Herbert/NYT: "Sick and Abandoned" FEMA blocked emergency hospital

[Nothing Without Hope]

supplies and generator fuel from reaching Methodist Hospital, in the eastern part of New Orleans. The supplies sent from out of state by the hospital's owners to save dying patients and keep the emergency generators going was confiscated by FEMA. As a result, more patients died.

The story follows a tragic, despicable pattern that is all too familiar by now, but it's good to see it in the New York Times two and a half weeks after the storm. The outrage should not be allowed to cool.

September 15, 2005

Sick and Abandoned

By BOB HERBERT, op/ed columnist

(snip)

The patients and staff at Methodist could have been evacuated before Hurricane Katrina hit. But instead they were condemned to several days of fear and agony by bad decision-making in Louisiana and the chaotic ineptitude of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some of the patients died.

Incredibly, when the out-of-state corporate owners of the hospital responded to the flooding by sending emergency relief supplies, they were confiscated at the airport by FEMA and sent elsewhere.

(snip)

Everybody's suffering would have been eased if the emergency relief effort mounted by the hospital's owner, Universal Health Services in King of Prussia, Pa., had not been interfered with by FEMA. Company officials sent desperately needed water, food, diesel fuel to power the hospital's generators and helicopters to ferry in the supplies and evacuate the most vulnerable individuals.

Bruce Gilbert, Universal's general counsel, told me yesterday, "Those supplies were in fact taken from us by FEMA, and we were unable to get them to the hospital. We then determined that it would be better to send our supplies, food and water to Lafayette <130 miles from New Orleans> and have our helicopters fly them from Lafayette to the hospital."

(snip)

E-mail: [e-mail]

Bob Herbert ends his article by pointing out that the story of the deadly consequences of the confiscated emergency supplies for Methodist hospital is "just one small part of the New Orleans catastrophe," hinting at the sheer scale of the massive societal failure that was allowed to happen. He concludes, "Welcome to the United States in 2005."

The abandonment of sick people is STILL going on under FEMA's murderously negligent direction. People are STILL dying of hunger and thirst in New Orleans and most probably all over the region devastated by the hurricane. For example this man in New Orleans, who was alone and abandoned without food or water:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/14/12516/3649
(DU thread on this dKos story here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4769370)



Mr. Hollingsworth is still alive only because a California National Guard refused to follow orders from FEMA not to break into houses after he saw a foot in the window. This was TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AFTER THE STORM. There must be hundreds- thousands?- of others who are still dying or died within the last few days. There can be no conceivable excuse for this. It is negligent homicide on a massive scale.

We cannot let the outrage cool.

Right now there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people who have STILL not been rescued or helped. The GOP do not care, and some of them are positively gleeful (like that Baton Rouge pol who was overheard by a Wash Post reporter as he told lobbyists "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did").
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1768731
Thread title: WP: Sympathetic Tone Eludes Some in GOP (Hit Jarring Notes re. Katrina)

We must hold them accountable and not let up on our efforts to motivate action to aid the victims and get the truth out about what has been and is being done to them in our name. And we must also be alert to block efforts by the Bush Administration not only to evade blame but also to use this national tragedy to grab ever more power in defiance of the Constitution:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1778930
Thread title: Bush says he may need more power in disasters
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4715924#4726849
Thread title: NPR Reports: GW to Blanco"I'll send in the troops if you answer to the WH"

Finally, though you may consider this off-topic, I feel it's vitally important to be alert to horrible actions done by the Bush Administration while the nation is in a state of shock over the Katrina aftermath. We need DU threads collecting these "under the radar" stories. A prime example: THE PENTAGON'S DRAFT PLAN FOR MAKING PRE-EMPTIVE NUCLEAR ATTACKS OFFICIAL US MILITARY POLICY IS NEARING APPROVAL.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1770759
Thread title: Pentagon Revises Nuclear Strike Plan
That's right, folks, if this is approved, Bush will be able to nuke anybody he wants if his handlers tell him that they MIGHT be CONSIDERING using bioweapons, or chemical ones at some point. We'd probably be in a nuclear World War III by this time if that had been on the books when he went into Iraq. And you know they've wanted "regime change" by any means in Iran for a long time and now they're giving those coded phrases about Syria too. THIS IS NO TIME TO LOSE ATTENTION!!!

