my German friend: why aren't you ALL helping?

[wellstone_democrat]

A frustrated email from a colleague in Berlin this a.m. can't figure out where the American *people* are if the government is so "inept"

He said many there wonder why all of us aren't in our cars driving as close as possible with supplies and seats out of the carnage.

I've told him that they are stopping us from going into the zone and the people from walking out lest "lawlessness" and "vagrants" overwhelm the areas outside the disaster zone. I don't think he believes this---anyone have links to stories about what is going on on the edges of the N.O. zone in particular? I've heard that average Americans are out there and being forced back---or, is this just a rumor?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Several people here on DU have said people are being turned away, but

that's all the proof I can give.

-----------------------------------------------------
Save New Orleans, then save this country!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[txindy]

2. It's not just a rumor. People being turned away.

I saw news footage of people in boats being turned away by Homeland Sec. in their own boats. They were told to stop helping people and get off the water. This came from the authorities in boats who were NOT helping ANYBODY. The cameraman in the civilian's boat showed the feds moving off and then the private citizens went right back to helping and doing what they could. It's the private citizens who are the heroes, here. The feds are keeping them out, though, if they aren't already in the area.

Houston has reported that hundreds of unsolicited volunteers have shown up at the Astrodome to help in any way they can. Sorry, don't have the link.

Tell your friend that people are doing all they can, but the feds are thwarting all our efforts. If only the US was the size of Germany, it might be easier to get there and have sheer numbers help make the difference in pressuring these gov't. jackals to let us help.

[txaslftist]

3. Please Help!

Dear, Dear Friends:

The catastrophe in New Orleans has us all heartbroken, worried, tearful and enraged. The Republicans have mismanaged the evacuation in such a terrible way that many more lives are being lost even as we sit at our computers and desperately try to figure out how we can help.

The time to cast blame will come. It has come. The president's appointment of a crony to head FEMA, his cutting funding to shore up the levies, his continued vacation during the critical hours... These things are all coming home to roost.

Our leaders seem to be stuck, and no one seems to be able to figure out what to do, when the solutions are obvious. The people of New Orleans need to be evacuated. They need food and water. And the government has proven it is incompetent to accomplish these very simple things.

There is an open road into New Orleans. When some families in the Superdome pooled their money and raised $25,000.00 to charter a bus out of the danger zone, the National Guard turned the bus back a mile short of its destination because it was "too dangerous". And yet the Great City of Houston is able to send caravans of buses into the city to retreive our fellow Americans and take them to the Astrodome.

Even here, in Lubbock, Texas, we have taken in refugees.

The time has come to act.

Let me tell you what I am going to do today, with the help of God. I am going to call the Lubbock Democratic Party and see if we can send a truckload of donated food and water and ice into New Orleans. I am going to see if we can raise the money to charter a bus.

I hope and pray we will be successful. I know it will only be one truck and one bus, but every little bit will help. If the Democratic Headquarters in every city in the United States can do something like this, even if only to send a minivan full of clean water into the city, we will save lives.

We will shame the Republicans into trying to outdo us. We cannot depend on the incompetents currently running the show.

Please call your local Democratic Headquarters and ask what you can do to help. If you have guest room in your house, please open up your doors and welcome a refugee if you can. Call the Democrats in the areas around New Orleans and ask what they need.

That is what I am going to do today. I ask you to do no less.

From Txaslftist, your friend.

[TornadoTN]

4. It's not just a rumor, they have the place sealed

A group of friends and colleagues of mine have been trying to get authorization to get in NOLA for rescue work.

First we called TEMA (Tennessee's FEMA), they said that they cannot give authorization, plus they have no units that they can attach us to. Checked today, they haven't even been called upon and the Governor is trying his best to get in touch with someone so that he can send what we have here.

Second, FEMA and DHS are stating that they do not want outside help, they have things under control. They also add that the LA state police have all routes into NOLA sealed, and that if we are caught breaking the no entry zone, we are subject to arrest.

We aren't gawkers, all of us are trained in First Aid, some in the group are law enforcement, emt's, firefighters, divers, military vets, etc. Even a few of us are Urban S&R trained. We want to help and feel that we can fend for ourselves if we would just be given the opportunity to help, since noone else is going in. But we keep getting denied, and every minute that passes, I feel like I just let another person die.

[pointblank]

9. Please PM me

if you have a breakthrough or a way in on this.

I am a licensed paramedic and also trained in basic SAR. I live in St. Louis. I was trying to get something together or link up with a group, but have been unsuccessful.

I already have the OK to go and some financial/supply support from my employer.


Thanks

Steve

[marions ghost]

5. not to make excuses but

what the German friend possibly does not understand:

1. The devastation from the hurricane extends for a very wide area and it is difficult to even get into the coastal areas of these states. "As close as possible" would mean too far away to directly benefit refugees and may put more strain on the situation than anything else.

2. Many Americans are not in a position to drop everything and rush to help, especially with uncertain gas supplies in the Southeast. Some samaritans will undoubtedly do so, and church and volunteer groups will do so. But where are the rich, who could charter buses and take up LARGE collections? --too busy examining their stock portfolios for the impact on themselves. Many people around the world do not have any idea how much this country's resources have been diverted and squandered.

[wli]

6. They won't let us help. Responders are turned away. n/t

[flygal]

7. I'm over here in Germany - I'm hanging my head in shame

So sad what our country looks like. Everyone pretty much hates * over here and they understand. I just say - I voted for Kerry.

[txindy]

8. Here's the thread you need:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4578745&mesg_id=4578745