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| Spike Lee's documentary - "When The Levees Broke"
Posted: 8/15/2006 9:11:49 AM | Spike Lee has done a documentary on Katrina, and New Orleans. It will be playing in the next week or so on TV in both the USA and Canada. It's on HBO in the States, and I believe the Movie Network here.
It's called “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts”, and it's a four hour look into the lives of various people affected by the tragedy.
As a kind of thank-you to the many residents like Mr. Ervin, the first half of “Levees” will be first shown free on Aug. 16 to 10,000 people at the New Orleans Arena. HBO is to show the first two hours of “Levees” on Aug. 21 at 9 p.m., the last two on Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. It will be shown in its entirety at 8 p.m. on Aug. 29, the anniversary of the hurricane, one of the country’s worst natural disasters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/arts/television/03leve.html?ex=1312257600&en=f32bd3505694855f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
His views are clear. “What happened in New Orleans was a criminal act,” he said, a tragic backhanded slap to poor, black or politically insignificant people. “The levees were a Band-Aid here and a Band-Aid there. In the famous statement of Malcolm X, the chickens came home to roost. Somebody needs to go to jail.”
- Ibid
Sounds like something to check out, and a story that needs to be told. | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 9:40:33 AM | | The levees breaking, the flood, the massive death, food, water and other assistance being turned away, people at gunpoint being told that they could not leave, reporters barred from taking pictures and being threatened by highly armed para-millitary,--- bu$$h cutting the budget to fix and upgrade the levees, sending half the Guard and Reserves to Iraq, and putting a political hack w/ no real-world experience in emergency preparedness in charge of FEMA, the ignoring of warning after warning, the lies about "nobody could have anticipated the breaching of the levees" when there is proof that he was warned about a possible breach and the fact that the levees were only rated to withstand a catagory 3, yet Katrina was rapidly building to a catagory 5 with dire warnings issued days in advance, yet 5 days goes by and innumerable lives and property lost before help finally arrives, and on and on. This is an occurrence that can not be forgotten, WILL not be forgotten. I am glad to see that it is not fading from the American consciouness. | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 11:04:37 AM | I look forward to watching this documentary. We can't just forget what happened and ignore the fact that this was botched in every way all around. It is one of America's greatest tragedies that could have been avoided.
Spike Lee is one hell of a filmmaker and this will certainly be worth watching.
Toon | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 11:39:35 AM | | Spike Lee is a good filmmaker, but if you've followed his interviews on t.v. and in print over the years, and seen his movies, you can't help get the impression that he does not like white people very much(same with Martin Lawrence). | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 12:25:26 PM | Amazing, now hurricane Katrina was caused by Pres. Bush also...
Paul,
Nobody is blaming bu$$hCorp for the actual hurricane, which is obviously a natural disaster. You are putting words into others mouths and making false accusations that you must know are riduculous on their face. Else, please show exactly where someone states that bu$$h actually CAUSED the hurricane. The preparation for, and response TO, the hurricane are the issues, just to clarify that for you. (You may now return to your Faux news channel deprogramming/Hannitization mindF. BTW, instead of tinfoil, you might want to invest in blinders, I hear the government is providing them to all, whether they want them or not! You may even get a no-bid contract!) | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 1:07:52 PM | There was an article on New Orleans in National Geographic in October 2004 that opened with a hypothetical what if the right hurricane hit... it was an interesting read take a look
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/index.html | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 1:08:47 PM | What Spike Lee won't tell you is that the amount of federal money that was given to Louisiana, to New Orleans, was much more than sufficient to completely rebuild, or shore up the leeve's so this wouldn't have happened.
Are you sure Spike Lee has not covered this in the 4 hour documentary? Have you seen the documentary yet to make such a judgement?
I think it's common knowledge that there was corruption in the big easy. As far as Spike Lee resenting white people, maybe he resents, maybe he doesn't. I don't see that as an issue.
But I do see a man good at his craft and able to represent a segment of the population that would otherwise get ignored. You would have to walk a mile in his shoes to understand his life as a black man in America today.