[rodeodance]

1. "We cannot let the outrage cool."---I am afraid this is happening. Senate

voted down an independent investigation yesterday also!

[Nothing Without Hope]

7. OOOPS - left off the LINK to the NY Times article in the OP. Here it is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/15/opinion/15herbert.html?th&emc=th

[Shakespeare]

18. correction: Senate REPUBLICANS voted down the investigation.

They're pulling the same shit they did with the 9/11 investigation.

[PublicWrath]

2. FEMA and Jefferson Parish

Only a couple of days ago I caught some footage of Sheriff Harry Lee
on cable news; Sheriff Lee said that he (or maybe local authorities) had ordered the opening of one of the area Walmart stores so that people could get necessary supplies.

As Sheriff Lee was loading a carton onto the back of a truck, he looked into the camera and said that if FEMA tried to interfere, he had ordered his men to fire on them. From this I deduce that FEMA is still obstructing aid efforts.

If and when we get investigative hearings on Katrina, I will be looking forward to the testimony of Aaron Broussard and Sheriff Lee above all else. I think they are most likely to tell us the truth.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Yes, after hearing Aaron Broussard telling about how FEMA agents cut

the emergency phone lines in Jefferson Parish in the immediate aftermath of the storm and they had to mount armed guards to protect the repaired lines from FEMA afterwards, I've wondered how much of the notoriously disrupted communications in the wider region were a result of sabotage. After all, that Jefferson Parish incident is just the only time they were CAUGHT.

For those of you who haven't heard about this confirmed incident, here's one of several threads on it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4632852
Thread title: FEMA cutting phone lines in Jefferson Parish why? Swamp Rat

The feds are doing everything they can to spin out of the truth and shut it down. We have to make sure they don't succeed.

[Kailassa]

4. water cut off

We know that Fema cut phone lines, we know that the water supply was cut off. Does anyone know what caused the water supply to be cut off?

[kestrel91316]

13. No power to the pumps?

[brokensymmetry]

5. Let's point some fingers.

From the article: ""Those supplies were in fact taken from us by FEMA, and we were unable to get them to the hospital. "

OK - where were the supplies taken? Who ordered this? Why? What happened to the supplies?

Call it finger pointing or accountability, multiple people died as a direct consequence of some individual's decision to take the supplies.

That sounds like manslaughter or negligent homicide to me.

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. This was only one such incident of many. Civilians were not allowed to

deliver even WATER to the desperate people locked into New Orleans. For days, hospital ships with hundreds of empby beds waited for the order to help. Foreign countries were not allowed to help for days. Convoys from other US cities, loaded with food, water, and emergency supplies, were not allowed access to the people who needed them. The list goes on and on.

FEMA and Bush Administration mismanagement killed thousands and thousands of people and drowned New Orleans. Neither had to happen, neither were caused directly by the storm.

The Bush Administration is counting on their usual lies and spin plus the short attention span of US TV News viewers to get them off the hook.

We cannot allow that to happen.

[DLnyc]

20. IMHO, looks like plan was to withhold aid until *'s photo-op, then have it

come flooding in. I do not say this to be sensational or as a wild theory. After following many threads for the last two weeks, this keeps coming back to me as the most reasonable fit to the facts. I can't 'prove' this, but it seems more and more clear (as well as nauseating) to me that something like this lies behind the many reports of FEMA foot-dragging as well as active interference with aid delivery.

Can anyone see if the pattern in fact changed after pukehead did his photo-op near NO on Friday, Sep 2? Have similar patterns occured in other disasters?

