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Chiming in about the Aftermath of Katrina
Sep. 1st, 2005 04:17 pmI have always defined myself (in my later years) as a social anarchist. However, I am not an individual anarchist. Why? I consider that we are a community animal and that we cannot exist alone. The good of the community insures my survival.
I have no problem what so ever with people looting to survive in a situation where chaos reigns and support/relief systems are completely overwhelmed. If I have to bust down glass to get to needed water, medical supplies, and basic food and perhaps clothing to keep my children alive or me alive, I'm going to do so--no one else is going to do it for me.
But, emptying the cache of guns at Wal*Mart? Shooting at relief helicopters picking up survivors off of rooftops? Shooting at caravans taking critically ill patients from one hospital to another? Setting fires surrounding refugee camps? Sniping at buses, ambulances, and anything else that moves--REGARDLESS of whether what moves represents in any way a "symbol of power," "authority," "government," "the man" what have you."
That is the act of desperate sub-human individuals who have given up any right to live, any hope to survive, and simply want to make sure they take as many people with them when they go. Even if those people still have a chance at survival and still want to live.
This type of sub-human behavior knows few boundaries including racial, economic and social strata--however, me in my American, middle-class, WASP background conclude that it is much more likely the very bottom rung of the ladder to be reduced to such despair and lawlessness in such a situation.
I say--shoot on sight, ask questions later. Clean out our gene pool and do these miscreants a favor. End the lives they think are so worthless before they can rob others of a life worth saving and fighting for.
The press had no right to publish photos of whites and blacks wading through waist high water, carrying loafs of bread and knapsacks and changing the captions so that the white couple had "acquired" or "rescued" food and perishables and the young black man was labled LOOTER.
Bush is accomplishing nothing by going on TV and wagging a finger at looters. They don't have electricity, phones, water, much less access to TELEVISION. Neither do the 10s of thousands of refugees in gathering places through out the submerged and damaged cities in three states who might take comfort from such a stern finger wagging. They can't even get local authorities, who are patently overwhelmed to update them via BULL HORN or good old Fashioned LUNG POWER to let them know what's happening and when. What fucking good does a message from our PRESIDENT on TV do them?
It just FUCKING makes you LOOK GOOD ya turd! I hope this domestic disaster swamps you and your administration in a way that even IRAQ can't seem to.
As much as I love to loathe Texas, the fact that one of the richest states in the country is opening its borders to any and all displaced, including--and this is unheard of in my view, opening enrollment in its schools to non residents,(ie: children, thousands of them) is to be applauded. It will probably keep Perry in office another term, if indeed he is entitled to it. However, this opening of hearts and minds is more a tribute to the broader and more complicated social nature that is Texas, than to politics or to Shrub in his 'adopted' state. If he tries to take credit for that, I hope someone snatches him bald. Gee if only they were so caring and thoughtful when the displaced and the unwashed, no matter the color of their skin, speak Spanish...and not English or Creole.
New Orleans is a fabled city, but it is not the only area of crisis and the press is already conveniently forgetting that. Mississippi and Alabama are also devastated, suffered the more direct brunt of the storm, took on the biggest part of the storm surge, have even fewer resources because of the more rural, less urban base, and is getting a 1" column bite at the end of a slew of reports, be it in the NY Times, Reuters or Associated Press. They may recover slightly faster, but they will be granted less help by relief agencies, FEMA, insurance assistance, and medical teams. You mark my words; this will happen.
Meanwhile, my boss IM'd me, as he did right after news of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, to ask me which relief agency his donation would best go for. We discussed a few options. So many US Relief Agencies focus on 3rd world and international aid.
First on my list: OXFAM. They help all, but first and foremost they are strong advocates for the most underprivlidged--the ones that are most often screwed over by FEMA and other agencies. The ones brushed aside as less glamorous or seen as 'can't help themselves so why should we help them?' by agencies like the Red Cross. More so, more of your donation money goes directly to relief, not overhead.
The Red Cross has it's problems, and not enough of the donated funds go to actual relief, rather than administrative overhead, but they are always and often, first on site and last to leave. I prefer to give them goods and blood to money, if it can be managed.
The DirectRelief Organization is another one--they focus on health which is a huge issue in a situation like this. CARE, another world health organization still prefers to drum on Niger (another dire situation) and has done little but put up a 500 word "expression of sympathy" for the victims of Katrina. Doctors without Borders is an excellent group, but underfunded and focused outside of America's borders.
Also, there is a lot of relief and legal needs that will be hidden now but desperately needed months and even years down the road. For the last 20 years, the Alabama based organization Southern Poverty Law Association, has recived my yearly donation. Months and years down the road, when those who had the very least are cheated and denied even that little bit of restitution, they will be wading in there shirt sleeves rolled up, teeth bared. They have a better success rate and track record than the ACLU or even the NAACP.
