more Americans need to understand what it's like to suddenly be homeless

[mopaul]

with a family. when more of us fat and lazy and luxury soaked americans start to feel what they are feeling in new orleans, then maybe things will change.

[rzemanfl]

1. Wait a few months until the effects of the new Bankruptcy Law

and the loss of oil infrastructure kick in.

[liberalitch]

5. And those effects will not just be felt in the Katrina effected areas...

[rzemanfl]

6. The whole country is a Katrina affected area. Fuel is tight and

expensive, people are angry as hell and have zero confidence in their government. It is going to be one ugly winter. I think the powers that be will try to hold things together until it gets too cold in many parts of the country for people to take to the streets.

[liberalitch]

10. City infrastructure and public schools will be over loaded w/...

refugees fleeing subhuman conditions......
I have three kids from NO entering my class next week....
the ninth grade girl said "I had already bought my trapper keeper for high school.... it had a panda."
I bought one with a tiger at office max last night.... I hope that is satisfactory as they had no pandas..... I didn't know what else to do.

[Libby2]

2. Not just homeless

but with NO possessions, not even a freaking toothbrush.

I can't begin to imagine and I hope I never have to.

[hippywife]

3. Amen, mopaul!

I have been saying this since the economy took a sharp downturn after the 2000 election and NO makes it even more so true.

We went to volunteer in OKC several years ago when they were hit by a huge tornado. We were helping folks who came in to get supplies from the Salvation Army. I'd never seen anything like it before. This situation on the Gulf is so many times worse than that, I can't fathom it at all.

Until people really feel the pain of others, there will be no change.
:cry:

[liberalitch]

4. I was blessed to have a friend with extra camping gear...

after the Mexico City earthquake....
I just left.... we walked off into the desert for three weeks.

Talk about hell,.... and many were not as lucky as I

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

7. I do know what it's like to be homeless, and I will never forget.

I was 16 years old and our apartment burnt down. My mother and I lived in a local motel while my dad, not being able to take this personal disaster, wound up in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer. We lost most everything. I spent my time between going to school and busing to the hospital.

When I look back though, we went on with our lives until our home was restored because we had no choice. You live one day at a time, one foot in front of the other.

There is a big difference though between my situation then and the people who are left homeless in New Orleans. My parents had money, my father's executive job waiting for him, and insurance covered all. So when we finally moved back in, it was almost as if, nothing had happened.

[mopaul]

9. me too

and it could easily happen again, my worst recurring nightmare.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. It's one of mine too (((((((mopaul))))).

[BiggJawn]

8. Been there.

"I'm giving you 48 hours to get your shit and your BRAT and get the fuck OUT of MY house, or I'm calling the Sheriff...."

OK, so it wasn't the same as watching all your shit get blown into Arkansas, but it served at the time....