More important, hasn't BushCo been focused obsessively on image management, and not on actual performance, all along? Rather than trying (merely) to catch these guys red-handed in the latest of their thousands of criminal acts, perhaps the nail in the coffin will be when we expose the PATTERN of always focusing on spin and never bothering to even try to do what is in the interest of the people. And, as in this case, as in Iraq, as in the massive tax gifts to the wealthy, typically doing what is catastrophic for the people of America and of the world, to the benefit of a small cabal of rich individuals and corporations. In this case, their cute habit of focusing on spin and ignoring reality arguably cost thousands of lives and caused intense ongoing suffering for hundreds of thousands.

They can always spin a given fact; it's harder to spin the fact that they've been doing nothing but spinning and stealing from day one!

Sorry to go on so long . . . trying to respond to your question "Why?"

[jbnow]

24. You could go on much longer

and barely touch on the horror of it all.

You are so right that they look for the right words and image...not the right solutions. If they can just present it well enough that will make it OK.
Like putting Karen Hughes in some new position to do PR for the US. Oh right, we just need us presented better, not to listen, learn and cooperate.

I don't think it's any wild theory that relief didn't get there until the president did. That's what happened. But did they really hold off that long in the hope he would look like a cowboy riding in to save the day?
Usually if a president waits to go in to an area where there is an emergency it is so he doesn't get in the way of the rescue work. It was going on but only the coast guard and local police...who couldn't begin to do it all. Food and water weren't getting in...in fact they were being blocked. People weren't getting out, they were being blocked.

This is way beyond my understanding, a strange combination of incompetence, indifference and then weird attempts at image savings.

[DLnyc]

30. Yes, I agree, many factors. But the focus on image is the sickest.

Myself, I try to determine what is real by observing, studying, conversing, thinking.

The idea that reality is to be determined by spin is not only bizarre on the face of it, but tends to give very rude awakenings when *actual* reality intrudes on the well-crafted image. Like Iraq turning out not to be a 'cake-walk' and a politicized FEMA focused on image control turning out to be useless and even an obstacle when a real disaster occurs. When tax breaks to the wealthy turn out to make huge deficits out of huge surpluses, instead of improving the economy. When claiming that global warming is not real turns out not to fix the problem, and in fact to greatly accelerate it.

Perhaps the real problem is that many people have difficulty facing up to the challenges of the current world, and are quite happy to be deluded by politicians who use the images to manipulate the public and reap short-term profits.

The real challenge, I think, is to help these people leave their dream-world and face reality.

My big question: How many people died while shrub locked down New Orleans for his big speech last night?

[DLnyc]

31. Yes, I agree, many factors. But the focus on image is the sickest.

Myself, I try to determine what is real by observing, studying, conversing, thinking.

The idea that reality is to be determined by spin is not only bizarre on the face of it, but tends to give very rude awakenings when *actual* reality intrudes on the well-crafted image. Like Iraq turning out not to be a 'cake-walk' and a politicized FEMA focused on image control turning out to be useless and even an obstacle when a real disaster occurs. When tax breaks to the wealthy turn out to make huge deficits out of huge surpluses, instead of improving the economy. When claiming that global warming is not real turns out not to fix the problem, and in fact to greatly accelerate it.

Perhaps the real problem is that many people have difficulty facing up to the challenges of the current world, and are quite happy to be deluded by politicians who use the images to manipulate the public and reap short-term profits.

The real challenge, I think, is to help these people leave their dream-world and face reality.

My big question: How many people died while shrub locked down New Orleans for his big speech last night?

[DLnyc]

32. Yes, I agree, many factors. But the focus on image is the sickest.

Myself, I try to determine what is real by observing, studying, conversing, thinking.

