An interesting perspective from a civilian "on the ground" in Louisiana.
Makes you think.
Have a blessed day. Please pray for the folks affected by this storm.
Their lives will be turned upside down for a long time.
An email from a friend here in Tallahassee.
This note is from a girl i work with named Robin. She's in Louisiana amid all the turmoil. When I read her story I got the chills; this is horrible. I'm sending this to all of you to spread the word, PRAY. There are local churches where she lives who will be housing the homeless.
We have had a battery operated TV so we've been getting local channels focusing on the situation there and here. I'm just getting the national perspective" and its making me very angry!
First, this is not a racial thing. I'm sorry if all the reporters are seeing are black faces. If they would take their cameras to places like Slidell, Mandeville, Metairie and Chalmetter they would see several thousand white faces being affected as well. Most of the tip of the boot that is Louisiana south and east of Baton Rouge is under water. Those people are stuck too, waiting for help, dying. Yet all the news people can focus on is the Superdome.
Another misconception. The violence going on there is not the reaction of desperate people. This is typical New Orleans on any givenTuesday!!! Its a dangerous, dirty, drug infested place to live. The city police and city government are corrupt and pretty much useless. Volunteers are getting shot at and their cars vandalized. Helicopters are being shot at. Just another day in the city the big easy.
Another misconception. These poor people couldn't get out because they don't have cars. If the cameras show the city once the waters recede, you'll notice all the flooded out cars littering the streets. They couldn't all have been broken down before the storm hit . Yes, there are always people who do not have transportation. Part of making the call for a MANDATORY evacuation is that the city has to provide for transportation and/or shelter in the city. People stayed for the same reasons they always stay. They think the storm will turn and go in another direction. They think they can "ride it out," or they are just too lazy to pack up and leave.
Another misconception. The federal government was slow to respond. The president issued a state of emergency BEFORE the storm ever hit; unprecedented. This means that the full access of the federal government, be it military or civil, were at our governor's disposal. The levee broke early Monday afternoon. She did not call for evacuation until Tuesday morning. You cannot call up National Guard units in 20 minutes It takes time. The governor and mayor are in high "CYA" mode at the moment.
The situation is bad here. Crime is becoming a problem in Gonzales and Baton Rouge where the evacuees are being housed. We live between the two cities and there is pistol on my desk shelf as I type (yes, I know how to use it). Helicopters flying overhead all day, gas is running out, stores shelves becoming empty. Its like a war zone. Our kids are both here and are staying here until the crime situation gets in control and I fear it will get worse before it gets better. Pray for us. **
So, that's all I'm asking. SEND this to your friends and say a prayer for the people going through this whole catastrophe. We sure need it.
Thanks.