were reports of 50 to 80 fatalities in Harrison County. [23] A spokeman for the Biloxi city, Vincent Creel, said that hundreds may have been killed when a 30-foot (9 metre) storm surge came ashore. [24]
Initial assessments at Keesler Air Force Base, located in Biloxi, indicate extensive damage, however there do not appear to be any fatalities of base personnel and their dependents who rode out the storm in shelters on base. As well, the pet shelter remained in good shape.
Interstate 10 between Gulfport and Biloxi is impassible due to debris in the vicinity of Biloxi River.
As of 5 PM 8/30, the following roads are closed until crews can clean the area [25]:
* Interstate 10 and Highway 90 from the Lousiana state border to the Alabama state border;
* Highway 49 from Jackson to Gulfport, Mississippi;
* Interstate 59 from Meridian to Picayune;
* Highway 63 from Lucedale to Moss Point;
* Highway 607;
* Highway 84 from Collins to Alabama;
* Highway 98 from Mobile to Hattiesburg.
Helicopter video from WBLT http://www.wlbt.com/ confirms the Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge totally gone.
Mississippi newspapers are reporting that Beauvoir, the last home and Presidential Library of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, was totally destroyed. In addition to the home, the site also housed the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and was a Biloxi tourist attraction.
Authorities in Gulfport, Mississippi told CNN that 10 feet of water cover downtown streets [26]. An Armed Forces Retirement Facility within two blocks of the coastline was flooded on Monday, forcing patients, staff, and equipment to the upper floors. Additionally, three fire stations in the city reported various degrees of structural damage.
[edit]
Alabama
In Mobile, Alabama, Mobile Bay spilled into the downtown area to the depth of 2 to 3 feet. A flotel (floating habitat used by oil platform crews) broke loose of its moorings and slammed into the Cochrane Bridge.
Damage is quite heavy in coastal Alabama (similar to Hurricane Ivan in 2004), including significant structural damage. Even in the inland counties, some damage was reported - particularly related to fallen trees. [27]
More than 584,000 people are without power in Alabama.
Tornadoes have been reported near Brewton, Alabama.
Only two deaths have been reported in Alabama so far, both in a traffic accident related to Katrina.
[edit]
Florida
Damage to a mobile home in Davie, Florida following Katrina.
Enlarge
Damage to a mobile home in Davie, Florida following Katrina.
So far, 11 fatalities have been reported in Southern Florida, including three in Broward County, one in Miami-Dade County, and four in Miami [28]. A family of five feared dead was rescued by the United States Coast Guard [29]. Furthermore, more than 1 million customers were left without electricity [30], and damage in Florida was estimated at between $1 and $2 billion. The American Red Cross will be providing substantial support to those affected [31].
In addition, two traffic fatalities related to Katrina have been reported on the Florida Panhandle in Walton County. [32]
[edit]
Georgia
Western Georgia has been hit with bands of Hurricane Katrina resulting in heavy rains, damaging winds and several reports of tornadoes in Polk County, Heard County, and Carroll County. In Polk County, 3 homes were reported damaged by a tornado. At around 5 p.m. EDT, a fatal tornado in Carroll County resulted in the death of one person in a vehicle collision and caused damage to as many as 30 homes [33].
Severe weather has also been reported in northeastern Georgia, including tornadoes in White County and Hall County. In White County, a tornado struck the tourist town of Helen, ripping the top floor from an Econolodge hotel and damaging businesses at a nearby outlet mall. Thirty people were displaced by the storm, but no injuries were reported. In Hall County, several homes were reported damaged by a possible tornado in Lula [34].
According to WCTV in Tallahassee, a tornado in a feeder band moved through Decatur County to the west of Bainbridge in southwestern Georgia during the evening of 29 August 2005.
As of 4:00 p.m. EDT on August 30, 2005, tornado watches were still in effect through most of Georgia, as well as much of Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.
[edit]
Tennessee
Currently, at least 80,000 customers are without power in the Memphis and Nashville areas [35].
Some damage has been reported, primarily due to fallen trees. However, there have been no deaths or injuries reported in Tennessee as a result of Katrina.
[edit]
Kentucky
Significant flooding has been reported in the Hopkinsville area. Many homes have been flooded and in addition, part of Christian County High School, located just outside Hopkinsville, collapsed.
One person was killed in flood waters.
