OT: Tourist stories

Here's an account of the odyssey of some Cambridge, Mass. natives who
got stuck in New Orleans and didn't evacuate because they COULDN'T.

skralyx's diary :: ::
The editor of the site says about the writer, "Peter Berkowitz ... was
in New Orleans bringing his son Ernesto to begin his freshman year at
Loyola when they were caught in the hurricane. Peter and Ernesto spent
five days on the street by the Convention Center." I just placed it
here for your consumption, and I don't know that there's much to
comment about. Some excerpts:



This is pretty much what happened to us as far as I can remember it.
Some of it is probably off because we lost track of time and days and
nights blended. I'm still feeling very angry and sad. Watching the news
outrages me. I see 'Dr. Phil' opining on why people didn't evacuate
New Orleans. He says they didn't believe there would be a hurricane or
they didn't want to leave, etc. Well, there was no way to leave. We had
no way out. People with families and no resources had no way out.
There were no buses coming for people or shelters to take people to.
Just announcements to leave. So, naturally, the poorest, sickest, etc.
were left behind.

[...]

By Wednesday, the streets are filled with people who are at the
Convention Center. There are thousands of people in the streets. No
one has food or water. It is hot and miserable. It was maybe
Wednesday or Thursday that some people on the street are yelling about
dead bodies and toss a body wrapped in a *** on the side of the
Convention Center just below us. A little later, a wheelchair with a
dead woman appears there as well. Again, everything is rumor. People
are saying that the dead woman in the wheelchair was bludgeoned to
death in the Convention Center. At the same time, hordes of people are
coming up the steps past us and into the mall. They are breaking into
all the stores, smashing cash registers, etc. There is desperation all
around. And anger. And violence.

[...]

In convincing the National Guard to let us stay, one of the more
hateful and delusional of our group argued to the Guard that we should
be left on the walkway because of "racial tensions." This was the same
woman who had been telling everyone who would listen that the Blacks
would slaughter us to gain media attention so they would be evacuated.
Anyway between all the arguments we were allowed to stay. And it also
resulted in one of the most shameful moments of our stay. When the
meals were distributed in the parking lot, several distribution lines
were formed. We were given a separate line. Our line was escorted to
and from the food by Guardsmen. No one from our group was ever able to
walk alone. As always, it is the racist hysterical argument that
prevails. It was better not to get food than to pass through that
disgrace.

We were amazed that there was actually a bus when we walked down to the
corner where the bus was supposed to be. It took an hour to get out of
the city. The driver did not know where we were going. As usual, we
knew nothing. At some point, the cop leading the line of evacuating
buses informed us that we were going to Fort Chafee, Arkansas. All we
wanted was an airport but there was no way off a moving bus. Later we
were told we were going to Fort Smith, Arkansas, even farther away. We
demanded to be let off. The cop told us that we would stop to eat in
Shreveport, Louisiana and we could get off there. Of course the bus
didn't stop. It did stop just across the Texas border where a group of
people had voluntarily set up tables to distribute food and help to the
refugees. We grabbed our bags and decided to find a ride into
Shreveport. There was no good reason to go to Fort Smith for us.
Ernesto found a volunteer to take us to a motel by the airport. Our
first priority was to bathe by this point. An airplane was next. Of
course no motels were available. So we decided to spend the night at
the airport. Another man offered to take us. As we were getting in
his car, he also offered us a shower at his house. We took him up on
it and headed off. We showered, chatted, etc. I made plane
reservations for 7 am the next morning. They invited us to stay and
sleep for the hour and half that remained of the night. They gave us
food and little presents, a tee-shirt from their local high school
baseball team, etc. They were kind, concerned, and really wanted to
help and do the right thing. As we talked, it was also clear that they
were religious conservatives, racist, homophobic, etc. East Texas.
Kindness and hatefulness on the same plate.

Anyway we're home. We're still angry and anxious. Writing all this
makes me relive it. Reading it makes Bruni cry. What we saw was just
too raw. Poor people abandoned because they were poor. Poor people
treated as trash. Poor people being branded as looters and thieves for
trying to survive. Our own country treating us just as we treat the
Iraqis, Palestinians, and every other country that we exploit or
invade. How can we ever deny class warfare?

The other thing that struck me were the contradictions in people. How
the kindest people in our group who gave aid and compassion
individually to Blacks and whites, rich and poor, also painted all
those people at the Convention Center with the same brush -- animals,
looters, ignorants.

And it is no wonder when all the papers write and all the news reports
is looting and violence -- as if there was no need or reason to "loot."
Sure, there were some violent people there. There are everywhere. But
this handful gets turned into "those people." And everyone gets
branded. So no compassion is needed for the poor. After all, they
brought it on themselves. They wouldn't let the government help even
though the government tried so hard. And that becomes what this
country believes. And then of course the government can "morally" do
nothing for the poor -- which is what it intended in the first place.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/16/0926/54213

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