Originally Posted by Dawgbitten
|
|
|
|
|
GREAT POST!!
RG had his staff ready for a 9-11 situation long before it happened. Even he would have trouble with this mess, but at least he could do something other than emote.
I've been saying that alot the last few days. Even tonight, I decided to step up and shout it. Tonight we ordered food from Mcalister's Deli here in Shreveport, and the girl that drove to pick up the order wasn't given all of the items.. in fact they didn't give her order at all. She was kinda pissed off and talking about how they better give her something as an apoligy... and the only thought in my head was "Does it really matter?" She called them, and they said Sorry about the mistake. Just come pick it up, they will keep it warm. In her moment of just pure anger about gas and gas prices, I just offered.. "It's really not a big deal, at least we have a resturant to get food from. Tone of people in NO area can't even see resturants. Why don't you just let me go get it?" The look on her face was unmistakable... it was one of those... oh my god, how can i be so selfish in this time.... while she handed me reciept with a simple "Thank you". I got to the Dli, and they asked how many people I worked with.. I said 4, the nice lady handed me 4 of their HUGE cookies, and said "we're sorry for our mistake"... Problem solved.
I challenge everyone to stop getting so mad about our petty problems and learn to just deal with life gives us. The TECH Band of Pride will tell you.. that it's "Hard to be Humble".. hehe (my fav TECH game moment, along with the Fireman song) but I would like to hear more stories about other situations that you have handled different lately.
Perhaps that's why they call her Gov. Blinko.
So apt ..............................
jmo
Was visiting with a physician friend last night who was volunteering down at the PMAC. Its rough down there. She says they really don't have the supplies they need yet - and it will be rough for weeks to come as well. The PMAC was requesting Gatorade/Pedialyte, etc. yesterday on the radio (just back from a 2:30 AM run to get gas and gatorade/supplies from the store - hint to Baton Rouge people, you can get around then!) She said whatever supplies she can get are appreciated - they're evaporated quickly with the great needs.
She was working with a nurse from Kenner that talked to the physician she worked with normally in Kenner. Those physicians were allowed to stay with their families in the hospital but apparently the conditions are just AWFUL. No water, everyone is sick w/ nausea, etc. These folks are heroes to stay there and take care of those people who couldn't get out.
I finally found my last friend down there. He is safe in Arkansas, but has lost absolutely everything. He worked for the Times Picayunne, but had weekday hours, so was able to leave before it started. He has his car and what he could throw in it as quick as he could plus 3 pets.
On the looting, the news channels are milking this some. Yes, there is some looting, but it is not the major story. Many people that are stranded are tired, sick, and scared. Some of them are truly criminal types, but most of the looting is of food. CNN and Fox like to concentrate on those few that are after other things. I am not too worried about that - it is a minority. Even the stealing of guns is, for most, a protection issue.
On those that could not get out, there are MANY. In New Orleans, there are many people that do not own cars. Some of this is because of being poor, but many people that can afford it do not have cars, as well. There is a lack of understanding of this from most people that do not know the culture of New Orleans. I hardly ever drove my car when I lived there. There was no need to do that with the streetcars and public transportation. It was MUCH more of a hassle to drive and park than it was to get there another way. Some just rented a car when they wanted to leave town. This is hard to understand if you are not from New Orleans. It is similar to New York in this respect.
The car rental places shut down on that Saturday and the airports stopped flights around that same time. There were many people stranded. Then, even if you had a car, you had to have a full tank of gas, if you were late getting out.
I am a little angry that more is not being done to get people out quicker. We have not had NEAR ENOUGH helicopters coming in and getting people to safety. We should have had (and still need) 5 times the number doing this. The looting would not be near as big of a problem, if this had happened. Those people doing this work are doing a great job, but we need more - MUCH MORE!
I have gone to Houston during massive flooding to work the victims (mental health issues). I know that people are desperate and lost right now. The scene unfolding is like none we have ever seen before and, hopefully, will never see again. Every resource imaginable needs to be poured into getting these people out QUICK and getting the levee's fixed.