The idea that reality is to be determined by spin is not only bizarre on the face of it, but tends to give very rude awakenings when *actual* reality intrudes on the well-crafted image. Like Iraq turning out not to be a 'cake-walk' and a politicized FEMA focused on image control turning out to be useless and even an obstacle when a real disaster occurs. When tax breaks to the wealthy turn out to make huge deficits out of huge surpluses, instead of improving the economy. When claiming that global warming is not real turns out not to fix the problem, and in fact to greatly accelerate it.

Perhaps the real problem is that many people have difficulty facing up to the challenges of the current world, and are quite happy to be deluded by politicians who use the images to manipulate the public and reap short-term profits.

The real challenge, I think, is to help these people leave their dream-world and face reality.

My big question: How many people died while shrub locked down New Orleans for his big speech last night?

[DLnyc]

33. Yes, I agree, many factors. But the focus on image is the sickest.

Myself, I try to determine what is real by observing, studying, conversing, thinking.

The idea that reality is to be determined by spin is not only bizarre on the face of it, but tends to give very rude awakenings when *actual* reality intrudes on the well-crafted image. Like Iraq turning out not to be a 'cake-walk' and a politicized FEMA focused on image control turning out to be useless and even an obstacle when a real disaster occurs. When tax breaks to the wealthy turn out to make huge deficits out of huge surpluses, instead of improving the economy. When claiming that global warming is not real turns out not to fix the problem, and in fact to greatly accelerate it.

Perhaps the real problem is that many people have difficulty facing up to the challenges of the current world, and are quite happy to be deluded by politicians who use the images to manipulate the public and reap short-term profits.

The real challenge, I think, is to help these people leave their dream-world and face reality.

My big question: How many people died while shrub locked down New Orleans for his big speech last night?

[Nothing Without Hope]

26. Yes, I'm sure that was one of the plans: make it look like the local &

state authorities were helpless - of course they were overwhelmed, that's why they called a state of emergence before the storm hit - then when thousands were dying and New Orleans drowned because of the feds' deliberate withholding of all aid, THEN THEY PLANNED COME IN AND DO DRAMATICALLY EFFECTIVE AFTER-THE-FACT STORM CLEANUP/SEARCH & RESCUE. This would show that only the feds could be trusted with public safety and policing. Didn't work out that way, though.

This would explain why the blivet* refused all international aid for so long and why the feds refused to allow US civilian aid to reach the area. Also why no orders were given to all the military and Nat'l guard personnel for so long. And why FEMA was out cutting the emergency phone lines in Jefferson Parish and who knows where else. And much more.

They wanted to "demonstrate" that only Pentagon/White House -directed aid "works," and then use this to frighten people into letting their Congressional enablers suspend more of the Constitution. A couple of years back, John Dean referred to this as "constitutional dictatorship" and said it was quite possible.
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/columns/fl.dean.powers.0607/

I also believe that they would have welcomed signs "civil unrest" that came as a result of their massive homicide, because that too could be hyped and morphed into an image of "domestic terrorism" and used to frighten the American public into accepting their goal of Pentagon-directed martial law. (Though they would probably call it something like "Operation Safe America.) They did everything they could to prevent ANYONE from getting in to help the victims or word of this getting out. And remember those endless showings of the same few shots of “looters™”? (Those were the dark-skinned people – the light-skinned ones were “finding food.)

Make no mistake, there are years of step-by-step plans and moves leading up to this crisis. I've been researching this and it isn't tinfoilhattery at all. The WH/Pentagon knew the disaster would come in some form, natural or man-made, sooner or later. In fact, in early 2001 there was the official report that the three top, most likely catastrophes to hit the US would be an earthquake in San Francisco, a terrorist attack in New York, or a hurricane in New Orleans. Hey, two out of three!!! (Though I do believe the New York happened because of planning by Pentagon/WH insiders.)