A 4 hour look at this tragedy is needed. Who better than Spike Lee to bring us a different view? Let Oliver Stone cover WTC and Spike cover the levies.
Personally, I think it's kind of ironic in their choice of material.
Toon | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 2:35:54 PM | | I for one will watch like a hawk for this on our channels up here in the Big Cold. Spike tells it like it is ~ only problem is that many don't like to hear it. Same as Michael Moore. And hats off to Toonsmith for your post. | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/15/2006 6:04:28 PM | It's not a documentary - it's a multi-part political blog.
Documentaries are supposed to DOCUMENT - presumably, it requires at least a modicum of objectivity.
This sounds about as objective as sending Al Gore to do a piece on the Life & Times of George W Bush, Jr. | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:26:15 AM | He did , it's called "An Inconvenient Truth" ....
The truth of the matter about Katrina is the same now as it was then. It was primarily due to poor people being involved, primarily black poor people. It had far more to do with class, than race. Race just naturally followed up, due to demographics.
Had a disaster struck the Hampton's , and Oprah and Martha Stewart been trapped on the rooftops of their mansions by a raging flood - the Blackhawks would have been hovering over with rescue teams and emergency supplies within hours - not days.
Anyone who believes otherwise is incredibly naive.
The "blame game" would have never been mentioned had that happened, and no one would have tried to pin responsibility on others for their failures to protect them properly - because such a thing would have never happened.
As I understand it, this will be people talking about their experiences during Katrina. That would seem to fit the definition of a documentary rather well. It will be a mosaic of stories that will show the situation on the ground as experienced by the victims of the disaster.
It will probably show the massive failure of the federal government to do it's job, and hopefully will also show how "average" people became heroes in that situation - much as they did on 9/11. | |
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dmotz
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Joined: 7/25/2006
Msg: 11 | |
| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:34:02 AM | "The preparation for, and response TO, the hurricane are the issues,"
I do not care who would have been in the white house...the responsibility for the response and preperation lies with the state of La. and the city of N.O! The state was warned for years and years that a massive hurricane would destroy New Orleans...come on...the city is 10 feet below sea level...Can you say common sense?
People expect the fed Gov to take care of everything. How about putting the blame where it belongs. On the state of Louisana. The levees should have been upgraded 30 years ago...but they went for building the tourist trade. They did not give a damn about the people. The Democrats were more concerned with making the big money from the tourist`s. Then when the Hurricane actually did hit...the state wants federal help. I agree with the fed helping...but to blame them for everything...WRONG! | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:40:33 AM | The state govenrment advised Bush in writing that they knew the situation would be out of their control BEFORE the hurricane hit. Google , and you will find the text of that letter.
With that letter, under the Stafford Act, the President had the constitutional power to use any DoD resources needed to protect the general population at risk.
Bush DID use the Stafford Act, and signed a letter to that effect. What he DIDN'T do was actually USE the powers it gave him.
Nothing was done for days, and that is ENTIRELY the fault of the federal government. No state could be expected to be able to carry out effective disaster relief after being hit by one of the most massive storms to ever hit the USA.
In fact, troops were used - but far too late.
Under Stafford, even DoD personnel can make the decision to assist - as long as it doesn't interfere with military operations and national security. | |
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:48:51 AM | Spike Lee is biased and racist.
Anything coming from him will be slanted toward his agenda, whether
it is real, imagined, distorted or fabricated.
He is basically trying to capitalize on the mmoore, fake documentary genre.
I guess he went this route because his last 4 films sucked and he nobody
is buying into the racist thing anymore. | |
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:50:12 AM | FEMA was a joke and "Brownie" was the "milk horse" that was to be turned to dog food by Bush et al.
As for Spike Lee... I love him. All of his movies are great. I mean, they're not Oscar winners but they all have a message and his use of colour and movement in production is just astounding. As far as this film... He'll be discounted by the American public and the media because he'll be portrayed as a "subversive black man with an anti white, anti Bush agenda." It happens to ANY person in America who speaks out. Why should this be any different, huh? | |
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myoid
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Joined: 7/22/2006
Msg: 15 | |
| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:55:58 AM | +++the responsibility for the response and preperation lies with the state of La. and the city of N.O!+++
Come on rightwinggoodguy -- you know who maintains the levees -- it's the UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
I know you know what that means, so don't try to convince me you don't. But you do need to ask yourself one question -- "Why are you trying to convince yourself?"
