Thursday, May 11, 2006
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD
(photos by Pablo Taboada)
Oh my God. Television can't convey the devestation - you have to see it first hand. I spent the day 'in the shit', cleaning up a neighborhood hit particularly hard by Katrina. It's an endless job in a city without the money or the manpower to do it.
Sure, as I've said, downtown New Orleans is up and running, but the surrounding areas, namely the 9th Ward, may never recover.
It's eerie, like a Stephen King novel. Massive suburbs deserted. It looks like a war zone. A guy I was with found the remains of a doodle doggie - I cried.
The number of dogs that were left behind is astounding. The ASPCA did a great job of going through the neighborhoods and a great many were saved, but an unestimatble number perished. It kills me.
An few organizations are fighting the good fight. Today we worked with two of them. City Year is an organization of college age volunteers who give a year of their life to come down here and help out. They are amazing people. I can't imagine how hard it must be to not become jaded after a week, much less a year.
Another group, who organized our work detail, called Katrina Krewe is made up of upper middle class Mercedes driving soccer moms who have organized clean-up crews once a week for the past several months. Their attitude is cheery, and they do a great job.
I've talked to a number of locals - okay, mostly bartenders - who have told me their stories. You hear the same things over and over. FEMA sucks. They didn't, and haven't, done shit except hand out contracts to over priced companies from - you guessed it - Texas.
Who are the heroes? Certainly there are some. The Coast Guard, in an initial emegency response role seems to be the overwhelming shining knight of the Katrina story.
I have heard a number of stories about unnamed Army and Marine batallions who showed up without insignia, to do search and rescue. When asked who they were, or where they were from, they couldn't say - they weren't given clearance. Their commanders just acted when they saw the need.
That's a hero.
I'm sure I haven't heard the half of it. I'm just happy, and proud, to have been able to put my tiny little drop in the bucket.
Make levies, not war.
Comments:
I'm very proud that you were out there pitching in. The pictures look bad; I can't imagine what it must be like standing in the middle of it, where everywhere you look it's the same thing... destruction. When you see it on TV it's just one small image surrounded by your normal life.
Good job.
Every day more shit comes out about FEMA's (non) response. It's getting more and more sickening.
I'm hoping the people of New Orleans fight back. They should bring a class action lawsuit against the Federal government. You can bet one thing... had there been someone to bomb down there, the Feds woulda responded quick.
Good job.
Every day more shit comes out about FEMA's (non) response. It's getting more and more sickening.
I'm hoping the people of New Orleans fight back. They should bring a class action lawsuit against the Federal government. You can bet one thing... had there been someone to bomb down there, the Feds woulda responded quick.
great post, I too am proud you did your bit. Very awesome.
as far as talking to the bartenders...
we all know Bartenders run that town.
The pictures sent chills down my spine, I'm sure the pictures are nothing like being there.
Your a good man.
as far as talking to the bartenders...
we all know Bartenders run that town.
The pictures sent chills down my spine, I'm sure the pictures are nothing like being there.
Your a good man.
Well done Jackson. I too would not have been able to stifle my tears if I came across a doodle dog or doodle cat. I'd have been a blubbering mess.
CC is right, Texas did open up their arms. I was only reporting what I was told by several people. It's too bad that the good people of Texas, of whom we are certain there are a great many, are tainted by the people they choose to elect into office, and the Texas based companies that benefit from getting them elected.
There's no way Texas can be all bad as long as people like Chan Chandler are from there.
I certainly hold it against my home state of Connecticut that GW was born in New Haven. I just hope we had nothing to do with the whole "nucular" thing.
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I certainly hold it against my home state of Connecticut that GW was born in New Haven. I just hope we had nothing to do with the whole "nucular" thing.
