New Orleans

[Charger]

Pretty sad situation going on in New Orleans. The news says people are looting, raping and beating people up. I hate to think this is how people should act in the face of disaster in a civilized world, but I guess fear can make you do a lot of stupid things.

I saw people in the news trying to get supplies and then I saw one woman with a few dozen boxes of new shoes like they were the most important thing...yeah I think if something like this was happening to me and my family I would run out and grab a crap load of new shoes...people aren't taking shoes, or plasma TV's, I seen one photo of a car loaded with beer, just for survival. They aren't thinking about tomorrow either, just themselves and whatever they can get cause they know theres no real police around to stop them.

Its chaos down there and its just to bad because there must be hundreds of children who are going to suffer in the long run when this is all organized and people are finally out of danger and in some ways they are going to be taught that survival is all about taking what you can, raping and beating people up.

The National Guard come in trying to rescue people but they storm the choppers causing them to back off and this just makes it harder for everyone. I realize that people are capable of anything when faced with such a traumatic situation, its just a shame really.

People are helpless and caught up in something they have no control over, but I am for certainly so disappointed and almost ashamed of the way others are handling their situation by being violent and have no common sense for their fellow man...

My frigin heart goes out to the kids thats for sure and lord knows I would never want my family to go through that but I can guarantee that my every breath would be on getting them out of there. I have a 7 year old at home and I'm looking at her right now sleeping on the couch and I'm thanking God that she is safe.

I'm not a religious person but tonight I am praying for all, not just in New Orleans but for all people in every corner of the world who deserve not to have to suffer like this...

[Edward]

yea and look at the majority of the ppl doing it what else do you really expect, i cant wait till the army sets foot down marshal law inforced oh yea dont get cought there after every1 is evacuated. can you say levenworth or get shot its really sad them ppl cant come together and help each other

[nakulak]

I tried hard not to respond to this but somehow it felt wrong not to.

When any city goes dark there are those that loot; you have to keep in mind two important things: 1) these people are a minority and 2) these people will appear to you to not be a minority because the news will play any and all dramatic footage before they ever show anything else, in order to get ratings.

The fact is, if you and your kids were being good citizens for 4 days with no food or water, you would rush the chopper too, especially after seeing little or no help, and after seeing friends die, and hearing of all the horrific stories of others dying, and also hearing stories of no help provided.

The simple fact is, the local government was only equipped to handle a group of people that was at most the size of what they currently have in the dome, and they have at least 10 to 20 times that many to deal with and so were only minimally successful with their initial response. Don't let your hearts turn to stone because of what you see in the news - even though you can watch the news nowadays for 24 hours at a time, you will still sometimes never get the real story, you will still often get wrong or misleading information, and you still have to read between the lines. If you look at the news coverage you can even see that for yourself - at the start the stories were dramatic footage, helo evacs, and looting ; now the stories have changed to show the people dying from lack of food and water and medical assistance - something that is unusual for news to show because it is not a high ratings draw (how much footage do you see of the massive starvation and death going on for the last year in africa?). Its easy to sit on your couch sipping your soda and eating your potato chips and judge these people, but you must not allow yourself to do that, because no matter what, it would be hard to imagine yourself and what you would do if you were in their predicament.

here are a couple links if you want to help:
relief orgs
links to many things
offer housing for victims

if you want to help, watch out for scams !! they are already out there.

(note: in terms of disaster response, failed = did not save any lives, minimally successful = saved a small percentage of lives but not with sufficient and timely resources to save those at risk, successful = saved a majority of lives as well as responded with sufficient resources in timely manner to save those in immediate medical need, provided evac, medical needs, shelter, food, clothing. - based on this definition, there is, of course, not only a large gap between "minimally successful" and "successful", but a case in which "failed" would be hard to use, even though it may be applicable)

[Charger]

A clip from the News...

"Hell no, I'm not glad to see them. They should have been here days ago. I ain't glad to see 'em. I'll be glad when 100 buses show up," said 46-year-old Michael Levy, whose words were echoed by those around him yelling, "Hell, yeah! Hell yeah!"

"We've been sleeping on the ... ground like rats," Levy said. "I say burn this whole ... city down."

I'm guessing this is just one persons opinion on his ordeal and seems pretty appreciative of the arrival of the National Guard who brought food and water.

