Murder and rape - fact or fiction?

[Briar]

Murder and rape - fact or fiction?

Gary Younge in Baton Rouge

There were two babies who had their throats slit. The seven-year-old
girl who was raped and murdered in the Superdome. And the corpses laid out amid the excrement in the convention centre.

In a week filled with dreadful scenes of desperation and anger from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina some stories stood out.

But as time goes on many remain unsubstantiated and may yet prove to be apocryphal.

New Orleans police have been unable to confirm the tale of the raped
child, or indeed any of the reports of rapes, in the Superdome and
convention centre...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1563470,00.html

[acmavm]

1. Ya don't say? You mean those people who were poor, dispossesed,

and fighting for their lives may not have become worse than animals and deserving of being shot on sight.

Why am I not surprised? Some bad things I expect. Looting, of course. Especially for survival. All the tales of murder, rape, and mayhem. I certainly thought that pictures or some form of proof was needed. Considering the press we have today, a paper cut turns into a knifing.

Unless it's criminal behavior by the bush** administration. That's a whole different ballgame.

[leveymg]

2. What does this say about the psyche of BushCo and the MSM?

That the worst sort of violence, mayhem and animal lusts were expected -- and unconfirmed rumors repeated endlessly as truth so that they formed policy -- tells us a lot about the unsuitability of those who run the run the government and media for positions of responsibility.

The tragic result was the delay in search & rescue that killed thousands. The American people need to demand accountability. Those responsible for negligent homicide, and lies to the public, should be tried as criminals.

[Quakerfriend]

3. I wonder about this, too.

All the media shots of the poor folks outside the Dome said to me that these people from NO are incredibly peaceful and patient...No one pushing or even getting angry in front of the camera, after 4 long days...?? Does'nt jive with murder and rape stories.

[acmavm]

4. I sort of wondered at the time if the stories weren't some kind of cover

for the inaction and neglect of the government who were not helping these people.

Then I told myself that I was being a jaded fool who saw bad in everything connected with this administration and this government. Looks like I should have gone with my first instincts.

[txaslftist]

5. So Urban Legend becomes fact, fact informs policy...

...and a fleet of rescue boats is turned back out of concern for their security...

...sheriff's deputies and special teams that came to help are turned back...


...aid from foreign countries is spurned...

...FEMA decides that helicopter rescues are going to be the exclusive means of pulling people from buildings when boats and divers would be SO MUCH BETTER...

...and lots of poor, dispossessed people die.

I heard a commentator on the radio this morning disputing whether "refugee" was a correct term to use for the NO folks. I kept thinking to myself, "...who gives a shit you supercilious fuck."

[FloridaPat]

6. How could this happen in front of 20,000 people? There were people

everywhere. I heard that ladies had to be escorted to the restrooms. I'm not sure how true they are. But they deaths were true. The lack of aid was true.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. The power of rumours in a crowd

Once a story starts (and it might build up from a reported argument, to threats, to injuries, to deaths), people will repeat it all over the crowd (what else have they to do?)

Remember, at the same time as the New Orleans flood, nearly 1000 people were killed by a rumour about a suicide bomber in Baghdad.

Once you had heard rumours about rapes, you'd be bound to escort each other to the bathrooms. Why would you take the risk?

[orpupilofnature57]

8. Kkkarl, cant you see it, How many people will spread, before they ..

figure out if they've actually read it?