The Governor of Kentucky, Ernie Fletcher has declared Christian, Todd and Trigg counties disaster areas due to flooding. [36]
[edit]
West Virginia
Significant flooding has been reported in several communities, including Sissonville, forcing some local evacuations. [37]
[edit]
Potential effects further north
Despite being downgraded to a tropical depression, isolated tropical storm force wind gusts (and possibly sustained winds once extratropical) will continue much farther inland, likely through the Ohio Valley and the eastern Great Lakes region [38], even once Katrina becomes extratropical. Tornadoes remain a possibility along the entire track, primarily on the east and southeast sides of the storm center.
In addition, heavy rainfall (3 to 8 inches/75-200mm with local amounts exceeding 10 inches/250mm) could combine with locally saturated ground from summer storms to cause potentially severe to locally catastrophic flooding in the Ohio Valley region by early Wednesday, the eastern Great Lakes region by late Wednesday and eventually even parts of Quebec and western New England by Thursday. Some areas in those regions are under moderate drought conditions [39] and could use the extra rain; however, severe flooding is still possible depending on the rainfall amounts. One potential problem spot is Toronto, Ontario which had a major flooding event on August 19 which caused $100 million in damage, and Katrina could cause further problems [40]. In addition, along the western end of the Appalachians, mudslides are also possible due to the mountainous terrain.
Posted by: DarkEpyon Aug 31 2005, 09:21 AM
For a bit of humor, I give you http://www.illwillpress.com/kat.html
The cartoon squirrel hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Seriously though, if you can, hop on over to http://www.redcross.org and make a donation. I just did that myself. If it helps maybe feed a family of 3, I'll be happy.
Posted by: DJ_Donkey Aug 31 2005, 01:57 PM
| QUOTE (Dive @ Aug 31 2005, 02:31 AM) |
| The Sheriff of Jefferson Parish reported through WDSU that he expects his district to remain uninhabitable for at least the coming week and that residents should not return to the area. Incidents of looting have been reported throughout affected areas of Louisiana, most notably in New Orleans. Lousiana governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has ordered all roadways into the state closed, as reported by WDSU TV. Jefferson Parish As of 9:35 a.m. on August 30, residents of Jefferson Parish who have ID proving they live in the parish will be allowed to return to their homes to retrieve essentials in about a week, but will then be required to leave the parish for another month. The failed attempt to repair the 17th street Canal levee will likely cause additional flooding in the parish. |
Unfortunately, Jefferson is where I stay. I have no idea what I'm going to do for a month or even more. This changes everything. My family is ok. My parents stayed back in town but they're ok. All of my friends are scattered all over the place and some I can't even get in touch with because the phone lines are screwed.
Next week should be alittle better since we get to go back to get our essentials (my computer!) and survey the area. Kinda harsh telling us not to come back for a month but I guess its for the better. School won't start up again for at least another 2 months. Kinda funny when school just started 2 weeks ago.
I only brought 3 pairs of clothes with me =(
Posted by: AC9breaker Aug 31 2005, 02:16 PM
I'm sorry to hear that man. I'm with Dive, if there's anything I can do for you don't hesitate to ask.
Posted by: DivA Aug 31 2005, 06:12 PM
| QUOTE (DarkEpyon @ Aug 31 2005, 09:21 AM) |
| For a bit of humor, I give you http://www.illwillpress.com/kat.html The cartoon squirrel hit the proverbial nail on the head. |
*nods* agreed, especially the part of visiting news people that take video of victims in dire troubles...instead of pointing the camera for ratings, put the bloody camera down & help ~ common sense...maybe? hmmm..
btw, can anyone direct me to a site that has ariel pics of new orleans in its aftermath? thus far, all i have read are nothing but articles online, & very little visually ~ any leads will definitely help & be much appreciated.. before now, i knew very little of new orleans & i was so looking to visit there for a vacation sometime in the future......however, with this formidable force of nature storming through ~ the chances of walking through its legendary graveyards & historic buildings are sorrowful indeed.. =(
...
dj ~ words really cannot truly describe how i feel regarding this; all i can do is bestow a prayer that all will be well for you & your family.. --.` courage, courage for endurance to great change & the hope that what will be would be far better than what currently is, or what was..
Posted by: Crushinator Aug 31 2005, 06:38 PM
Damn, donk. I'm sorry to hear your area got hit 
I hope all your posessions aren't damaged badly X(
Posted by: ArekuReiesu Aug 31 2005, 06:51 PM
Ditto with Dive and Breaker.
