3 Duke students tell of 'disgraceful' scene (drove into NOLA Sat)

[struggle4progress]

By Ray Gronberg : The Herald-Sun
[e-mail]
Sep 4, 2005 : 9:36 pm ET

DURHAM -- A trio of Duke University sophomores say they drove to New Orleans late last week, posed as journalists to slip inside the hurricane-soaked city twice, and evacuated seven people who weren't receiving help from authorities.

The group, led by South Carolina native Sonny Byrd, say they also managed to drive all the way to the New Orleans Convention Center, where they encountered scenes early Saturday evening that they say were disgraceful.

"We found it absolutely incredible that the authorities had no way to get there for four or five days, that they didn't go in and help these people, and we made it in a two-wheel-drive Hyundai," said Hans Buder, who made the trip with his roommate Byrd and another student, David Hankla.

Buder's account -- told by cell phone Sunday evening as the trio neared Montgomery, Ala., on their way home -- chronicled a three-day odyssey that began when the students, angered by the news reports they were seeing on CNN, loaded up their car with bottled water and headed for the Gulf coast to see if they could lend a hand. <snip>

http://www.herald-sun.com/durham/4-643298.html

[opihimoimoi]

1. Obviously, they got there faster than a speeding bullet

way ahead of the HLS guys or the FEMA boys for that matter.

Seems like the lower guys of these 2 agencies are doing a fantastic job...its their Leaders who gave the wrong orders at the wrong time that pisses off those who look and care.

[saigon68]

79. FASTER THAN SPEEDING RUMDUMB OR WAR CRIMINAL MYERS

Who's in Charge

Answer : NO ONE

or they are only Coloreds anyway </sarcasm>

[BootinUp]

2. There goes my blood pressure again.

[txindy]

26. Oh, no kidding.

My thoughts exactly. :grr:

[StellaBlue]

3. Kick

[killbotfactory]

4. What? They weren't shot and decapitated and put on display..

like some nightmarish apocalypse scenario? How could that be?

[The Backlash Cometh]

48. On a pike no less to discourage others.

[sakabatou]

5. Kick

[Maat]

6. Thanks for the post!

What a moving story.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. the truth will get out

I encourage these brave students to get the news out in every venue that will allow it.

[lumpy]

8. These young people are true heros.

please read

[GettysbergII]

9. Great job!!

[spooky3]

10. and how did all those reporters such as Anderson Cooper and Brian

Williams manage to get there earlier in the week if "authorities had no way to get there"?

Please, American citizens, FOR ONCE, hold these inept and cowardly officials accountable.

[OKNancy]

11. A must read

Readers, don't just read the snip, read the whole thing.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. I've seen several stories like this...........

saying they don't see why the "authorities" couldn't get it.

[biscotti]

13. Thank you for posting this

A real eye witness account of the utter incompetence and lies from the administration about inaccessibility.

[FourStarDemocrat]

73. Absolutely, this is a great story!

Bravo to the trio from Duke U. who did what the authorities say no one could do--drive right in and rescue people!

[stevedeshazer]

14. kick, recommended

Another big-assed puncture in the "official" story.

[pinerow]

16. Kick...

great job done by our children...!!!

[Benbow]

15. Words fail me - they got in by posing as journalists! Twice!!

And loads of others wanting to do the exact same thing - evacuate people - but didn't think of lying/want to lie about it were prevented from doing so. That is so wierd.

[Roy]

17. These young people should be first to testify at the heaings

And the last to testify at the ipeachment proceedings.

[Booster]

19. And they should replace the heads of FEMA right now.

[IndyJones]

37. That is exactly my thought! At least they have common sense.

[starmaker]

18. kick n/t

[bikebloke]

20. The BBC was interviewing a FEMA spokesbot yesterday

The Beeb mentioned that journalists were able to get through in cars. The spokesbot just jibbered along. The relief trucks were positioned where they were. They had to stay there. The main concern of the junta is covering their asses until the stalinist media is brought back into line.

[despairing optimist]

21. Wow. Guys posing as MSM who really do act in the public interest

No wonder they had to pose and fake the credentials. They didn't have any editors or corporate suits to answer to.

I hope someone, somewhere took photos that the National Guard, FEMA, and police didn't want taken or published. I hope someone in New Orleans followed in the footsteps of the brave soldier who blew the whistle on Abu Ghraib and burned a CD full of photos. And I hope that the world will get to see all of them to expose the shame of this horrendous governmental failure.