I have two answers -- you want to avoid accountability at the Federal level because it is your politicos who were in charge of the lies and deceit. And the other unfortunately involves the racial make up of the city. Do you have a third answer?
I'm calling. I want to see your answer. | |
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dmotz
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Joined: 7/25/2006
Msg: 16 | |
| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 8:57:39 AM | What do you say to this?
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/Archive/200509/NAT20050907a.html
Louisiana Officials Could Lose the Katrina Blame Game
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
September 07, 2005
(1st Add: Includes information about restoration of Mardi Gras fountain)
(CNSNews.com) - The Bush administration is being widely criticized for the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina and the allegedly inadequate protection for "the big one" that residents had long feared would hit New Orleans. But research into more than ten years of reporting on hurricane and flood damage mitigation efforts in and around New Orleans indicates that local and state officials did not use federal money that was available for levee improvements or coastal reinforcement and often did not secure local matching funds that would have generated even more federal funding.
In December of 1995, the Orleans Levee Board, the local government entity that oversees the levees and floodgates designed to protect New Orleans and the surrounding areas from rising waters, bragged in a supplement to the Times-Picayune newspaper about federal money received to protect the region from hurricanes.
"In the past four years, the Orleans Levee Board has built up its a***nal. The additional defenses are so critical that Levee Commissioners marched into Congress and brought back almost $60 million to help pay for protection," the pamphlet declared. "The most ambitious flood-fighting plan in generations was drafted. An unprecedented $140 million building campaign launched 41 projects."
The levee board promised Times-Picayune readers that the "few manageable gaps" in the walls protecting the city from Mother Nature's waters "will be sealed within four years (1999) completing our circle of protection."
But less than a year later, that same levee board was denied the authority to refinance its debts. Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle "repeatedly faulted the Levee Board for the way it awards contracts, spends money and ignores public bid laws," according to the Times-Picayune. The newspaper quoted Kyle as saying that the board was near bankruptcy and should not be allowed to refinance any bonds, or issue new ones, until it submitted an acceptable plan to achieve solvency.
Blocked from financing the local portion of the flood fighting efforts, the levee board was unable to spend the federal matching funds that had been designated for the project.
By 1998, Louisiana's state government had a $2 billion construction budget, but less than one tenth of one percent of that -- $1.98 million -- was dedicated to levee improvements in the New Orleans area. State appropriators were able to find $22 million that year to renovate a new home for the Louisiana Supreme Court and $35 million for one phase of an expansion to the New Orleans convention center.
The following year, the state legislature did appropriate $49.5 million for levee improvements, but the proposed spending had to be allocated by the State Bond Commission before the projects could receive financing. The commission placed the levee improvements in the "Priority 5" category, among the projects least likely to receive full or immediate funding.
The Orleans Levee Board was also forced to defer $3.7 million in capital improvement projects in its 2001 budget after residents of the area rejected a proposed tax increase to fund its expanding operations. Long term deferments to nearly 60 projects, based on the revenue shortfall, totaled $47 million worth of work, including projects to shore up the floodwalls.
No new state money had been allocated to the area's hurricane protection projects as of October of 2002, leaving the available 65 percent federal matching funds for such construction untouched.
"The problem is money is real tight in Baton Rouge right now," state Sen. Francis Heitmeier (D-Algiers) told the Times-Picayune. "We have to do with what we can get."
Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Mark Drennen told local officials that, if they reduced their requests for state funding in other, less critical areas, they would have a better chance of getting the requested funds for levee improvements. The newspaper reported that in 2000 and 2001, "the Bond Commission has approved or pledged millions of dollars for projects in Jefferson Parish, including construction of the Tournament Players Club golf course near Westwego, the relocation of Hickory Avenue in Jefferson (Parish) and historic district development in Westwego."