Keep strong bro.
Posted by: Dive Aug 31 2005, 07:34 PM
| QUOTE (DivA @ Aug 31 2005, 07:12 PM) |
| btw, can anyone direct me to a site that has ariel pics of new orleans in its aftermath? |
I don't know off hand of any sites where you can see some of the images, but I managed to snag this photo from a site I frequent. This singular image pretty much tells the story.
http://apocalypse-tribe.com/images/flooded.jpg
Also for anyone who has not been following this, tune into one of the many news channels for some heartbreaking images and survivors stories.
Posted by: Vitamin D Sep 1 2005, 10:02 AM
Damn man... been watching the news and it sounds horrible. Sorry that this happend. I hope things clear up soon for you.
Posted by: Alisha Sep 1 2005, 12:07 PM
man i had no idea how bad this was till i heard they are evacuating people from sky dome to the astro dome and i thought it was bad that my basement god flooded from the remenants of the hurricane that came through ohio i hope things arent to bad for you DJ
Posted by: DivA Sep 2 2005, 08:43 AM
| QUOTE (Dive @ Aug 31 2005, 07:34 PM) |
| I don't know off hand of any sites where you can see some of the images, but I managed to snag this photo from a site I frequent. This singular image pretty much tells the story. |
thank you, Dive ~ it's exactly what i seek..
this image tells a tale that words cannot fully replicate.. =/
Posted by: DJ_Donkey Sep 5 2005, 02:41 PM
Oh man this whole event was an emotional rollercoaster.
There were rumors that something happened to my uncle and his family right after we came into town to get out parents out. From what we saw on the news, the city wasn't exactly safe at the time. We had guns in each car just in case (we took 2 cars; mine and my bro's girlfriend's car).
Anyway, that rumor was squashed after my uncle from California got into contact with him. My WHOLE family from both sides knew about it within like 15 minutes. It was crazy. We couldn't find the source of the rumor. Personally, I heard from my little sister who heard from her friend. So rest assured, my uncle is ok and well.
There was a friend of mine who we couldn't get into contact with. She was one of the few that stayed back in town during the storm. I honestly prayed and hoped all week. I totally broke down one night. A week goes by and still can't get into contact because the phone lines are screwed up. Text messenging works but she was the only one who didn't respond.
I was talking to a friend today online and she tells me that a friend just received an email from her and that she's in Houston. A few seconds later, I get a phone call from her! Can you believe it? A phone call! So I talk to her and see how she's doing. She's ok so that's a relief. She's been stuck in the Convention Center for a couple of days. If you guys haven't been watching the news, the conditions were just as bad as it was in the Superdome. I'm glad she made it out of there.
So all of my friends are accounted for. Now I can sleep a little better.
New Orleans on the other hand... I hope it'll turn out OK. I honestly want to go back to town.
Where else can you party even after the sun comes up.
Posted by: Woe Sep 5 2005, 03:57 PM
Good to hear your whole crew is safe and accounted for hopefully things will return to somewhat normal ASAP.
Posted by: Bryn Sep 5 2005, 05:05 PM
I can't even imagine how stressful and nerve-racking this ordeal has been. I'm glad to hear that you've got in touch with everyone and they are safe.
Posted by: Ellianna Sep 6 2005, 02:38 PM
my heart and prayers go out to you all donkey...i'm sitting here watching oprah's special where she's gone into the super dome and i tell ya what, the news didnt do justice to the devistation that i saw, the moment she walked in the door she said she was walking through urine and fecies and the stentch almost made her sick, ...bodies on the floor..gangs took over the super dome and tried to take over they had a surgeon walking through the air port, there really was no other way to describe other than it looked like a mash unit. other people are talking about guys that were waiting at the bathrooms and raping girls...
it worries me a lot because after seeing what florida has gone through in some of the harder hit areas and the bullshit they had to put up with with FEMA i can only hope they do more there, fema tried to make people pay back money, others were claiming damages that werent caused by the hurricanes and got money from it...damage here was no where NEAR and a year later people still havent even gotten just their roofs fixed ..people still live in fema trailors with no homes and fema wants the trailors back...it really pisses me off the way people get treated i only hope they dont pull this shit out there. after several days the cops that were working are now refusing to work, and at least one has commited suicide. i'm really disgusted ...so much more could and should be being done for these people .
