I don't know about you, but my Labor Day weekend, wasn't quite as relaxing this year. It was hard to enjoy the holiday weekend knowing what was happening in Louisiana and Mississippi. With the mayor of New Orleans warning that as many as 10,000 people may have died, it puts things in perspective.
It's hard to not be glued to the television watching the amazing coverage. The reporting of this tragedy by CNN has been extremely impressive. A few highlights have been the reporting of Jeanne Meserve and Anderson Cooper. Meserve summed up the tragedy eloquently and respectfully. Anderson Cooper at one point broke down on camera, and also openly questioned Louisina senator Mary Landrieu about what the government was doing to help.
Senator, I’m sorry… for the last four days, I have been seeing dead bodies here in the streets of Mississippi and to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other — I have to tell you, there are people here who are very upset and angry, and when they hear politicians thanking one another, it just, you know, it cuts them the wrong way right now, because there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman has been laying in the street for 48 hours, and there is not enough facilities to get her up. Do you understand that anger?For those of you in search of someone who is missing, or are missing here are some invaluable links. About. com has the most comprehensive set of links in regards to finding people. NOLA has posts from people who need rescuing, or people who are searching for people.
Of course, the celebrities have gotten on the Bush and response bashing. Kanye West was probably the most shocking of the bunch. He stated during the NBC telethon that George Bush doesn't care about black people. Angelina Jolie is quoted as saying, "It is wonderful to hear of the relief efforts that are finally coming into New Orleans and the rest of the region today, but as we all know, it is simply not going to be enough." And Michael Moore wouldn't be Michael Moore without putting in his two cents.
Bloggers are also expressing their views as well. Some of the best can be found at Towleroad, cityrag, and Wonkette.
Jane says:
Thank you for posting that. It's always refreshing to see people being proactive in a time of need.
Mimi says:
Thank you, Miu, for taking an active role to provide truth about what happenned, and is still happenning.
Here are more links:
Good general links for info: www.nola.com and www.wwltv.com
Powerful interview with Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, Thursday 0901
http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/09/02/wwl.nagin.intv.affl&wm=10
From Meet the Press. Sunday 0904
New Orleans' levees
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=866f6b8d-e266-46d8-9040-69b8e41e9bc3&f=copy
Aaron Broussard interview "She drowned Friday night."
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=31261c04-42a8-47fe-980b-40ec861b85bb&f=copy
an excerpt:
MR. BROUSSARD: I'm telling you most importantly I want to thank my public employees...
MR. RUSSERT: All right.
MR. BROUSSARD: ...that have worked 24/7. They're burned out, the doctors, the nurses. And I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night.
MR. RUSSERT: Mr. President...
MR. BROUSSARD: Nobody's coming to get us. Nobody's coming to get us. The secretary has promised. Everybody's promised. They've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences. For God sakes, shut up and send us somebody.
Chertoff defends U.S. response
http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=53d339ff-55e8-454f-bba5-9462bf408bef&f=copy
Entire transcript of Meet The Press 090405
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/
Natalie says:
Okay, this hits right at home since my husband grew up in Baton Rouge and went to LSU. We were not able to contact our friends that live in that area for almost a week. What drives me crazy is the living conditions of these poor people. Anderson Cooper is completely right. There are things that can be airlifted to the Convention center/superdome. Diapers, baby wipes, Tylenol, baby formula all could have been dropped. Three babies died in the superdome of heat exhaustion/deydration. In a country as rich as America, we could not have been more ill prepared for a natural disaster...Can you imagine the chaos of another terrorist attack?
We made donations to the Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity. PLEASE PLEASE DONATE! Even if it's only $5.
Laslo says:
If we have a terrorist attack, we are clearly not prepared to handle it. I am shocked that in this day and age in the United States of AMERICA we have conditions nearly as bad as post-war Vietnam. It breaks my heart to see all these babies separated from their moms. Like the poster said above, just give any amount you can to the Red Cross. Please don't fail these folks any more than they already have been.
stephanie says:
i live in houston, and am doing all i can to generate donations for the massive amounts of evacuees now living here.
just wanted to say that you can also donate to the Houston Food Bank, and that your money goes a LONG way there.
http://www.houstonfoodbank.org
thanks.
Stormy70 says:
Why are there 275 buses sitting in NO flooded out? The city's hurricane plan was to use those buses to get the poor people out, but they were never used.
Simple_Tina says:
Kanye is a dumbass! Get your cheeks fixed!!!
Jak King says:
I disagree about Jean Meserve's performance. I listened to her played-and-played-again interview with Aaron Brown the other nigyht and, frankly, I thought it was all about Jean: What a terrible day it had been for her to go through, to witness all these terrible things, to hear the cries of the babies. Hello, Jean! It was a lot more unpleasant for those actually going through it! I frankly don't care much about how it affected a visitor like you.
spitfire says:
I am not only saddened at this event and scared for those I have yet to make contact with, but dissapointed. For any of us that thought our states were prepared for a natural disaster, think again. To see the way so many have reacted(ie, looting, rape, beatings, etc.) is shameful. This is not a time for dissent in the country, it's a time to grow together and support one another as we all try to help recover from this.
If you'd like to send something, I have an address from a National Guard unit at Ft Worth whose youth are collecting items for those at the Astrodome. The items they could use are: Phone cards, games and books, restaurant gift certificates(McDonalds, KFC, etc), Letters of support for those who are feeling very alone right now, especially letters to children from children, and WalMart gift cards in $20 increments, since WalMart is the closest store to the Astrodome. If you can, please pass along some items, or pass this address to those who would like to.
FSSC
Bldg 3175
NASJRB Ft Worth, TX 76127
Attn: Jo Carter
Cynthia says:
It is discouraging to see the complete chaos and lack of any order in the rescue efforts. And unfortunately, there will always be evil morons to cause even more dissent (looting, rapes, beatings, shootings) what a horrible situation for all.