Repost from LBN:Duke students tell of 'disgraceful' scene (drove into NO)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Originally posted by Struggle4Progress in LBN. I felt we missed this in GD. It is un-effing believable. Why could these kids get in when our FEMA could not?

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

[Fleshdancer]

1. GOOD FOR THEM!

wow, this is a great story! Thanks for posting

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. NP, it's a tragedy that they found what they found.

http://www.leftandrightfight.com/

[Tatiana]

2. Unbelievable. God Bless those students!

Even they can see how our government has made NO FUBAR.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Lord love 'em!

------------------------------------------------------
Save the Gulf, then save the nation!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[spuddonna]

4. I truly believe the fed govt wanted this to happen...

This is not just incompetence... It is the willful murder of people...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. From later in the piece when they got to the Superdome...

"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."


http://www.leftandrightfight.com/

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. I agree.

Carol Lin, CNN, made a comment the other day to 'someone' (can't remember who) she was interviewing..."rumors are going around that this slow response was because of racism. You can't honestly believe that people from this administration, FEMA and HS sat in their offices, looking at this disaster and they all said to themselves that those are poor black people so we don't need to hurry in there and help them." (paraphrased)

"You know THAT just isn't realistic."

I thought, 'what rock has she been living under? Of course that's realistic because that's the repuke party. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT POOR BLACK PEOPLE.'

This was willful murder. I wholeheartedly agree.

[RevCheesehead]

5. DUKE is also taking in displaced college students.

Saw that on their Alumni site when I was checking on updates about friends in LA and MS.

Hate the teams - if you must - but love the efforts of these students!

[marbuc]

9. I must hate the teams (MD Terp fan)

but love these students!

[chimpymustgo]

Coach K is a * butt-kisser and enabler. Good on those sutdents, tho.

Hate that basketball team. Coach K held fundraisers for Chimpy and Liddy Dole, while Carolina's Dean Smith raised money ffor Clinton and Edwards, and other Dems.

Bless those students for helping out, saving lives and publicizing this disgrace.

[chimpymustgo]

13. Coach K is a * butt-kisser and enabler. Good on those sutdents, tho.

Hate that basketball team. Coach K held fundraisers for Chimpy and Liddy Dole, while Carolina's Dean Smith raised money ffor Clinton and Edwards, and other Dems.

Bless those students for helping out, saving lives and publicizing this disgrace.

[spooky3]

14. so is Georgetown in DC--students from Xavier in NO

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

15. It's beyond just their efforts,

What they report is important as well and should be in more than just this one paper.

Spread it around, people!

http://www.leftandrightfight.com/

[leftchick]

7. woohoo

I am so proud of these young men!

:loveya:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Dontcha know it!

http://www.leftandrightfight.com/

[Land Shark]

11. kick

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. Throwing this back up the first page... Important that people see

this.
http://www.leftandrightfight.com/

[Glenda]

17. These kids are just AWESOME!!

It shows that truly help could have gotten in much much sooner

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. It's amazing what a little creativity can do in situations like thes.

http://www.leftandrightfight.com/