Met by Despair, Not Violence

[NorthernSpy]

Met by Despair, Not Violence
As they begin to patrol the chaotic city, troops are surprised by what they don't find.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-troops3sep03,1,3550798.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets. When they stopped to gear up for their arrival at the New Orleans Convention Center, where more than 15,000 people had been living in squalor since Katrina, these words echoed — for the first time, one would imagine — through the intersection of Poydras Avenue and Carondelet Street: "Lock and load!"

"Sixteen in the clip!" one Guardsman shouted, a common refrain used to indicate that rifles are fully loaded.

But when they arrived, they did not find marauding mobs. They did not come under fire. They found people who had lost everything in the storm and, since then, their dignity.

Read it! There are too many goddamn rumors floating around.

[Roland99]

1. Wow...you don't say? The MSNBC, CNN, NPR reporters were right?

[Eloriel]

19. Yes, they've all gone OUT OF THEIR WAY to point out how orderly

and docile everyone has been. It's been amazing to me -- that they have taken the effort to do this, apparently to try to overcome these "rumors."

Please see my thread here for much more info:
***ATTN DU RESEARCHERS -- LIHOP/MIHOP evidence stacking up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4588088&mesg_id=4588088

[RandiFan1290]

2. Seems like FEMA is doing their best

to break those poor people. The people are waiting it out. What the hell else can they do? I think FEMA expected riots to break out by now to justify the body count at the Super Dome, Convention Center and the countless others left in their homes. It hasn't happened for them. So they stop the evac and water. Once the people reach the breaking point they will turn the cameras back on.

[Eloriel]

24. Justify the body count AND more ...

***ATTN DU RESEARCHERS -- LIHOP/MIHOP evidence stacking up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4588088&mesg_id=4588088

[Deja Q]

3. and any idea that people would revolt can now be dismissed too.

[NorthernSpy]

4. what with all the absurd rumors of babies getting their throats slit...

... and other such blatant horseshit filling the air, I thought it might be nice to inject a little reality into the discussion.

It isn't about FEMA having cowed anybody into cancelling the Revolution, anymore than it's about scary black folks going on a white-folk-eating, baby-spearing spree for no discernable reason. It's about a couple hundred thousand people who are struggling for their lives. And I don't want them slandered, and I don't want them lied about.

That's all.

[flygal]

6. Thank you!

I heard an interview of someone in the convention center sounding surprised at the mention of raping - to paraphrase him

"no, there's nothing like that. There were a few guys came in here with guns but we got rid of them. We're sticking together - we're all we've got".

Thank you NS - I'm sick of these rumors.

[IndyOp]

5. FEMA = LIARS

FEMA LIE: Lawlessness is so bad Red Cross won't come in.

TRUTH: Red Cross says that Homeland Security (FEMA) won't let us in because people would be attracted to our food/water and would not leave NOLA.

FEMA LIE: “Every disaster that I have ever been apart of the people are at their wits end, but they band together and help each other out, it is not happening in New Orleans right now.”

TRUTH: Heroes are being born on the ground in NOLA -

Early in the day, we witnessed a black man in a boat with no motor paddling with a piece of lumber. He rescued people in the boat and paddled them to safety (a mile and a half)...

...in a really rough neighborhood and we came across five seemingly unsavory characters. One had scars from what seemed to be gunshot wounds.... These guys stayed outside in the center all day, getting everyone out of the rec center onto boats... These five guys were on the last boat out of the neighborhood at sundown. They were incredibly grateful, mentioned numerous times 'God is going to bless y'all for this'.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4598643&mesg_id=4598643>

[iamjoy]

7. I Don't Think They Are All Rumors

but I think a few isolated incidents have been made to sound rampant.

I think maybe there were a few truly vile evil criminals (I'm not talking about the ones in Washington DC) who took advantage of the situation specifically because they like inflicting pain on others and that's what they would do anyway and knew in the chaos they could get away with it.

