LAT: Trapped in an Arena of Suffering

[Pirate Smile]

Trapped in an Arena of Suffering

'We are like animals,' a mother says inside the Louisiana Superdome, where hope and supplies are sparse.

By Scott Gold, Times Staff Writer


NEW ORLEANS — A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers.

The Louisiana Superdome, once a mighty testament to architecture and ingenuity, became the biggest storm shelter in New Orleans the day before Katrina's arrival Monday. About 16,000 people eventually settled in.

By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. A few hundred people were evacuated from the arena Wednesday, and buses will take away the vast majority of refugees today.

"We pee on the floor. We are like animals," said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. In her right hand she carried a half-full bottle of formula provided by rescuers. Baby supplies are running low; one mother said she was given two diapers and told to scrape them off when they got dirty and use them again.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-superdome1sep01,0,4489032.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Sequoia]

1. Tears.

Why can't these big shoe companies make donations. These corporations in the USA like GAP and Nike need to help.

[leftofcool]

2. It is just as bad at the convention center..........

the police and guard are all gone. The Bush administration has left these people to die. Babies and old folks are dying of dehydration. No food or water and no one coming to help!!!!!!!!!

Left of Cool

[donheld]

3. Looks like a lot of companies need to make donations

They should set an example. There's many things these people need companies could and should give.

[Eloriel]

4. NOMINATED n/t

[Mister Mark]

5. The refugees are now prisoners?

It sounds like the Superdome has been turned into a prison. They're not allowing anyone to leave. Is that correct?

[rainbow4321]

8. Must be...

Cuz there are reports about Houston's Astrodome that said "unlike the Superdome, the refugees will be given a pass that will allow them to leave, UNLIKE at the Superdome".

I guess it sounds cruel to not let them leave, but in reality, letting them leave means more people that will need to be rescued later--and more exposed to the looters/armed thugs **around** the dome.
Since the Superdome group seem to be the first to be removed from N.O and everyone else is being let to rot, staying in the "first out" group seems a better option, even if the dome environment is getting worse by the day.

[OhioBlue]

16. well - that is a good point

however, if they are running out of food and water and basic necessities, it would be hard for parents to not go out and salvage what they could to help their families.

[madeline_con]

11. Where are they going to go?

The water's at least knne deep all around the stadium, and no place to go...

[shantipriya]

6. scrap the diapers for re-use!!!

Don't forget,we are the richest nation!!!!!!

[rainbow4321]

7. How long before feds order the media out?

So none of this gets out? Then we will hear the death, destruction, and suffering are in "last throes"??

Chimp will finally send in the military, not to help the people but to keep news people OUT.

[RedRocco]

9. and maybe

to mop up the survivors to keep their stories quiet?

[AnneD]

10. Wait til the stories get out about how

Dubya shortchanged the budget for the corp of engineers to work on the levies. Unbelievable..

[madeline_con]

12. The military, NG from LA, is coming home from Iraq...

to take their city back from the armed thugs who control many of the streets.

They have the best experience in dealing with "insurgents". :eyes:

I have mixed feelings about all this.

[Roy]

13. CNN's Jack Cafferty finally got something right....

Compared the speed of congress returning to pass the sham for Terri Shiavo with the slowness of their return to pass diaster relief for these folks.
With a very indignant tone to boot.
After reading some very critical e-mail responses.

[Roy]

14. Meanwhile on CNN.......

Clinton is making it plain that the elder Bush is not much smarter than the JR.

Damn, Clinton running interference again.

[despairing optimist]

15. What the MSM should have been doing for Iraqis' suffering, it's doing now

Suffering is suffering, all of it undeserved and equally worthy of relief. The Bush administration is all about suffering. At first it wanted to put the suffering in the Middle East so it wouldn't have to face it at home, but now the home front is seeing the Bush approach to suffering close up. It's mass education the hard way. Lots of people are having their consciousness raised along with their consciences. No one can pretend they don't see in order to get on with their lives anymore. The chickens are fast coming home to roost.

[KamaAina]

17. Crack vials littered a restroom?!

I thought they were searching everyone for drugs (and weapons) before they got in, and tha's why the lines were blocks long?