Greenguy's Board - View Single Post - Katrina aftermath

CaptainJSparrow · 2005-09-05, 10:20 AM

Thanks Linkster. We're good here though. Glad to hear that you're OK too.

Lemmy. I realize that it is easy to form an opinion, and pass judgement, on things. The hard part is to realize that some of the information that you're using to form that opinion is tainted (as Linkster said) by the media.

In this instance, I read the posts and thought that some folks had the wrong opinion (based on what I've seen first hand and on what my friends have seen and we've discussed).

I know of a man that was delivering water and ice to help, and his truck with all the supplies was carjacked at gunpoint by the very same people that he was trying to help.

Folks have volunteered to go down there in their own boats to rescue these poor folks that you're talking about, and these same poor folks are shooting at their rescuers, and even taking the boats themselves.

Military helicopters are being shot at as they try to rescue people.

You know, when "we" clear out land and there are wild animals living on that land we re-locate them. The people that go in, have to take the proper precautions and wear protective clothing, etc. to protect themselves from the animals that they're trying to help. Even though it's in the animals best interest that they be relocated, they still bite the hand that's trying to save them.

Well, unfortunately, in New Orleans, a similar thing is going on. The military, the police, and the volunteers jobs are being slowed down by the folks that they are trying to rescue. There are alot of people in New Orleans that don't want to be rescued/re-located. They would rather stay and have their way (ie loot) with as many stores as they can. But once these folks get caught somewhere because of rising water, they're on TV waving flags and nice folks are saying "It's the President's fault that those poor folks are still in New Orleans." Now of course, that is not an accurate description of every person waving a flag...but I'd guess that everything that I've typed in these posts describes well over 95% of those folks that you're seeing on TV. Yesterday, as I was driving around an area that was just a block or two from the Lake, an area that had flooded, I saw a man sitting in the median on a lawn chair getting some sun and watching everything going on around him. There was no way that he has any sort of power where he was. I'm doubting that he had running water...if it ran it was certainly not drinkable. There were cars and trucks driving all around this man. If he wanted to get out, he could've flagged one of us down and someone would have taken him to safety. Instead, he sat there watching the ducks and the traffic and the storm damage. Now, should the President come on down and forceably remove this guy? He doesn't want to go. What if it rains here tomorrow, the levee breaks where he is, and he's on his roof waving a flag? The media helicopters will be flying over him (not offering assistance) and broadcasting his image all over the world and who will folks blame for this poor guy's predicament?

Most people around here know that the contra flow worked. The mandatory evactuation, in the order that they did it, worked. Most people around here know that those folks that are dead or stranded did it to themselves. We feel sorry for them, to an extent. Alot of folks around here also feel that these people are keeping the authorities from focusing on repairing the damage.

Lemmy, that is just how it really is down here in Louisiana.

2005-09-05, 10:20 AM	#4
CaptainJSparrow You can now put whatever you want in this space :) Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Louisiana Posts: 511	Thanks Linkster. We're good here though. Glad to hear that you're OK too. Lemmy. I realize that it is easy to form an opinion, and pass judgement, on things. The hard part is to realize that some of the information that you're using to form that opinion is tainted (as Linkster said) by the media. In this instance, I read the posts and thought that some folks had the wrong opinion (based on what I've seen first hand and on what my friends have seen and we've discussed). I know of a man that was delivering water and ice to help, and his truck with all the supplies was carjacked at gunpoint by the very same people that he was trying to help. Folks have volunteered to go down there in their own boats to rescue these poor folks that you're talking about, and these same poor folks are shooting at their rescuers, and even taking the boats themselves. Military helicopters are being shot at as they try to rescue people. You know, when "we" clear out land and there are wild animals living on that land we re-locate them. The people that go in, have to take the proper precautions and wear protective clothing, etc. to protect themselves from the animals that they're trying to help. Even though it's in the animals best interest that they be relocated, they still bite the hand that's trying to save them. Well, unfortunately, in New Orleans, a similar thing is going on. The military, the police, and the volunteers jobs are being slowed down by the folks that they are trying to rescue. There are alot of people in New Orleans that don't want to be rescued/re-located. They would rather stay and have their way (ie loot) with as many stores as they can. But once these folks get caught somewhere because of rising water, they're on TV waving flags and nice folks are saying "It's the President's fault that those poor folks are still in New Orleans." Now of course, that is not an accurate description of every person waving a flag...but I'd guess that everything that I've typed in these posts describes well over 95% of those folks that you're seeing on TV. Yesterday, as I was driving around an area that was just a block or two from the Lake, an area that had flooded, I saw a man sitting in the median on a lawn chair getting some sun and watching everything going on around him. There was no way that he has any sort of power where he was. I'm doubting that he had running water...if it ran it was certainly not drinkable. There were cars and trucks driving all around this man. If he wanted to get out, he could've flagged one of us down and someone would have taken him to safety. Instead, he sat there watching the ducks and the traffic and the storm damage. Now, should the President come on down and forceably remove this guy? He doesn't want to go. What if it rains here tomorrow, the levee breaks where he is, and he's on his roof waving a flag? The media helicopters will be flying over him (not offering assistance) and broadcasting his image all over the world and who will folks blame for this poor guy's predicament? Most people around here know that the contra flow worked. The mandatory evactuation, in the order that they did it, worked. Most people around here know that those folks that are dead or stranded did it to themselves. We feel sorry for them, to an extent. Alot of folks around here also feel that these people are keeping the authorities from focusing on repairing the damage. Lemmy, that is just how it really is down here in Louisiana.