[FlaGranny]

8. I agree with that. I heard first hand accounts.

They interviewed a girl in the hospital in Houston whose rescuers were shot at and they had to leave her and others (Charity Hospital). She said they came back the next day and got her and others. Then there was the reporter on the rooftop of the police station when there was a gunshot and they all ducked for cover. Then the doctor on the phone who said a nurse went outside and was mugged. There were other reports from the ground. This is probably no differnt though, than what goes on in every city every single night. I don't understand why people think the gangs and hoodlums who do this every night are going to stop for a disaster. I also think there is no excuse for it disrupting any rescue or food/water delivery attempts. I think it probably seemed so much worse because these gangs and the rest of the population were all pushed together into such small areas. Good people are usually home at night watching TV and sleeping and aren't exposed as much to the gang violence around them.

Gangs are nothing new and they are not exclusively black. My husband grew up in Philadelphia - white neighborhoods - every neighborhood had its own gang. As a teen, I even discovered that my tiny country town had its own gang, when I brought my out-of-town boyfriend to an ice skating party. The big difference is that there was much less violence back then. City gangs used knives and clubs instead of guns.

[1932]

11. Good perspective.

I also suspect that there are drug addicts in N.O. who freaked out when their economy went upside down.

But the point is, this stuff is not excuse not to save everyone else. It's not an excuse to wait days to rescue people. If anything, it means that you should be moving faster to alleviate misery, not slower.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Keep on catapulting the propaganda.

Hey you know what? I got Raped and Looted at the gas station this morning! Doesn't that beat all?



:nuke:

[iamjoy]

16. What Propoganda?

I am referring to these incidents as isolated, that is hardly buying into the story that it is too chaotic to offer aid to these people.

But hell, I wouldn't care if the violence were rampant, that is no excuse not to send in our guardsmen to help. We send them to Iraq to get shot at...

[stray cat]

17. Right - New Orleans has no crime and is utterly peaceful.

All criminals and drug addicts and nasty people have left New Orleans. We might as well get rid of all governent and police because all people look out for one another and there is no such thing as criminals or crime. Murders are always accidents performed by well meaning people. The news people may be overly focused on violence but it has certainly occured.

[NorthernSpy]

18. the point is that a lot of rumors seem to have gotten accepted as fact

Of course there is crime and disorder! As Leftielawyer points out, you can always find crime and disorder.

It's just that some of the Shocking! claims that people have been swallowing whole go from questionable, to demonstrably false, to downright ridiculous. And the overall effect of these unsubstantiated claims has been the demonization of frightened people who are nearing the end of their strength, and are basically dying on their feet.

Me, I am collecting the rumors, and am making note of where they come from and how they are spread.

[stickdog]

33. And I don't believe that everybody who lives in Crawford, TX is innocent

of mass murder, either.

But that doesn't mean that the entire town has devolved into the "Lord of the Flies", now does it?

Ask yourself this:

If the violence was so rampant, how come 99% of the images from NO showed peaceful and orderly people waiting and praying to be rescued?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

9. Gee

You mean to tell me there's CRIME in cities in America? I mean, even when there aren't natural disasters, and the Federal Government doesn't keep screwing up everything and lying about it?

I don't believe it. There's no crime. Our Fearless Leader, Fuckface, has eliminated all crime.

Except, of course, for these atrocities which are now being committed constantly by poor black people in New Orleans - and, let's face it, they're not rich, white Republicans, so if we get the chance, let's shoot them and say they shot at us first.

After all, with Fuckface as President, reality is what he says it is.

Right?

[kimchi]

27. Right.

Reality is what he says it is.

You speak the truth, and for some reason your words resonated such that I got chills of fear up my spine.

Sadly I know too many people who resemble the caricature you draw... but this is the first time I ever truly considered them dangerous.

[1932]

10. have cryingshame or puddycat posted at DU recently?

I'm curious about their perspectives on stories like this one.