For more of the back story, see this post and the follow the links back.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1765780&mesg_id=1766896

This great disaster was supposed to be the "one more hit" that General Tommy Franks was referring to in his Cigar Afficiando interview, the "hit" that would allow the neocons to suspend the Constitution "for our protection." I strongly recommend this excellent article, a column written in response to Tommy Franks' surprisingly frank prediction.
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/07/Columns/From_Tommy_Franks__a_.shtml

And of course, there's the profits to be made in the cleanups, both in the contracts to cronies like Halliburton and mismanagement of hurricane aid funds, but also in "clearing the poor people out" and redeveloping New Orleans in the way they want it. Lots more land for such GOP favorites as oil infrastructure and resorts, if you can get rid of the poor people and destroy their neighborhoods. Today's thoroughly corrupt GOP never saw blood money it didn't lust after.

Trouble with these plans is, so far the American public ISN'T turning to BUsh's White House or Rummy's Pentagon for safety because they showed all to clearly - and are STILL showing - how incompetent and callous they truly are. And the American public has come together to support the victims, rather than responding to what I see the bait and stepping up the racial/social tension. And even some -- no, not all, but some for the first time -- of the Big Media reporters are finally showing some real and believable outrage about the corrupt and inept machinations of this Administration.

[PATRICK]

8. The Bush agenda rolls on

The only focus they ever had or will is the undying determination to profit and advance their agenda and make everything empower those goals.
Team Bush responded with what otherwise might have lauded(at least as smart and determined) moves to appoint Roberts as Chief Justice. So seamlessly that any tinfoil hat might suspect they rushed a FEMA team in to confiscate Rehnquist's life support generator.

They went into an obviously well planned drill to move in their favored rebuilding contractors and PRIVATE guards and body bag specialists. To crush minimum wage for those in need. To disperse and discourage unwanted inhabitants. To quell any talk of not rebuilding a flood plain city. To blame Democrats for just about anything. To make excuses. To evade and avoid. To conduct photo ops for their grimly naked sows ear with speed and professionalism. All of this routine at their own leisure though rushed and nagged by popular unrest moves on untouched in the small matter of lack of a national opposition voice, legal accountability or any practical limit to their power other than fear.

Which fear they already had since they know they can never earn popular support, just misdirect it. The sole effect on Bush may be to disturb his fragile disengagement routines and hurt his delusions of public love. THAT pressure, by any opposition politicians with cynical balls, should have broken that puppet into a quivering mass of jelly years ago. Instead it is the mystifying image of Sammy Davis Jr. hugging Nixon(and miraculously not getting shot) that absurdly springs to mind, followed by unrequited Watergate and a backdoor escape into the night.

If unmerited luck holds out, we may yet survive the Bush years. With no more accountability being demanded of Bush than a just election result in 2000 by the disserving, misnamed majority of journalists and the MSM outlets, more Bush woe(ours at least) continues to drown America itself, like a baby in a bathtub. Our abortion as an America true to its principles proceeds without real restriction because what Team Bush wants is the sole directed agenda empowered in this country today. They were ready for 9/11 and they were ready for Katrina- on their own ugly terms. WE are never ready for Bush.

[Helga Scow Stern]

12. You are right.

How bad will it have to get before there are some real changes?

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. To me, this Steve Bell painting really sums up the sense of loss and

senseless, callously disregarded death:



This powerful painting is at the Guardian (UK) web site. Here's the DU thread discussing it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4720110

[spinbaby]

10. Unbelievable

Heads better roll.

[Nothing Without Hope]

11. Laurel, Mississippi - hit by Cat 3 hurricane but STILL no FEMA

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4778014
Thread title: Laurel, Mississippi...still no FEMA...and won't be for a while.

Needless to say, there aren't many rich white GOP donors in this neighborhood. So these people matter not at all the the Bush Administration.

If FEMA could even be bothered to put out a list of communities that need search/rescue/aid, civilian and foreign workers could try to reach them. But that won't happen.

At what point does negligent homicide become mass murder?

[MissMarple]

14. So FEMA wouldn't let the searchers go into homes?

That just makes no sense at all.