[Peace Patriot]

22. GREAT STORY! These are true heroes! And their info: Citizen convoys

could have gotten all those people out in hours--and they were left to rot for five days. If we had known; if the Bush Cartel hadn't so thoroughly wrecked communications and coordination and access; if Bush hadn't been eating birthday cake and golfing and fundraising for himself; if they hadn't treated poor people...it's hard to describe, we wouldn't even treat animals that way, or criminals...like human offal, like nothing, like dirt, imprisoning them with no food and water, preventing entry, powermongering--if they had only asked organized citizen convoys to come in and evacuate them, it would have been EASILY done, and I'm sure that thousands of people with cars, gas and time, in neighboring states, would have immediately responded. I'm sure of it. These students used their own initiative, made their own judgments and acted. For goddsakes, MAKE THEM PRESIDENT; PUT THEM IN CHARGE OF FEMA. NOW!

[Wind Dancer]

36. I couldn't agree more.

These are the true heroes.

[bettyellen]

23. we made it in a two-wheel-drive Hyundai," that says it all.

[Ezlivin]

30. Yeah, where are all the Bush supporters in their Hummers?

They got a $50K tax break to buy the big sons of bitches. Why didn't they explore the "wild" and go down to NOLA?

[dchill]

44. Yes! Excellent point.

They are probably bitching about the price of gas.

[The Night Owl]

24. Well, there goes the government's "we couldn't get into New Orleans" meme.

[applegrove]

25. They'll be charged with unlawfully stealing "product" from companies

who were contracted out to move people from the dome. For Christ's sake, don't you know the premium a corporation can charge the government when it is a crisis? Hazard pay/per evacuee and the like? :sarcasm:

[NorCalDem]

27. Good job Fellas! n/t

[Akoto]

28. Good for them.

They helped people in need and exposed the government's lies, all with one stone.

[nookiemonster]

29. Press suppression was easy in Iraq,

but not so easy here, huh, Chimp?

I'm envisioning gallows now. I never thought I would feel this way.

:mad:

[pat_k]

31. Not trapped. Not abandoned. IMPRISONED at Gunpoint

Trapped and abandoned are euphemisms for what happened to the people at the convention center.

They were imprisoned at gunpoint. That is not inattention.

Trapped sounds like it happened without human intervention. Abandoned implies they were forgotten.

The men that kept guns pointed at them did not abandon them. They threatened and menaced them. Decision were made.

We must use the words that convey the truth. They were imprisoned in torturous conditions. They were abused.

From "Sobbing Geraldo: Let the people go!" link

...
"There are so many babies here," Rivera said. "Take a look, I want everyone in the world to see. ... Look in the face of the baby. ... People suffering, let them go! ... Let them walk over this damn interstate and let them out of here!"

...Fox's Shepard Smith explained in a excited negative tone that authorities were preventing survivors from leaving the area.

Reported in post on the Interdictor blog @10:46 PM on Thurs link

...
National Guard drove over the bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashing down to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from the drop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them before they hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up the bridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach the police or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.

Any attempt to flag down police results in being told to get away at gunpoint....

…many of them with cell phones have contacts willing to come rescue them, but people are not being allowed through to pick them up.

[IndyJones]

40. I saw both reports. Disgusting...very disgusting! Makes me so angry!

[renate]

32. That article is absolutely amazing

What compassionate young men--there just aren't words for me to express how much I admire them. Their parents must be so proud of them--I sure am!
:loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[txindy]

33. My God. They took the people they rescued out to dinner.

And then went BACK to NO to rescue the women's husbands and drove them to Baton Rouge to reunite the families.

These boys are heroes. So is the 15 year old who directed them to the house they helped evacuate. That these college kids could sneak into NO TWICE and do so much good in such a short period of time highlights the deliberate ineffectiveness of the federal government.

[Mabus]

34. Way to go Dukies! You have my admiration

and this is coming from a Jayhawk.

I can't believe I just typed this and it was so easy!

[DELUSIONAL]

35. They ARE journalists -- they are reporting the conditions they found

good for them!

[darkism]

38. I looked up the leader of the trip on Facebook and sent him a thank-you.

I just read your story in the Herald-Sun and it brought a tear to my eye and reminded me that there are still good people out there, and kids our age who still care about society and what is just and good.

You, Hans and David are the kind of selfless, compassionate youth we need more of in this country. I salute you guys!

I also sent him a link to this thread and told him to drop in and see the praise he's getting. Let's make sure he gets a hero's welcome!