[mom cat]

13. "This is a crime, — a crime of the heart." n/t

[elaineb]

14. Anyone watching the filmed reports shouldn't be surprised by this

But when they arrived, they did not find marauding mobs. They did not come under fire. They found people who had lost everything in the storm and, since then, their dignity.

I understand the article is trying to be sympathetic to the incredibly strong survivors criminally neglected by our government, but they absolutely have NOT lost their dignity. In fact, the one thing that amazes me after seeing the footage of the people forced to wait at the Superdome and Convention Center and on I-10, waiting for non-existent help to arrive, is their overall demeanor. Maybe I shouldn't be admiring their amazing ability to remain calmly waiting, because maybe rioting is the only thing that's going to force some action, but nevertheless, their dignity is the one thing they haven't lost in this horrible catastrophe. God bless each and every one of them. The looters are a miniscule part of the population that the MSM has given WAY to much attention to. These extraordinary people are the true soul of New Orleans and of our country.

[ima_sinnic]

15. this needs to be screamed from the rooftops

The People need to know that their emotions were purposely manipulated, and that rumors were started as excuses for not delivering relief. This is criminal on such a vast scale I am at a loss for words. Ohhh, I have such a letter percolating in my brain, to be delivered to my Senators and Rep here in Florida on Monday.

on edit: oops, mean Tuesday. forgot we are now at the beginning of a "holiday" weekend. :cry:

[progressivebydesign]

20. I don't understand. I read accounts from SURVIVORS that cited violence

They talked of being surrounded by gunfire and gangs trying to get into houses. A woman was interviewed in an article I read today.. she was an employee of the superdome who was robbed of everything on her, including her shoes.

I'm glad that the troops are not being met with violence, but we're in a fantasy land if we think there is no violence. Why is it so important here to pretend that there has been no violence beyond the surival looting? That makes no sense.

[NorthernSpy]

21. you sound kind of disappointed...

Where's the rest of the violence? Is this all ya got?

[jurassicpork]

23. It's pretty tough to run off with a TV set

if you're in over your head. The so-called looters whom the Governor has been actually calling names and with whom George seems the most concerned, are stealing necessities like toothpast and soap and deodorant, which is understandable, really, considering that they'd just lost everything they'd worked their whole lives to earn.

Has it ever struck anyone that, instead of actually cutting his vacation short by two days, George II has actually extended it? I mean, what has he done, lately? He stopped off in San Diego after leaving Crawford but before going to NO, he attended a fireworks display last night and he's been chatting with Diane Sawyer and joking about fixing up Trent Lott's house of "rubbles."

Oh, yes, and the photo ops, those sweet, sweeeeeeet photo ops.

JP
http://jurassicpork.blogspot.com

[progressivebydesign]

28. Oh give me a break. Disappointed? No.. realistic.

I'm commenting on the fact that there is some bizzaro mindset with many on DU who seem intent on denying that there is violence, extreme violence, going on against the rescuers and the other evacuees there. Why is this so hard for people to get? If I was one of the evacuees who is fearing for my life right now, I'd be angry that people here are wishing and excusing the violent crimes away because they are afraid to seem not liberal enough.

You can all tell your fanstasies of a crime-free scene to the women and children who have been raped, and the people who have been mugged. It's total lawless chaos there, and that is the fault of the authorities who didn't act to secure everything fast enough. YOu get a hundred thousand or so people in a catastrophe with no leadership or real help, and your going to have people there preying on one another... sadly. There have been many more stories of people helping one another, but I cannot understand the mentality here that every report of violence is some sort of right wing conspiracy, and every poster who brings that up is labeled a "freeper". I've been on DU longer than most who are posting this week.. so I'm hardly a freeper. But you're doing no favors to anyone by imagining a scene out of Oliver down there...

[NorthernSpy]

29. except that "realistic" is exactly what you're NOT being

As I told someone else, the point is not that there is no crime and disorder:

Of course there is crime and disorder! As Leftielawyer points out, you can always find crime and disorder.