[ZAK]

This German Federal Government have Mr. Bush, Financial and Logistics help offered.
Mr. Busch says NO! This is not good for the Peopel in New Orleans.
Last for 3 Years in East and South Germany a Heavy High tide, Millions from People have Lost the Home. Germny have a good experience with such Situations.
I have the Reports seen in the German TV, News Week on Pro7
In Germany donation the People Money for the People in New Orleans.
------------------------------- Original ----------------------------------
Die deutsche Bundesregierung hat Herrn Bush, finanziell, und Logistikhilfe Angeboten.
Herr Bush sagte Nein! Dies ist nicht gut für die Menschen in New Orleans.
vor 3 Jahren in Ost und Süd Deutschland war eine schwere Flut, Millionen von den Leuten haben ihr Haus verloren. Deutschland hat gute Erfahrungen mit solchen Situationen.
Ich sah die Berichte im deutschen Fernsehen, in den Nachrichten auf Pro7
In Deutschland Spenden die Menschen geld für die Menschen in New Orleans.

[nakulak]

I thought this might put the disaster in perspective for some who aren't familiar with the USA, or the magnitude of the damage:

the affected area where buildings, roads, power, and homes have been wiped off the map is between 70000 and 90000 square miles. Comparing this to countries in Europe, this is:

larger than Ireland
larger than Austria
larger than Portugal
roughly 1/2 the size of England (?)
1/4 the size of Germany
1/6 the size of France

in addition, this figure is only a tiny portion of a much larger area that includes severe storm damage, power outages, etc.

[Bluetiereign]

This whole thing is disturbing... but some things really stand out here.

• An attempt to make this a 'Racial Thing'...as if blacks are the only poor people here in America. IMHO, they need to focus on the inability of the rich to help the poor - not the inability of the whites to deal with the blacks.
• Foreign Diplomats being escorted out of the Civic Center by MP's - days before others are rescued - including dying children and the elderly.
• The willingness of the Oil Companies and Distributors to capitalize on the situation.
• The dictator Chavez - calling a spade a spade - when he called Bush the "King of Vacation". Funny..

[Bluetiereign]

This German Federal Government have Mr. Busch, Financial and Logistics help offered.
Mr. Busch says NO! This is not good for the Peopel in New Orleans.
Last for 3 Years in East and South Germany a Heavy High tide, Millions from People have Lost the Home. Germny have a good experience with such Situations.
I have the Reports seen in the German TV, News Week on Pro7
In Germany donation the People Money for the People in New Orleans.

Interesting. I don't think I have heard - not one time - an offer of help from Germany being rejected. This hasn't been in our news.

[ZAK]

Hi BTR, in the German TV became ( wurde ) said this Mr. Bush, speak Help it is not necessary.
The Problem in New Orleans is the Dead Peopel in this High Water, epidemic.
There subsist Need for action. ( Da besteht Handlungsbedarf )
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Hi BR; im Deutschen Fernsehen wurde gesagt das Mr. Bush sprach, Help ist nicht Notwendig.
Das Problem in New Orleans sind die Toten Menschen im Hochwasser, Epdemie. Da besteht Handlungsbedarf

[ZAK]

I thought this might put the disaster in perspective for some who aren't familiar with the USA, or the magnitude of the damage:

the affected area where buildings, roads, power, and homes have been wiped off the map is between 70000 and 90000 square miles. Comparing this to countries in Europe, this is:

larger than Ireland
larger than Austria
larger than Portugal
roughly 1/2 the size of England (?)
1/4 the size of Germany
1/6 the size of France

in addition, this figure is only a tiny portion of a much larger area that includes severe storm damage, power outages, etc.

Hi Nakulak, It shouldn't be a comparison.
I meant more the experience with so a Situations.
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Ich meinte mehr die Erfahrungen mit so einer Situation.

[ZAK]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thanked the European Union and other countries for the help offers. Germany sends a bunch of the technical relief organization (THW) to the crisis region. The team shall sound the situation out so that the help can immediately begin. The German Red Cross probably will send logistics experts to the area next week.
What is the THW?

Berlin. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has medium reports offered the United States the help of Germany after verhherenden hurricane "Katrina" to consequence today.
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Außenministerin Condoleezza Rice dankte der Europäischen Union und anderen Ländern für deren Hilfsangebote. Deutschland schickt einen Trupp des Technischen Hilfswerks (THW) in die Krisenregion. Das Team soll die Lage sondieren, damit die Hilfe unverzüglich anlaufen kann. Das Deutsche Rote Kreuz wird wahrscheinlich in der nächsten Woche Logistikexperten in das Gebiet entsenden.

Berlin. Medienberichten zu Folge hat Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder heute den Vereinigten Staaten die Hilfe Deutschlands nach dem verhherenden Hurrikan "Katrina" angeboten.