[Turbineguy]

39. Well there's

three people Bush would never hire!

[IndyJones]

41. Of course not! They have common sense.

[nookiemonster]

67. Bingo. I miss that trait.

Welcome to DU, IndyJones!

:)

[Breeze54]

42. OMG..........Thanks for posting this HORRIBLE report!

From Buder's account:
"The only way I can describe this,
it was the epicenter," Buder said.
"Inside there were National Guard running around,
there was feces, people had urinated, soiled the carpet.
There were dead bodies.
The smell will never leave me."

Buder said the students saw four or five bodies.
National Guard troopers seemed to be checking the
second and third floors of the building to try to
secure the site.

"Anyone who knows that area, if you had a bus,
it would take you no more than 20 minutes to drive
in with a bus and get these people out," Buder said.
"They sat there for four or five days with no food,
no water, babies getting raped in the bathrooms,
there were murders,
nobody was doing anything for these people.
And we just drove right in, really disgraceful.
I don't want to get too fired up with the rhetoric,
but some blame needs to be placed somewhere."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm in tears and I've only read this far....

These students are HERO's!!

Yes!! They SHOULD testify at the IMPEACHMENT Hearings!!

Cripes.......

[stlsaxman]

43. Five real heroes and counting- Buder, Byrd, Hankla, Gibson and Gore!

please MSM- more hero stories like this! you KNOW they're out here...

[yardwork]

45. OKNancy is right - read this snip!

"Anyone who knows that area, if you had a bus, it would take you no more than 20 minutes to drive in with a bus and get these people out," Buder said. "They sat there for four or five days with no food, no water, babies getting raped in the bathrooms, there were murders, nobody was doing anything for these people. And we just drove right in, really disgraceful. I don't want to get too fired up with the rhetoric, but some blame needs to be placed somewhere."

[NorthernSpy]

55. what I want to know ...

... is why claims like these:

babies getting raped in the bathrooms

never quite seem to get substantiated. A Financial Times article reports similarly lurid rumors about the convention center:

During this time, they said, girls and boys were raped in the dark and had their throats cut. Bodies were stuffed in the kitchens while looters and madmen exchanged fire with weapons they had looted.

... but also points out that all of the people who relayed these stories admitted that they had not actually seen any of the bodies of persons supposedly killed as a result of these depredations. In other words, these claims are currently the kind of hearsay that typically occurs under circumstances of panic and mass hysteria.

[Judi Lynn]

65. You might expect this rumor-mongering from utter idiots

but newspeople who trade in this verbal rioting should be accountable legally. Pity there's no way to "legislate" journalists' "morality."

[despairing optimist]

74. Freedom of the press is never easy, not even for the Founders

There's a First Amendment to the US Constitution not because the Founders loved everything in the press of their day but because they realized that citizens would keep their liberty for a price: eternal vigilance. Vigilance not only of their government but of all sources of information.

The press of the late 18th and 19th centuries was a bunch of chatty scandal sheets and opinion journals, with certain publishers regularly lashing into their political enemies. All sorts of rumors and scandals abounded about people like Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, for instance--some outlandish and others more credible. It wasn't until the rise of corporate journalism in the latter part of the 19th century that "objective" journalism was born, largely as a way to appease advertisers so they could supplant readers as the main source of income for the journals and newspapers.

So when you say you want to legislate journalists' morality, be careful what you ask for, because it's exactly what the other side wants to do too. I prefer the First Amendment, trashy journalism occasionally, and a public conscientious enough to take the time to search out the truth from a number of sources. Journalists may have a duty to report fairly and accurately, but the public has a duty to keep journalists accountable and realize that journalism is a means to better government rather than an end in itself.

[Judi Lynn]

76. I appreciate your post.

Didn't truly hope to change the rules, but would love to see any concsientiousness at all from the media. I know there are some completely clean people in journalism, but they have to fight tooth and nail to get important stories out, and they take a lot of punishment for their efforts, while the slimey ones are highly successful.

[RaleighNCDUer]

81. Reminds me of "babies dumped from their incubators to die

unattended on the hospital floor".

[ngGale]

46. Way to go guys....

and thanks for getting the story out.:thumbsup:

[BronxBoy]

47. Jeez

Everyone can get into NOLA except the Feds..

Go figure

[beetbox]

49. nominated

No hint of intelligent design in any of this. This was just survival of the richest.