It's just that some of the Shocking! claims that people have been swallowing whole go from questionable, to demonstrably false, to downright ridiculous. And the overall effect of these unsubstantiated claims has been the demonization of frightened people who are nearing the end of their strength, and are basically dying on their feet.

Me, I am collecting the rumors, and am making note of where they come from and how they are spread.

Very interesting, what all I've assembled so far.

And now, it's coming out that the most hysterical rumors are either unsubstantiated, or KNOWN to be false. A person who was not dead-set on smearing these people would admit that.

[gemlake]

31. We've seen the video

The photographer who spent two days there said the people were not violent. Why are you so intent on denying that?

Think about it--these people had been without food or water or medical attention for days. The "out of control violence" spin is being used to justify delaying relief to tens of thousands of residents. And judging by your posts, it's working.

[stickdog]

35. You're the one with the BIZARRO mindset that is ready to

believe the worst about your fellow citizens based on nothing more than unconfirmed RUMORS that quite obviously are being hyped beyond all proportion in order to blame the victims for FEMA's murderous incompetence.

[leftyleftist]

36. I'm sure there is violence

Because honestly, there's violence all over this country, without even this extreme stress. I just hope that when people see the NG come in, they will calm down. My belief, as food and water gets to these people, violence will stop. People aren't doing this because they're evil. But they are under extraordinary stress, and people do bad shit when they think they are being left to die (which I believe is likely true anyway).

[stickdog]

34. You are living in a RACIST, CLASSIST fantasyland where

every unconfirmed rumor the MSM reports has to be true. Sure some people were fighting with people for the means to stay alive. But in general, crowds remain very orderly in such emergency situations because they DON'T want the authorities to have any excuses to help them last when such a delay might mean the difference between life and death.

But I suppose you also believe that WMDs MUST be in Iraq because so many Hussein survivors reported they were there. Right?

[IdaBriggs]

22. Kicked and nominated! nt

[NorthernSpy]

25. helicopter fired upon? just another thing the "savages" DIDN'T do!

Funny -- no pilot reported any such thing to the FAA:

Laura Brown, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman in Washington, said she had no such report.

"We're controlling every single aircraft in that airspace and none of them reported being fired on," she said, adding that the FAA was in contact with the military as well as civilian aircraft.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1087205

How come so many of these "news" stories turn out to be random people talking shit?

[Warren Stupidity]

26. How come so many DU'ers keep repeating the bullshit?

How come MSM reporter after MSM reporter tries to solicit 'bad looter' memes out of their interviewees?

Starvation and neglect are the crimes being committed. The cover story is bad looters.

[NorthernSpy]

30. and you notice how they all sound seem so disappointed...

... whenever one of their favorite crazyevilblackfolks horror stories bites the dust.



:eyes:

[leftyleftist]

37. Exactly

Starvation and neglect are the crimes. Whatever the people on the ground are doing is out of desperation. I believe there probably was violence, but under that kind of long term stress, it happens. I mean, in a normal emergency most people do remain calm, bu this was an extraordinary disaster and I'm sure that after a couple of days of no food and water, people weren't acting as they normally would.

Hey, anyone consider that leaving those people down there like that was part of the point? I mean, if people are too hungry and dehydrated to do anything, maybe our administration thinks they'd be easier to "handle."

This is a horrible tragedy, just so horrible all around.

[stickdog]

32. Where's the two minute hate brigade now?

Please tell us again why those of us who asked for confirmed reports before expressing our outrage at a bunch of BULLSHIT RUMORS are the equivalent of murderers and rapists!

[NorthernSpy]

38. "New Orleans cops handing in their badges!" -- another LIE debunked!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4624260&mesg_id=4624260

In a city where clean water was as precious as diamonds, there was never any shortage of slanderous propaganda. Our newsmedia are a DISGRACE!