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

16. kick - GD is really zooming n/t

[spuddonna]

17. I just wrote Mr. Herbert to thank him...

...and to ask him to demand, an independent investigation into this man-made disaster that FEMA created.

Hillary sent the first salvo's over the wall yesterday... and it was shot down on a party line vote... But just as the families of 911 had to fight to demand an independent investigation, we must also do so for our fellow citizens in NO.

You can do so by signing a petitions at moveon.org: http://political.moveon.org/katrinacommission/

or Democracy For America:
http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/petition/katrina/

And you can always find your legislators at senate.gov and house.gov...

If you have trouble writing letters, here's one I whipped up:

Dear Senator/Rep. XXX:

I'm writing to you today to request an independent investigation into the man-made disaster that FEMA and federal agencies created in response to the natural disaster Katrina.

This is a matter of utmost urgency. It is a matter of national security. If FEMA cannot respond to a hurricane, how will it handle a terrorist threat? We must find out what went wrong, and remedy the problems immediately.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

[understandinglife]

19. I write him frequently. One of the few willing to write the truth.

Peace.

[spuddonna]

22. Yeah, he's one of the few writers that I've consistantly read...

I grew up reading Mike Royko, he was amazing... It spoiled me! :)

Nowadays, I enjoy reading Bob Herbert and Mo Dowd... online! :) (Well, till they force people to pay for it!)

[Diane R]

21. kick n/t

[fooj]

23. Sounds like NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE to me!

Peace.

[Karenina]

42. How and when did those levees break, again?

:tinfoilhat: :freak: :tinfoilhat:

[faithnotgreed]

25. bob herbert is wonderful - often spotlights this cabal and their

war on those in poverty/minorities

[paineinthearse]

27. Dear NOLA district attorney / members of the sitting grand jury

FEMA should be investigated & indicted for negligent manslaughter.

[autorank]

28. The picture says a great deal; the Universal Health Service response

also says a great deal. They saw a problem, responded immediately, and had their efforts foiled. This should make a clear point...there are people great integrity in corporate America and these folks are a major source of that.

How on earth could FEMA do this?

I bet a C note that these supplies were never used, they're probably sitting there right now, unused.

The picture is the emblematic reminder, forever, of the disgrace of NOLA.

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. Bush's speech makes even clearer the intentions to move toward martial

law. I urge you to read this thread and also the info in its replies, and then to comment and contribute your own insights and information:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4790112#4790843
thread title: Missing A KEY POINT in *'s speech: POWER GRAB FOR POTUS AND MILITARY

Lots of scary stuff - but if we don't study it and prepare ourselves, we will be defenseless in tryng to stop it.

[newswolf56]

34. I don't know which is worse:

The casualties and ruination, or the fact there are still so many idiots who believe what was done to the victims by the Bush Administration was merely an accident.

[PATRICK]

36. I know something worse

The callous exploitation of the aftermath which is the ONLY concrete response to popular outrage except for unconvincing photo ops and transparently empty promises. While we are outraged about what happened the prone victim is being raped by those with quick and instant and unstoppable plans to profiteer and seize control.

Sure it hurts to be hated but is good to be the King.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. EXACTLY. I agree completely. Please read through this thread:

I've tried to synthesize some of the key pieces and provide documentation and background information, both in the opening post and throughout the reply thread. Other DUers have chimed in with important articles and links too. It will take some work, because there is a LOT there, a whole research project with much more to be done, but if you are writing to people or doing your own research, it should help:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4790112
Thread title: Missing A KEY POINT in *'s speech: POWER GRAB FOR POTUS AND MILITARY

[ruperupe]

35. thanks for this article

it goes very much in the incredible direction that i only realized reading this huge comilation here:
http://www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=152&topic_id=197

[Nothing Without Hope]

39. Excellent compilation. Does leave out some key things, like the fact

that Gov. Blanco's FIRST letter to Bush asking for state of emergency was on Aug 27 - the one on Aug 28 was a further clarification. So despite Bush preening over being so "extraordinary" to declare emergency so quickly
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4752689
and the lies pushed by pundits and White House mouthpieces, including the Wash Post, that Blanco had delayed aid by not declaring emergency
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4748555
the truth is there in the record and always has been.