Thank you for this post

Thank you Duke students for caring

[leftchick]

80. Survival of the Richest Indeed!

it would make a great headline!

[Chicago Democrat]

50. yup kick

[chomskysright]

51. SHAME is the Achilles heel of the Republican Party: outline for its uses:

this is one very obvious example of how to move your point which is that BushCo is not doing their job: its respectful and its gets people's attention BECAUSE they are already thinking about it: they are thinking : THIS SUCKS.

This is the Dems PsyOps tool...right here: SHAME. It will not work on Bush and the neocons but that does not matter. It will work on the population.

I’ve come to the conclusion that SHAME is the PsyOps maneuver the Dems should and can use. Yes, you have to wait until ‘after the event’ but ‘after the event’ e.g., Iraq War, NOLA, are examples where SHAME can be utilized and it is the neocon Achilles heel if not that of the entire Republican party.

Think about SHAME for a moment. How does it feel to you to feel ashamed---of something you have done or not done. If you are in the place of shame, you have been thinking about something that has already occurred. It is already in your mind. Otherwise, you would not so obviously feel shame.

I gave out 2 diff pieces of paper: 1: ¾ page outline of what CAFTA is, how it affects us (using a public.citizen.org reference) and what Taylor’s non-vote had done. 2. M's information re: the war: small piece of paper (I think people were more willing to take just a small piece of paper) and as I presented it, I said: “Sir would you like some information about the war” and if they reached to take it, I spoke loudly for others around them to hear, ‘over 1800 dead American soldiers’ and clearly the shame registered for about 75% of those people.

I’m reminded of the very exasperated questioner re: the McCarthy hearings, asking Joe McCarthy something to this effect: “Have you no SHAME sir?”

When I was in Hendersonville today, I mapped out my interactions with probably 200 people as I walked around with my very tall, homemade sign that stated on one side: “GOP = Death” and the other, “Ask Charles about CAFTA.” I stood across from the Republican Party shelter during the parade.

1. quite a few people do not know what GOP means.
2. quite a few people do not know what CAFTA means. The ones that do are perturbed with Taylor. Concommitantly, the sign which was purported to be there, which I did not see, “CAFTA got your tongue” would have, IMHO, pretty useless if useless is defined as lots of people don’t get it except for Mr. Taylor and the GOP regulars and people who knew about CAFTA and were already convinced that it was a bad thing. In other words, I believe it would have a minimal effect if by effect you want to change people’s votes.

So, as a psychologist who has developed questionnaires, the development of materials for distribution in order to educate people has to pay attention to what people know and it has to attend to what the purpose of the material is: to educate? To shame?; to bellow? .

So, let’s back up: what’s the sample of the population like in Hendersonville, NC? I don’t know the actual number but I do know that Hendersonville is a stronghold for Taylor. He strode down the street today, shaking hands with anyone who wanted to and when I asked him, as I popped to the front of the crowd: “Mr. Taylor: Can you tell us about your CAFTA vote”, he paused just very briefly, and he stated, “I did vote for CAFTA” which we know is either a lie or very close to a lie. In any case, his vote did ot register.

Here would be my suggestions for future such gatherings (that is, the population at large, and not as associated with rallies which are associated with preaching to the choir):

1. target the distribution according to the population: Hendersonville is rural in part, quite Republican. CAFTA means lost jobs to those in textiles and agriculture, as far as I can tell. Any documentation of its effects either now or in the future need to be fully exploited and advertised.

2. More, many more Dems, need to come out. I saw 4 older ladies at the Hendersonville Dem HQ and that was IT people save for one other woman I just ran into walking around and Mary Olson and her partner, Pete.

3. Fully exploit the human emotion of SHAME, which is present except in people who are without a superego and there is no reaching them in any case (but probably only 10% of the American population overall is in this category and probably less if you could really target something they are interested in).

And here is the Shame statement for the day: “HOW MANY SOLIDERS PER GALLON DOES YOUR SUV GET?” and frankly that could really be stated otherwise (and in this, we also shame ourselves which is not a bad thing): “HOW MANY SOLDIERS PER GALLON DOES YOUR CAR GET?”

[Wind Dancer]

64. Good for you, chomskyright.

I've been printing some of these facts to leave on windshields and in public places.

[Chovexani]

52. Between these students and the teens running buses of people out

I don't want to hear another damn thing about how lazy and apathetic people my age are.