Keep them in mind when you are trying to figure out how to help.
I have no problem what so ever with people looting to survive in a situation where chaos reigns and support/relief systems are completely overwhelmed. If I have to bust down glass to get to needed water, medical supplies, and basic food and perhaps clothing to keep my children alive or me alive, I'm going to do so--no one else is going to do it for me.
But, emptying the cache of guns at Wal*Mart? Shooting at relief helicopters picking up survivors off of rooftops? Shooting at caravans taking critically ill patients from one hospital to another? Setting fires surrounding refugee camps? Sniping at buses, ambulances, and anything else that moves--REGARDLESS of whether what moves represents in any way a "symbol of power," "authority," "government," "the man" what have you."
That is the act of desperate sub-human individuals who have given up any right to live, any hope to survive, and simply want to make sure they take as many people with them when they go. Even if those people still have a chance at survival and still want to live.
This type of sub-human behavior knows few boundaries including racial, economic and social strata--however, me in my American, middle-class, WASP background conclude that it is much more likely the very bottom rung of the ladder to be reduced to such despair and lawlessness in such a situation.
I say--shoot on sight, ask questions later. Clean out our gene pool and do these miscreants a favor. End the lives they think are so worthless before they can rob others of a life worth saving and fighting for.
The press had no right to publish photos of whites and blacks wading through waist high water, carrying loafs of bread and knapsacks and changing the captions so that the white couple had "acquired" or "rescued" food and perishables and the young black man was labled LOOTER.
Bush is accomplishing nothing by going on TV and wagging a finger at looters. They don't have electricity, phones, water, much less access to TELEVISION. Neither do the 10s of thousands of refugees in gathering places through out the submerged and damaged cities in three states who might take comfort from such a stern finger wagging. They can't even get local authorities, who are patently overwhelmed to update them via BULL HORN or good old Fashioned LUNG POWER to let them know what's happening and when. What fucking good does a message from our PRESIDENT on TV do them?
It just FUCKING makes you LOOK GOOD ya turd! I hope this domestic disaster swamps you and your administration in a way that even IRAQ can't seem to.
As much as I love to loathe Texas, the fact that one of the richest states in the country is opening its borders to any and all displaced, including--and this is unheard of in my view, opening enrollment in its schools to non residents,(ie: children, thousands of them) is to be applauded. It will probably keep Perry in office another term, if indeed he is entitled to it. However, this opening of hearts and minds is more a tribute to the broader and more complicated social nature that is Texas, than to politics or to Shrub in his 'adopted' state. If he tries to take credit for that, I hope someone snatches him bald. Gee if only they were so caring and thoughtful when the displaced and the unwashed, no matter the color of their skin, speak Spanish...and not English or Creole.
New Orleans is a fabled city, but it is not the only area of crisis and the press is already conveniently forgetting that. Mississippi and Alabama are also devastated, suffered the more direct brunt of the storm, took on the biggest part of the storm surge, have even fewer resources because of the more rural, less urban base, and is getting a 1" column bite at the end of a slew of reports, be it in the NY Times, Reuters or Associated Press. They may recover slightly faster, but they will be granted less help by relief agencies, FEMA, insurance assistance, and medical teams. You mark my words; this will happen.
Meanwhile, my boss IM'd me, as he did right after news of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, to ask me which relief agency his donation would best go for. We discussed a few options. So many US Relief Agencies focus on 3rd world and international aid.
First on my list: OXFAM. They help all, but first and foremost they are strong advocates for the most underprivlidged--the ones that are most often screwed over by FEMA and other agencies. The ones brushed aside as less glamorous or seen as 'can't help themselves so why should we help them?' by agencies like the Red Cross. More so, more of your donation money goes directly to relief, not overhead.
The Red Cross has it's problems, and not enough of the donated funds go to actual relief, rather than administrative overhead, but they are always and often, first on site and last to leave. I prefer to give them goods and blood to money, if it can be managed.
The DirectRelief Organization is another one--they focus on health which is a huge issue in a situation like this. CARE, another world health organization still prefers to drum on Niger (another dire situation) and has done little but put up a 500 word "expression of sympathy" for the victims of Katrina. Doctors without Borders is an excellent group, but underfunded and focused outside of America's borders.
Also, there is a lot of relief and legal needs that will be hidden now but desperately needed months and even years down the road. For the last 20 years, the Alabama based organization Southern Poverty Law Association, has recived my yearly donation. Months and years down the road, when those who had the very least are cheated and denied even that little bit of restitution, they will be wading in there shirt sleeves rolled up, teeth bared. They have a better success rate and track record than the ACLU or even the NAACP.
Keep them in mind when you are trying to figure out how to help.