Here's a post with links to Gov Blanco's Aug 27 and 28 letters to Bush/DHS and the WH press release about declaring emergency on Aug 27:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2064469&mesg_id=2067532

[Nothing Without Hope]

37. A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF FEMA/MARTIAL LAW KILLING PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS:

Oh yes, the stories keep flooding in of all the times FEMA has blocked crucial aid or done other things that resulted in deaths or dramatically worsened conditions. But here's one more specific story that shows the soulless, uncaring truth of martial law, where even the "good Samaritan laws" of the state are suspended and sick people are allowed to die because of the imposed rules of FEMA:

Here is a permalink for the report:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/091605/new_doctorordered001.shtml
Posted in this DU thread (though the link in the OP is NOT the permalink):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1786336
thread title: Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims

This story is so important, because it is a documented case of deaths occurring directly because of FEMA-mandated martial law. THEY DO NOT PERMIT ANYONE BUT THEIR OWN PERSONNEL TO SAVE LIVES. THEREFORE, NO VOLUNTEER DOCTORS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE FULL CREDENTIALS AND BEG FOR FEMA'S PERMISSION TO SAVE LIVES OF PEOPLE DYING IN FRONT OF THEM. AND THE FEMA PERSONNEL WERE NOWHERE IN SIGHT.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/091605/new_doctorordered001.shtml

Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims

By LAURIE SMITH ANDERSON
[e-mail]
Advocate staff writer

In the midst of administering chest compressions to a dying woman several days after Hurricane Katrina struck, Dr. Mark N. Perlmutter was ordered to stop by a federal official because he wasn't registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"I begged him to let me continue," said Perlmutter, who left his home and practice as an orthopedic surgeon in Pennsylvania to come to Louisiana and volunteer to care for hurricane victims. "People were dying, and I was the only doctor on the tarmac (at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport) where scores of nonresponsive patients lay on stretchers. Two patients died in front of me.

"I showed him (the U.S. Coast Guard official in charge) my medical credentials. I had tried to get through to FEMA for 12 hours the day before and finally gave up. I asked him to let me stay until I was replaced by another doctor, but he refused. He said he was afraid of being sued. I informed him about the Good Samaritan laws and asked him if he was willing to let people die so the government wouldn't be sued, but he would not back down. I had to leave."

FEMA issued a formal response to Perlmutter's story, acknowledging that the agency does not use voluntary physicians.

(snip - much more)

That last devastating sentence is expanded upon in the article. FEMA is in total control, you see, and they do NOT allow saving of lives except by their command. Which isn't given for "undesirables," apparently.

A FEMA spokesman (Kim Pease) issued this statement Thursday:
"We have a cadre of physicians of our own. They are the National Disaster Medical Team. ... The voluntary doctor was not a credentialed FEMA physician and, thus, was subject to law enforcement rules in a disaster area."

BUT NO OTHER "FEMA-APPROVED" DOCTORS WERE THERE ON THE TARMAC, AND PATIENTS DIED BECAUSE FEMA KEPT DR. PERLMUTTER FROM SAVING THEIR LIVES. FEMA would not accept the doctor, though he tried for 12 hours to get through to them, and NO acceptable FEMA doctors were there. The normal "good Samaritan" laws by which lives can be saved were set aside by martial law. WHY????

THIS is martial law - uncaring military guards and bureaucrats have the ONLY word, condemning patients to death because their restrictive rules are the only important concern.

[Nothing Without Hope]

40. From what the Veterans for Peace and Michael Moore have just reported,

there are STILL people like Mr. Hollingsworth who are dying of hunger and thirst, utterly abandoned by the Bush Administration like unwanted garbage.