There is no record of such discretionary funding requests being reduced or withdrawn, but in October of 2003, nearby St. Charles Parish did receive a federal grant for $475,000 to build bike paths on top of its levees.
Earlier this year, the levee board did complete a $2.5 million restoration project. After months of delays, officials rolled away fencing to reveal the restored 1962 Mardi Gras fountain in a four-acre park featuring a new 600-foot plaza between famous Lakeshore Drive and the sea wall.
Financing for the renovation came from a property tax passed by New Orleans voters in 1983. The tax, which generates more than $6 million each year for the levee board, is dedicated to capital projects. Levee board officials defended more than $600,000 in cost overruns for the Mardi Gras fountain project, according to the Times-Picayune, "citing their responsibility to maintain the vast green space they have jurisdiction over along the lakefront."
Democrats blame Bush administration
Congressional Democrats have been quick to blame the White House for poor preparation and then a weak response related to Hurricane Katrina. U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, joined two of his colleagues from the Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security committees Tuesday in a letter requesting hearings into what the trio called a "woefully inadequate" federal response.
"Hurricane Katrina was an unstoppable force of nature," Waxman wrote along with Reps. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). "But it is plain that the federal government could have done more, sooner, to respond to the immediate survival needs of the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi.
"In fact, different choices for funding and planning to protect New Orleans may even have mitigated the flooding of the city," the Democrats added.
But Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) suggested that Waxman "overlooks many other questions that need to be asked, and prematurely faults the federal government for all governmental shortcomings; in fact, local and state government failures are not mentioned at all in [Waxman's] letter."
Davis wrote that Waxman's questions about issues such as the lack of federal plans for evacuating residents without access to vehicles and the alleged failure of the Department of Homeland Security to ensure basic communications capacity for first responders might "prematurely paint the picture that these are solely, or even primarily, federal government responsibilities.
"This is not the time to attack or defend government entities for political purposes. Rather, this is a time to do the oversight we're charged with doing," Davis continued. "Our Committee will aggressively investigate what went wrong and what went right. We'll do it by the book, and let the chips fall where they may."
The House Government Reform Committee will begin hearings on federal disaster preparations and the response to Hurricane Katrina the week of Sept. 12. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is schedule to hold hearings on the economic recovery from Katrina beginning Wednesday morning.
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| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:01:57 AM | Here is the timeline for Katrina :
http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline
Saturday, August 27
GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.”
Monday, August 29
7AM CDT – KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE
Here is the Stafford Act :
http://www.ohioema.org/robertt.htm
Sec. 402. In any major disaster, the President may -
(4) assist State and local governments in the distribution of medicine, food, and other consumable supplies, and emergency assistance.
(c) Utilization of DOD Resources -
(1) General Rule. During the immediate aftermath of an incident which may ultimately qualify for assistance under this title or title V of this Act, the Governor of the State in which the incident occurred may request the President to direct the Secretary of Defense to utilize resources of the Department of Defense for the purpose of performing on public and private lands any emergency work which is made necessary by such incident and which is essential for the preservation of life and property. If the President determines that such work is essential for the preservation of life and property, the President shall grant such request to the extent the President determines practical. Such emergency work may only be carried out for a period not to exceed 10 days.
(2) Rules Applicable to Debris Removal. Any removal of debris and wreckage carried out under this subsection shall be subject to section 407(b), relating to unconditional authorization and indemnification for debris removal.
(3) Expenditures Out of Disaster Relief Funds. The cost of any assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall be reimbursed out of funds made available to carry out his Act.
(4) Federal Share. The Federal share of assistance under this subsection shall be not less than 75 percent.
(5) Guidelines. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Amendments of 1988, the President shall issue guidelines for carrying out this subsection. Such guidelines shall consider any likely effect assistance under this subsection will have on the availability of other forms of assistance under this Act.
(6) Definitions. For purposes of this section -
(A) Department of Defense. The term "Department of Defense" has the meaning the term "department" has under section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
(B) Emergency Work. The term "emergency work" includes clearance and removal of debris and wreckage and temporary restoration of essential public facilities and services.
Once Blanco signed that letter - the ball was in Bush's court....and he dropped it.