Posted by: Dive Sep 6 2005, 11:36 PM
| QUOTE (DJ_Donkey @ Sep 5 2005, 03:41 PM) |
| We had guns in each car just in case (we took 2 cars; mine and my bro's girlfriend's car). |
That must have been pretty scary man. I can't believe you had to go to these measures to get to your house and parents.
I'm not gonna go into the political ranting, everyone is familiar with the derelict response to this catastrophe. I'm just glad you and your family/friends are ok.
Posted by: AC9breaker Sep 7 2005, 07:11 PM
Its so frustarting to see all the political antics that go on as well. I'm glad to hear you and all your loved ones are okay. My thoughts and prayers go out to you guys.
Posted by: DivA Sep 9 2005, 01:05 PM
i received this via e-mail this morning..
figured it would be something of relevance for ~athq.. to read..
| QUOTE |
| A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State An Objectivist Review by Robert Tracinski The Intellectual Activist It has taken four long days for state and federal officials to figure out how to deal with the disaster in New Orleans. I can't blame them, because it has also taken me four long days to figure out what is going on there. The reason is that the events there make no sense if you think that we are confronting a natural disaster. If this is just a natural disaster, the response for public officials is obvious: you bring in food, water, and doctors; you send transportation to evacuate refugees to temporary shelters; you send engineers to stop the flooding and rebuild the city's infrastructure. For journalists, natural disasters also have a familiar pattern: the heroism of ordinary people pulling together to survive; the hard work and dedication of doctors, nurses, and rescue workers; the steps being taken to clean up and rebuild. Public officials did not expect that the first thing they would have to do is to send thousands of armed troops in armored vehicle, as if they are suppressing an enemy insurgency. And journalists-myself included-did not expect that the story would not be about rain, wind, and flooding, but about rape, murder, and looting. But this is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster. The man-made disaster is not an inadequate or incompetent response by federal relief agencies, and it was not directly caused by Hurricane Katrina. This is where just about every newspaper and television channel has gotten the story wrong. The man-made disaster we are now witnessing in New Orleans did not happen over the past four days. It happened over the past four decades. Hurricane Katrina merely exposed it to public view. The man-made disaster is the welfare state. For the past few days, I have found the news from New Orleans to be confusing. People were not behaving as you would expect them to behave in an emergency--indeed, they were not behaving as they have behaved in other emergencies. That is what has shocked so many people: they have been saying that this is not what we expect from America. In fact, it is not even what we expect from a Third World country. When confronted with a disaster, people usually rise to the occasion. They work together to rescue people in danger, and they spontaneously organize to keep order and solve problems. This is especially true in America. We are an enterprising people, used to relying on our own initiative rather than waiting around for the government to take care of us. I have seen this a hundred times, in small examples (a small town whose main traffic light had gone out, causing ordinary citizens to get out of their cars and serve as impromptu traffic cops, directing cars through the intersection) and large ones (the spontaneous response of New Yorkers to September 11). So what explains the chaos in New Orleans? To give you an idea of the magnitude of what is going on, here is a description from a Washington Times story: Storm victims are raped and beaten; fights erupt with flying fists, knives and guns; fires are breaking out; corpses litter the streets; and police and rescue helicopters are repeatedly fired on. The plea from Mayor C. Ray Nagin came even as National Guardsmen poured in to restore order and stop the looting, carjackings and gunfire.... Last night, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco said 300 Iraq-hardened Arkansas National Guard members were inside New Orleans with shoot-to-kill orders. "'These troops are...under my orders to restore order in the streets,' she said. 'They have M-16s, and they are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill and they are more than willing to do so if necessary and I expect they will.' " The reference to Iraq is eerie. The photo that accompanies this article shows National Guard troops, with rifles and armored vests, riding on an armored vehicle through trash-strewn streets lined by a rabble of squalid, listless people, one of whom appears to be yelling at them. It looks exactly like a scene from Sadr City in Baghdad. What explains bands of thugs using a natural disaster as an excuse for an orgy of looting, armed robbery, and rape? What causes unruly mobs to storm the very buses that have arrived to evacuate them, causing the drivers to drive away, frightened for their lives? What causes people to attack the doctors trying to treat patients at the Super Dome? Why are people responding to natural destruction by causing further destruction? Why are they attacking the people who are trying to help them? My wife, Sherri, figured it out first, and she figured it out on a sense-of-life level. While watching the coverage last night on Fox News Channel, she told me that she was getting a familiar feeling. She studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Chicago, which is located in the South Side of Chicago just blocks away from the Robert Taylor Homes, one of the largest high-rise public housing projects in America. "The projects," as they were known, were infamous for uncontrollable crime and irremediable squalor. (They have since, mercifully, been demolished.) What Sherri was getting from last night's television coverage was a whiff of the sense of life of "the projects." Then the "crawl"- the informational phrases flashed at the bottom of the screen on most news channels-gave some vital statistics to confirm this sense: 75% of the residents of New Orleans had already evacuated before the hurricane, and of the 300,000 or so who remained, a large number were from the city's public housing projects. Jack Wakeland then gave me an additional, crucial fact: early reports from CNN and Fox indicated that the city had no plan for evacuating all of the prisoners in the city's jails-so they just let many of them loose. There is no doubt a significant overlap between these two populations--that is, a large number of people in the jails used to live in the housing projects, and vice versa. There were many decent, innocent people trapped in New Orleans when the deluge hit--but they were trapped alongside large numbers of people from two groups: criminals--and wards of the welfare state, people selected, over decades, for their lack of initiative and self-induced helplessness. The welfare wards were a mass of sheep-on whom the incompetent administration of New Orleans unleashed a pack of wolves. All of this is related, incidentally, to the apparent incompetence of the city government, which failed to plan for a total evacuation of the city, despite the knowledge that this might be necessary. But in a city corrupted by the welfare state, the job of city officials is to ensure the flow of handouts to welfare recipients and patronage to political supporters-not to ensure a lawful, orderly evacuation in case of emergency. No one has really reported this story, as far as I can tell. In fact, some are already actively distorting it, blaming President Bush, for example, for failing to personally ensure that the Mayor of New Orleans had drafted an adequate evacuation plan. The worst example is an execrable piece from the Toronto Globe and Mail, by a supercilious Canadian who blames the chaos on American "individualism." But the truth is precisely the opposite: the chaos was caused by a system that was the exact opposite of individualism. What Hurricane Katrina exposed was the psychological consequences of the welfare state. What we consider "normal" behavior in an emergency is behavior that is normal for people who have values and take the responsibility to pursue and protect them. People with values respond to a disaster by fighting against it and doing whatever it takes to overcome the difficulties they face. They don't sit around and complain that the government hasn't taken care of them. They don't use the chaos of a disaster as an opportunity to prey on their fellow men. But what about criminals and welfare parasites? Do they worry about saving their houses and property? They don't, because they don't own anything. Do they worry about what is going to happen to their businesses or how they are going to make a living? They never worried about those things before. Do they worry about crime and looting? But living off of stolen wealth is a way of life for them. The welfare state--and the brutish, uncivilized mentality it sustains and encourages--is the man-made disaster that explains the moral ugliness that has swamped New Orleans. And that is the story that no one is reporting. |
..it does seem really odd how this whole situation is being handled, more along the lines of militant & chaotic judgements......but i'm a 'lil unclear as to who is speaking truly ~ the news tells me one thing, then i read this & it paints a very different outlook ~ of which wouldn't surprise me if the latter turned out to be true - given the past track-record of mainstream news.. >.> if mainstream is purposefully ignoring the issue (or is ignorant of it..), then thank goodness for the power of the internet, yes? ;}
so my question is ~ what's actually happening down there? =/
Posted by: AC9breaker Sep 9 2005, 04:54 PM
I dunno, but I felt a hint of conservative right wing inspired things from that e-mail.
Actually, that e-mail kinda bothers me. The way I understood it, that e-mail is saying that becuase of social stratification, becuase you are a minority, becuase you come from an impoverished area, because your poor, becuase of so many factors that can not be controlled by one single person its your fault that all the bad things that have occured in the wake of hurricane Katrina have happened.
I'm sorry but I can't seem to find a way to say this in a much more eloquent manner. I think thats a bunch of bullshit. It seems pretty obvious that the author of the e-mail hasn't lived in poverty stricken area so therefore I don't think he can understand the plight of the people who come from the ghetto and projects. The racism and Jim Crow laws of the past have been replaced by prejudice and social pitfalls. He goes to say to say that becuase these people have lived off of welfare that they don't understand the value of ownership. More bullshit. He is already assuming that everyone who came from these projects didn't have jobs and weren't getting paid 6 dollars an hour for some 12 hour a day job in hopes that they would someday be able to move out of the projects or the ghetto. While I do agree with some points from the e-mail though.
