My Home, My Heart, I Pray!

New Orleans and the state of Louisiana are dear to me. First of all, I only feel hurt for the people of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. I have family all around the Gulf Coastal cities. I am very hurt as well by some of the comments that have been made on other Forums I have read. I am also embarrassed somewhat because they show ignorance as much as these animals with the guns. Most of the peole looting are looting for food, looting to survive. I agree if a looter is found with a tv or boombox or 6 pack of beer, etc in hand they should be shot on spot. New Orleans has always been one of the most poverty stricken cities in the U.S. and also one of the highest crime cities in America. But you have to understand that these reporters are reporting from the French Quarter and in the heart of New Orleans, which is 68% black. A lot of the people left there are criminals who had nothing to leave for but there are a lot of good people who got left behind for whatever reason. Now you can put whatever spin you want on it but these News Stations have the power to broadcast whatever they choose. You see NO white people because it is the spin they have put on this. PLEASE do not believe everything you see if you are not there to see it with your own eyes. And I am not going to lie and say it's not all black people because I don't know for sure, but I can tell you that you cannot generalize and blame it on the blacks when you only go by what the news shows you. I only hope that one day we won't just see color before we see what is really important here and that's that a lot of those looters are just BAD people, NOT BLACK. ALL OF YOU NEED TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND JUST PRAY, PRAY THAT THE PEOPLE ALIVE GET OUT SAFE, PRAY THAT OUR NATIONAL GUARD CAN REGAIN CONTROL. In inhumane conditions we all become animals of some sort, some worse than others, do not criticize, just open your minds and hearts. We will get 100 National Guardsmen in New orleans soon which is not enough. Where is our security? It is in Iraq and I blame Bush for this. I blame the same guy I supported for so long because this event shows we can't help ourselves because we are helping everyone else. We have nothing here, NOTHING AT ALL. If you feel I am totally wrong about something feel free to let me know because I have a lot of emotion in this and I also have some perspective since that was once my home. Just don't be racially charged though because that's the very thing that has me most upset right now. Residents of Louisiana predicted this would one day happen when I was a young boy and it has become reality. I don't know where the blame will go but now isn't a time to blame but only for prayer and support. If you don't have money to give that's fine because prayer is the most powerful thing to me. And remember that children have no choice of where they live, they should not suffer no matter what your views are on the subject, I pray for them the most.

I already gave a couple hundred dollares to the red cross and intend on doing it again soon through my church.

Very sad and tragic -- my step son has worked for a 4th generation cajun restaurant in the French Quarter (very nice upscale) for 5yrs - they love him -- he and the owners son rode out Katrina on the 3rd floor of the 200yr old building the restaurant is in --- survived ok and kept looters out. But when the levee broke they had to skeedadle.

He and his girl friend just made it out of the city and are headed up to Maryland to her parents house. But bottom line they will have lost everything they scrimped and saved for building a simple life down there. Many others are certainly worse off

One thing I did hear that pissed me off was that Greyhound stopped all services on Saturday prior to Katrina hitting -- so the last affordable way to exit the city was gone for many or the poorer people ..... The city of New Orleans should have gathered every city bus and charter bus to get these people out of town - for free

I agree not enough was done to help the poorer people get out of the city... and the super dome was a good idea but did not hold up well enough they also did not use the full amount of space the super dome allowed.

It great to know your stepson made it out okay, and I don't even know him but it hurts me all the same and I wish he and his girlfriend the best in getting their lives back together. I want to thank you powerbookg4 because I know your support means a lot to them as well as I. I am going to try and get something set up at my school hopefully to help out. I don't have much power but I am going to try to do what I can with what I do have.

I have some family and friends in the area, I have not heard from yet. I am in continued prayer them and the other affected by Katrina.

What you have described sounds like what the media did for the L.A. riots. No matter where the people were looting it was described as south central L.A., even if you saw in the news videoo that they were in fact in Hollywood. It is a shame the media can not tell the real truth about any situation. They in the business of selling and making news, than reporting the real facts.

My wife and I certainly plan on donating money to the relief efforts. The really sad part of this is that when the total financial cost to this tragedy is tallied, the cost of properly securing the levees will pale in comparison.

Furthermore, I'm irked that the mass media keeps referring to the displaced as 'refugees'. A better term would be 'evacuee'.

Just saw this and it's a good idea. Apple's allowing people donate to the American Red Cross via iTunes, for hurricane relief.

badmojo said:

Just saw this and it's a good idea. Apple's allowing people donate to the American Red Cross via iTunes, for hurricane relief.

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I just saw this as well and contributed using this method... I ... just like many on here will spend money on a CD or a music track on iTunes without even thinking twice about it. The inward reward you receive as a result of helping others is far greater than getting any music track. I would strongly encourage members to take part in this... Or some other method of contribution. People are in need and we must respond.

This is much more of a disaster than I think anyone expected. It's bad and getting worse. I've been through a couple of hurricanes, but none of them were anywhere near as bad as that...never more than 100 dead all told....

sursuciofla said:

...I am very hurt as well by some of the comments that have been made on other Forums I have read.

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I hope you don't and won't see that here.

I am also embarrassed somewhat because they show ignorance as much as these animals with the guns. Most of the peole looting are looting for food, looting to survive.

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Many, probably most, are.

I agree if a looter is found with a tv or boombox or 6 pack of beer, etc in hand they should be shot on spot. New Orleans has always been one of the most poverty stricken cities in the U.S. and also one of the highest crime cities in America. But you have to understand that these reporters are reporting from the French Quarter and in the heart of New Orleans, which is 68% black. A lot of the people left there are criminals who had nothing to leave for but there are a lot of good people who got left behind for whatever reason. Now you can put whatever spin you want on it but these News Stations have the power to broadcast whatever they choose. You see NO white people because it is the spin they have put on this.

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Firstly, I have seen some white people taking part in the looting, but also I think it's more likely that inner city New Orleans, like most cities, is mostly black. The areas in question are probably much more than 68% black, and the poorest, most desperate, and most disenfranchised are also more likely to be black.