He had that letter TWO DAYS before the hurricane hit, backed up by government weather reports listing Katrina as a MAJOR hurricane. He also knew that the Louisiana National Guard had been severely weakened by it's deployment to Iraq, which would have been normally one of the main resources Blanco and other state officials could have used.
Under Stafford - there was no excuse for inaction. | |
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myoid
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Joined: 7/22/2006
Msg: 18 | |
| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:07:56 AM | Reply to message 14
+++nobody is buying into the racist thing anymore.+++
Nobody? What about me? And I'm a white guy.
Racism in the Katrina rescue/relief and aftermath has been a dominant issue. In one instance a group of New Orleanians, primarily Black, tried to flee the flood waters by crossing the Mississippi River Bridge into the predominantly white West Bank (sounds like we are in the Middle East -- but no, the US has unlimited funds to assist that area of the world, but I digress). They were turned away at gun point by law enforcement officers and sent back into the flood. This is not an apocryphal account. It is the subject of a grand jury proceeding ongoing now. Read the Times Picayune, the New Orleans daily, which happens to be a member of the SI Newhouse syndicate, hardly a liberal group. Even they have been appalled at the racist overtones of this debacle. | |
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:13:10 AM | I see it much more as a class thing, where race just happens to overlay it.
Poor people were involved, who happened to be black. Had rich black people been involved, it would have been far different. | |
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myoid
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Joined: 7/22/2006
Msg: 20 | |
| Spike Lee's documentary - When The Levees Broke
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:24:44 AM | reply to message 17
+++What do you say to this?+++
I say the office of the US Corps of Engineers lies between the levee and the river about 800 meters from the Camillia Grill on St. Charles Avenue, Uptown New Orleans -- the area of the city is known as "The Riverbend." I say they have the primary responsibility of maintaining the levees of the Mississippi River and its environs and watersheds. That's why they are there.
I say it is disgusting that they would now seek to place the blame on a state agency. I say the Captain was on the bridge when he ran his ship aground and he is now trying to point the finger at some E-3 and blame the ship grounding on him.
I say it is disgusting that we have allowed the moral fiber of our nation to sink to such a low spot that we would give any credence whatsoever to someone holding the rank of a general officer trying to avoid his responsibility by placing the blame on his underlings.
What could be more basic. The US Army Corps of Engineers has the primary responsibility for maintaining the levees on the Mississippi and its tributaries and watersheds. The Corps is headed by a US Army General officer. They failed. I'm not interested in their excuses. I don't want to hear about all the money they gave to someone else to do their job. I want to know why they didn't do their job.
It's called accountability rightwinggoodguy. Your leaders preach it well. Could you please get them to practice it. | |
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:43:07 AM | I'll agree with you there Montreal_Guy. So much of it had to do with the poverty and peoples ability to evacuate. I live in Texas on the gulf coast and hurricanes are a part of life here. Yes Katrina was a bit bigger than what we are use too, but you can't live in this area without eventually learning something about what to do because they are so unpredictable. For those of us who live here, we are use to preparing, boarding up, taping up, tying down and trying to save what you own. We for the most part know when the time is to fight or flee. Yet when it comes to the point that you know the hurricane is strong enough that you've no choice but to evacuate, THAT is when we rely on our local govt to assist us in getting out of danger. In larger cities there are so many poor people who do not have the means to evacuate themselves. Our Mayor and Our Governor are suppose to step in and give us the aid we need to get us out of the path of danger. NOLA is above average in the amount of poor people who had no means in which to get out of the city. I was appalled at a picture of a Lot full of school busses under water after Katrina hit. The fact that the officals did not make use of them to help get more people out of the city seems to be just down right criminal. Having been thru a hurricane myself, it amazes me that the death toll was not higher than it was because so many people were left behind. You can blame Bush all you want too, but those of us who live along this coast know that we depend first on ourselves, then on our city and state govt, long before we ever think of fedral help.
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 9:44:14 AM |
In one instance a group of New Orleanians, primarily Black, tried to flee the flood waters by crossing the Mississippi River Bridge into the predominantly white West Bank (sounds like we are in the Middle East -- but no, the US has unlimited funds to assist that area of the world, but I digress). They were turned away at gun point by law enforcement officers and sent back into the flood.