I don't think you have a good understanding at all of the terrible nature of the looting/lawlessness situation. I've talked to people who are/were there. Its a huge problem. One lady told me yesterday that she had friends in Terrytown who thugs came in with guns and kicked them out of their house and said this is OUR house now. The National Guard has had thugs shooting at them trying to hijack these boats for their own purposes. This is a low level of humanity. What percentage of those left is it? I don't know, but those type can stay and rot and die of diseases and it'd be fine with me.
There's been a huge lack of leadership on the state level. We've had indicators that better plans were needed with false alarms. Yet, nothing has been done. Clearly there were not adequate plans to take care of this possibility that everyone clearly understood. We don't have a Guiliani here - clearly! And, we are BAD in need of one.
Well, there are lots of different reports. I am sure there are some people that are doing that, but that is NOT the majority.
I am posting this to all the message groups that I belong to put some of this in perspective:
I would like to thank all of you that have emailed or called me to check on how my family and friends are doing. I have finally been contacted by my one last missing friend. He is safe with extended family in Arkansas. He did lose absolutely everything, though. All he got out with was his car and his 3 pets. He fears that his job will be gone and knows that his house is under at least 10 foot of water (maybe more). It was down the road from one of the levee's that broke.
I am hoping that he will make his way this direction soon and stay in this area for a while until he can get his life back together.
I would like to add one more thing. To those who have been watching the media, don't believe everything you hear about "roaming gangs" of people looting. People that are still down there are in survival mode. The media is sensationalizing this. They are breaking in places, but much of this is out of necessity. Most of them are stealing food, water, medicine, and clothing. I was able to talk to one person that I know that is still down there working in Touro Hospital. He stated that he is not scared at all. The people down there know that they can't stay in wet clothing and they are taking anything they can to get dry and survive. There are some criminal types, but by and large this is a small minority in a large city with still close to 100, 000 people left that have not been rescued. To put that in perspective, there are more people left there in that mess right now than the entire population of Tyler, Texas (or compare it to a nearby city that you know). There has not been a full report yet, but there has been one report of a murder in the last week there (I am sure there will be some more reported when all is said and done, though). I think we had one or more here, as well, and we don't have our whole population walking around lost in sewerage filled water without food, water, clothes, shelter.
Anyway, thanks for the prayers and thoughts! I appreciate each one of you. Please donate where ever and whatever you can, if you are able.
I am headed to N. Louisiana on Saturday and will try to help out there some.
Thanks again,
To all you people who want to use the excuse that these people didn't have cars, get over it. I know that many didn't have cars. Transportation was provided to get these people to the Superdome and other safe havens. They didn't take advantage of this. They have created their own situations.
Oh, and don't think that much of that element didn't leave town and is in our communities. I know I'm fully loaded. I hope the rest of you are.
Here's a quote I read from today's Times-Picayune that kind of puts it in a better perspective for me:
---------
The church custodian, Ken Elder, hoped to free his car from the parking lot behind the church as soon as the water went down. He rode out Katrina on the Episcopal church’s altar steps and was well stocked with food. But he feared the marauding looters that roamed St. Charles Avenue after dark.
"I lived in Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots," Elder said. "That was a piece of cake compared to this."
And here's another one:
-----------
The atmosphere of near-anarchy in New Orleans is another major concern, said Arthur Wiese Jr., vice president of corporate communications for Entergy.
“We can’t send workers out and put their lives in jeopardy,” he said late Wednesday afternoon from the one of the company’s storm command centers in Jackson, Miss. “Once we have facilities back operating, we have to know that our workers can get to work safely.
I guess everyone has a different opinion (like everything else). Just pray for the safety of those left alive and that are still down there. That is all we can do. The faster that we get them out, the more problems will be resolved.
Their needs to be some serious questions asked to airlines that stop flying out of New Orleans early. If someone wanted to leave on saturday their is not reason that they should not of had a flight out.
Champ, NPR, the most liberal of all liberal broadcasting, with Sunny Merriweather, the most liberal of liberal reporters, just reported that your so called victims, who are in fact nothing but a bunch of thugs, are shooting at the helicopters. They don't want relief. They aren't finished with business yet.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
