I thought some of you would "enjoy" seeing an example of the email I received today. It is telling and lays out clearly what we are up against. A warning - my posting skills are lacking so don't expect pretty boxes.
Come and take a peak in my Inbox ..
This is an email I sent out to my distribution list on the 31st --
So I have been working all day and listening to comments on the situation in
New Orleans. I work for clients so I mostly kept my mouth shut. Forgive
me all for this rant, but I think it is important. So here is my list of
myths currently floating around about the situation:
1. It is the the people's fault for building below sea level.
New Orleans is 400 years old. These people live where their grandparents
were born. They didn't throw up a levee last year so they could put up 200
poorly built McMansions. The house where I lived in the Old Marigny was
over 100 years old. Kathy's father build the house in Bridge City. They no
more chose to live below sea level than I chose to grow up in Seguin, TX.
2. It is the people's fault because they didn't evacuate.
New Orleans is full of very poor people. I am not talking about "Oh, honey
we just can't afford that cruise this year" poor. They are "beans again
because I can't afford a pork chop this week" poor. Working two jobs so you
can buy the kids new shoes for Christmas poor. They don't have cars. They
don't have the resources to stay in hotels. They were stuck.
On that note, I didn't evacuate during hurricane Ivan because Kathy's sister
was in ICU after a liver transplant and she wouldn't leave. I couldn't
leave her alone so I didn't leave either. Do you think I deserved to die
because I wouldn't leave my friend behind? People have a lot of reasons for
riding out a storm. Dismissing them all as "stupid" is insensitive.
3. No one could have anticipated this.
Yes they could. Popular Mechanics wrote an article on this years ago. The
Times Picayune has published about ten articles on it. There was an effort
underway to re-enforce the levee system, but it's funding was drastically
cut so we could have a war and a $600 tax refund. The funding ended at the
17th Street Bridge. That is where the repair work stopped. That is where
they ran out of money. That is where the levee failed. Plenty of people
anticipated this, but our government had other priorities.
4. The looters are all animals.
A large number of the looters are looking for food and water. See point
number 2. Poor people don't have large stocks of water and food. There
isn't exactly a commerce system down there right now. The Red Cross is not
there. FEMA is not there. People are on their own. Honestly, if I was
home with a bunch of hungry kids, I would break into a Winn Dixie, too. I
would do whatever I had to do. I can hear the undercurrents of racism in
these comments. No one is coming out and saying "the damn niggers are
looting" but I can hear it in the tone. I am from the South. I am from
redneck stock. I know that tone a mile away. Shame on anyone with those
thoughts.
Granted, there are people looting electronics and nonessentials. Some of
them are gangs of thugs. Some of them are using them to barter. Some of
them are drug addicts in a city that is probably out of crank and crack. It
is a nightmare. But to dismiss everyone as an animal is a mistake. .
I am sorry for ranting. I am tired and I am worried and I still don't know
where a lot of my friends are. The ones I have found are lost. They have
no homes. They have no jobs. They are working class folks with limited
savings and limited means and they have no idea what they are going to do.
So before you decide to crack that joke or make that comment, stop. Think.
These are people's live we are talking about.
And here is one of the responses I received. This is not from someone in my distribution list. My email has a tendency to get forwarded all over the damn place. Obviously, this was written by a genius. Prepare to be dazzled.
I received your email from ***, and I agree with what you are saying. A
lot of the problems with this is that the people in New Orleans were told
that they were going to be hit by a hurricane 5 and didn't leave. They are
lucky to be alive, and I see where a lot of people are blaming this all on
Bush for not helping in a hurry. Stating that he is a racist and didn't
care that they were all black people. This doesn't directly affect me, but
when people say that the white man is a racist for not sending help as soon
as possible, well that's just incorrect. It started with the Mayor of New
Orleans, the school buses that were flooded could have taken out the poor,
The Governor could have been more involved. This should have started out as
soon as they knew that a hurricane was in route. And lastly, I think the
people that stayed were ignorant. They put their lives at risk, and as
usual wanted somebody to take care of them, bcs they cannot take care of
themselves. This is something society has allowed to happen. I know your
educated, with a lot of common sense, so I want you to ponder on one
question, If the people of New Orleans were told that if they made it to
the Houston Astrodome within 3 days by any means necessary, they would all
be given a check for $1 million and every person that they bring from New
Orleans would recieve the same amount, how many of them would have been left
when the hurricane hit? They would have found a way, they put monetary
values above their own lives. So for them to view their own lives
worthless, I feel they are ignorant.
that's my .02$
Taking bids on how much you all think his two cents are worth.
FWIW, I know that 400 years is a typo and the bit about the levee construction has been disputed all over the place. But I think the intent stands.