But they weren't sent back by Pres. Bush at gunpoint. So how do the actions of the local police equate to Bush being racist?
As for the letter sent to the President two days prior to Katrina's landfall, how do you know that the President did nothing? How do you know that the President didn't respond "well, I suggest you evacuate your people"? If he had instructed buses from areas outside of the danger zone to be sent to NO, those buses could have taken a day to reach NO. All surrounding areas were using their buses to get their people out. There were hundreds of unused school buses in NO. Whose fault is that? Mayor Ray Nagin! Nagin was the one responsible for having an evacuation plan! Don't you think two days is kind of short notice to come up with a plan to evacuate all those people? Not to mention that most of the people who stayed made the decision to stay and refused to evacuate. | |
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 10:29:38 AM | Most of those people didn't "decide" to stay. That shows a profound misunderstanding of poor people, and their mindset.
Rich people, those middle class and above, have things like insurance, cars, and lots of places and choices they can make.
Poor people have none of those choices, and seldom insurance. That means they may come back to find what little they have gone - and start back at zero.
Also, a mass evacuation on school buses is not practical.
1) Where do you go ?
2) Do you just drop people with no money off in some town and say "good luck" ?
3) There are no washrooms on city or school buses. They are few that are equipped to handle older people, and people with handicaps.
4) Gas shortages, and traffic jams, were already occurring in the rush to evacuate. That meant the possibility of running out of gas in the middle of nowhere , on the highway, with no shelter in a raging storm.
All those things, and more, meant that poor people would be more reluctant than well off people to evacuate, and that a bus evacuation could have easily resulted in a much greater problem - under the wrong circumstances. | |
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| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 11:45:52 AM | Montreal Guy:
I lived in Florida on the Gulf Coast for 10+ years. It has nothing to do with being poor. Many, many people when faced with a hurricane, decide to ride out the storms in their homes.
1) You take them to designated hurricane shelters that have been pre-approved by the local government.
2) No, you take them to the hurricane shelters (usually schools and other sturdy buildings that are located on high ground). Every year I received a list of hurricane shelters in my area and a list of items that should be brought to the hurricane shelters.
3) Most shelters are relatively near by so washrooms would not have been an issue. There are city buses and school buses that are designed to assist the handicapped.
4) They should have had a bus schedule and route information (along with plan b and c route information) already planned out to avoid or minimize such situations.
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myoid
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Joined: 7/22/2006
Msg: 25 | |
| Spike Lee's a Biased Racist
Posted: 8/16/2006 12:01:25 PM | response to message 24
Thanks Montreal Guy. You show a sensitivity and understanding that seems to be lacking amongst my countrymen. I was on the evacuation path - far enough out to be safe, but close enough to see it. It was chaos. Cars in line for gas. Cars out of gas. Frantic people. Hotels and motels charging top dollar and full. People with no place to go. Scared. Children crying. Parents powerless to calm the fears of their children. And it was deadly hot. Children and the elderly were dehydrated in a blistering near 100 degree day --trapped on bridges and roadways far from home as the traffic backed up and stopped. People died in the evacuation. Thousands. The US Army could not mobilize a one million man army and move it as quickly as the civilians were expected to move. The true death count is not known, but articles in the Times Picayune arrived at the conclusion that it was thousands more than reported, maybe as many as 10,000. People died in the evacuation in cities not their home. They are buried in Nashville and Montgomery and Houston and countless cities all across our land. Evacuate a million person city? Right.
One thing that I keep reiterating -- though our government may have failed at every level, the decent people of this nation stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. Homes all across America took in guests. And the guests were battered, broken -- knowing they had lost their homes, their jobs, loved ones. Food, clothing, water arrived within hours from all over the country. The outpouring of help was touching beyond all belief.
I will write no more. It is too painful, so I shall plagerize my closing. "Send not for whom the bell tolls." We stand to lose a wonderful city -- a wonderful part of the American culture. And we will all suffer the loss. | |
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