[bobbieinok]

53. amen.........start a thread about young people's actions????????

the boy who commandeered a bus and took people to the astrodome

you could add the story of the 6 year old who kept 6 younger kids with him

[Danmel]

54. My nephew and his fiancee live in Houston

He is a medical student at Baylor. He went with her to the Astrodome to help out. He said the enormity of the situation is unbelievable and there are thousands of people who really need lots of help and lots who need medical help. They plan to go there daily to assist.

[Henny Penny]

56. You guys really have to get this out and get rid of your

evil bushco government!! You have to salvage whatever is left of decency in America. (I would say democracy, but I think it is long gone.)

I can't believe that not one of them has resigned over this whole mess!!

NOT ONE!!!!!

If this happened over here... the whole government would be gone, and whatever party it was, would probably never recover!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:
:nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :grr: :grr: :nuke: :grr:

[chomskysright]

62. Here we go: Shame agenda: 'get the negras':

Dear President Bush: I heard that things are so bad in New Orleans that students have driven from different parts of the country to try and help people. This is pretty bad. However, may Jesus is on his way.

I really admired that picture of you sitting in the bedroom of the black people who were obviously in distress. I'm glad that the US government is finally there.

I wish they had listened to what they were told and had gotten out before all of this happened. I hope that this doesn't mean an end to those tax cuts for as you know, President Bush, tax cuts is what makes it possible for people to have decent jobs.

In my role as an owner of a trailer park in New Orleans, its going to be mighty tough to recoup my losses and that will mean that poor people will not have a place to live. However, I thought that we could all get back on our feet faster if you would sure stay behind that tax cut.

Sincerely,

[AbbeyRoad]

57. Wow, these guys are bad ass

I bet these three college sophomores would do a better job running FEMA. They've already demonstrated they have more smarts and compassion.

[question everything]

58. You just don't understand

they took the initiative instead of waiting for the "commandar in chief" to make a decision. That is, until after he'd done with his vacation, visited California, fiddled... er... played the guitar..

That's why we have a chain of command. That's why we train soldiers and guards to just follow orders. Otherwise they may question the wisdom of some of their orders and we cannot have this, now, can we?


:evilfrown: :rant:

[ToolTex]

59. Now if anyone deserves the Freedom Medal these guys do!

American heros on a road trip. Got to love it. Fuck George Bush and Company! It would be a great day to see The People get hold of the Barb's bastard.

[ismnotwasm]

60. Kick nt

[usregimechange]

61. kick

[Ouabache]

63. Bush Twins need to be doing this since they are not in IRAQ

Maybe we should take up a donation to get them a Hyundai and get them down there. God knows how long it would take their shameful father's administration to get them ready to go.

[Blue_Roses]

66. wow--what an awesome story!

unbelievable the conditions that these people were forced to live in--so sad :cry:

[bnr65432]

68. awsome people, awesome story

we need more people like these in this world

[nicknameless]

69. Even locals are being prevented from helping others! Info:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2063867&mesg_id=2063867

[Stuckinthebush]

70. These guys deserve the Medal of Freedom

Unlike some past recipients, they actually did something that risked their lives and helped others.

[spooked911]

83. Yes. If we had a real president they might get it too.

[Judi Lynn]

71. This tops the stories I've heard about young Republicans at universities

setting up their racists' bake sales with very high prices for Caucasians and extremely low prices for others.

Wouldn't it be great to imagine there are MORE kinds like these people out there? It's about time the country was stirred by young activists again. We need the inspiration desperately.

[tuckessee]

72. More heroes!!!

Just like Jabbar of "stolen" bus fame.

The private individuals who seized the initiative w/o official direction will be ignored by Bush & the Gov't when they hand out their kudos and awards some time later.

All these will go to uniforms, politicans and bureaucrats.

[GoldenOldie]

75. Hey! Where are all those Young College Republicans?

You know, the ones when asked if they believed in the ME War so much, why weren't they enlisting and their comeback is "They will be able to do more for their country here at home."

[saigon68]

85. YES THE HEROES OF 9-11

[Pacifist Patriot]

77. This supports the Times-Picayune rant.

Not able to reach NOLA my ass.

[0007]

78. Kudos to the boys for during junior's job.

South Park has enough here for a great show.

[defiant1]

82. Excellent work fellas....

:toast:

:thumbsup:

:yourock:

[spooked911]

84. What I don't understand is why FEMA let in the media to report the horrors

but wouldn't let in rescuers.

Does it make any frigging sense?

[stickdog]

86. Rip 'em up, tear 'em up, give 'em hell, Duke. (nt)