It would be wrong to solely blaim the president becuase it is our fault as a society as well. We ourselves let these type of things happen. But since the president is the one who is in a position to change these things we blame him for not doing anything. In fact, If I recall correctly our beloved president was on vacation the day Katrina hit and didn't get "back to work" till 4 days later. Fucking Dick.
The problems of Katrina stem from a much more dynamic reason then becuase "people from the hood have no respect." Katrina was a man made disaster, but not from the people who lived in the projects, but everyone.
Posted by: DivA Sep 10 2005, 12:46 AM
| QUOTE (AC9breaker @ Sep 9 2005, 04:54 PM) |
| I dunno, but I felt a hint of conservative right wing inspired things from that e-mail. |
interesting, to this day ~ i haven't a clue as to what the definition of "right-wing" means; i was just curious as to what is transpiring in New Orleans.. it may be BS, perhaps ~ but i think the issue here has to do with the welfare system specifically, not a racial blaming...after all, the way this is being handled is rather odd (to me, anyways..), but then again ~ i don't live there, nor do i have any access to the place other than what is posted on the news, which tends to be suspect now & then..
& you are right, our o'fearless president's behavior is equally out there......dunno, i have no more to say than the fact that our country is definitely in need of a re-evaluation ~ beyond that, no comment..
Posted by: AC9breaker Sep 10 2005, 05:04 AM
Right-wing is a reference to the voting ballot in that you are given two choices, Left or Right, Democrat or Republican. So its mearly a way of describing where people tend to stand on issues.
I think the following link articulates a point I wanted to make in my previous post a pretty insightful read, me thinks. http://www.alternet.org/story/25149/
Posted by: Ellianna Sep 10 2005, 08:36 AM
| QUOTE (AC9breaker @ Sep 9 2005, 04:54 PM) |
| Actually, that e-mail kinda bothers me. The way I understood it, that e-mail is saying that becuase of social stratification, becuase you are a minority, becuase you come from an impoverished area, because your poor, becuase of so many factors that can not be controlled by one single person its your fault that all the bad things that have occured in the wake of hurricane Katrina have happened. |
i know this isnt exactly the same but there's some christian group out there...now i'm not saying all christians i'm saying a certain group of them... are trying to blame katrina on the fact that new orleans had 10 abortion clinics and this was god's way of getting rid of them. and along with his post he compaired a picture of katrina to a picture of a 6 week old fetus, the idiots really crawl out from no where when something devistating happens
How the hell do people think like this...god's wrath is not only to destroy those buildings but to destroy the lives of innocent people..i'm pro-choice..to a degree... so i'm not even going to go into the rest of my feelings about the idiot who did this.
Posted by: Woe Sep 10 2005, 01:40 PM
I have alot of mixed feelings on whats happening in New Orleans.
On one hand, i feel FEMA and the Government's response in general could be alot better.Katrina more or less, released the destructive force of a nuclear bomb on the gulf coast, but since this is the "wrath of god" i don't think it has been reacted to in the same fassion.
everyone effected by this is a human being, and an american, and deserve relief, regardless of where they live or how poor they are. I guarantee you katrina heald no prejeduce, neither should any of our fellow americans.
On the other hand...
I am fucking disgusted by the people stealing shit like TV's and VCRs (stealing food and drinks from a destroyed store is different), shooting at those trying to help, raping women, stealing what little those who they can prey on have left just to satisfy their own needs. these people contirubiting to the problems instead of helping, IMO, need a bullet between the eyes, and i applaud anyone who would administer it. i mean, come on, fucking help the dying and injured.put down the guns, knives and TV's, quit attacking WOMEN AND THE ELDERLY and help ANY WAY YOU CAN, the fact that a fellow tribesman and friend had to carry guns just to be safe in his own city, is equally disheartening, this kind of shit is just WRONG. sorry if my words are harsh, this kind of nonsense stirs up very strong feelings.
Posted by: tanshin Sep 10 2005, 04:15 PM
This is very interesting. This goes to show that if something devistating happened to the world, and all our comforts of regular lives are taken away, we will all resort back to behaving like the animals that we all really are deep down. As a nihilist, this kind of behavior doesn't surprise me a bit. The less intelligent of our species can't control their primal urges.
I'd like to go down there and take over the city, Kenshiro style. Stupid people.
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