Read about their lifesaving efforts - and how many thousands are still dying?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4800863
thread title: Michael Moore's updates from Covington

[Nothing Without Hope]

41. more stories like this keep coming. It isn't just one terrible mistake.

It's a POLICY and it killed many, many people. Presumably all of them "unwanted" by this administration, because I've seen no indication that rich people were subjected to this denial of basic life-saving medical services.

This is murder, people. Genocide, actually, because of its scale and focus.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

43. Cheney diverted power to pipeline for oil! Important!

This was posted last week at this DU thread and Keith Olbermann reported it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4768514

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS05/509110304

Partial story:


Shortly after Hurricane Katrina roared through South Mississippi knocking out electricity and communication systems, the White House ordered power restored to a pipeline that sends fuel to the Northeast.
That order - to restart two power substations in Collins that serve Colonial Pipeline Co. - delayed efforts by at least 24 hours to restore power to two rural hospitals and a number of water systems in the Pine Belt.

At the time, gasoline was in short supply across the country because of Katrina. Prices increased dramatically and lines formed at pumps across the South.

[Nothing Without Hope]

44. More confirming stories continue to show that FEMA has killed many, many

people. Doubtless they are doing their best to cover up just how high those numbers are.

Read through these two opening posts - it beggars the imagination that human beings would treat other human beings this way:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1786336
thread title: Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4824038
thread title: Good Gawd....Dr. on Aaron Brown

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4825118
thread title: NIGHTLINE is doing Charity Hospital and FEMA.

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. It's an added tragedy that the American Red Cross has been failing the

Katrina and Bush victiims too - so much so that in DeKalb County (GA), the Red Cross was asked to LEAVE!!!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4824910

[Nothing Without Hope]

46. Those who died are considered human garbage, left to rot even now

This hideous photo was taken in the 9th Ward of New Orleans THREE WEEKS after the storm. After the Asian tsunami, bodies were gathered in a much shorter times. New Orleans is crawling witn military types, but rescuing those who are still dying or gathering the bodies just doesn't seem to be something they are there for.

This grisly photo shows what the Bush Administration really thinks of the people. This poor body, draped over a fence like trash, its head in the toxic mud, is inside the city limits of New Orleans and must have been passed many times by patrolling military details. This man had a family who may not yet know what happened to him.

When you are ready for the unspeakable horror of this photograph and what it means, it is here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4832252

I am thinking more each day that the Bush Administration WANTS racial violence to rise in protest of the thousands of dead, the horrors imposed upon evacuees, the deaths that are continuing even now, the sheer evil, soulless brutality that is STILL proceeding unchecked and is visible in this photo. "Civil disturbance" is one of the excuses that can be used by the President when calling martial law - and once declared, Congress cannot even review it for six months under the outrageous, dictatorial rules of FEMA executive orders. Read about those and the Posse Comitatus Act and much more in the opening post and replies of this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4790112
thread title: Missing A KEY POINT in *'s speech: POWER GRAB FOR POTUS AND MILITARY

[Nothing Without Hope]

47. Mr. Hollingsworth, the man who was rescued against FEMA orders by the

California National Guard unit as described in the opening post, has died. He had been trapped for TWO WEEKS in his New Orleans home while thousands of military and police types were swarming around doing whatever the hell they are doing only a few miles away. This is how his country thanked him for his honorable Army service during the Korean War.

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/12690628.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Katrina survivor dies days after rescue from New Orleans home

Posted on Tue, Sep. 20, 2005

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - A 74-year-old survivor of Hurricane Katrina who was trapped in a New Orleans home for nearly two weeks has died of complications related to dehydration and malnutrition, the California National Guard reported Monday.

Edgar Hollingsworth, an Army veteran of the Korean War, died Saturday at a New Orleans area hospital, Air Force Capt. Brenda Hendrickson of the California National Guard told The Associated Press by phone from Louisiana. He had been found four days earlier buried under a pile of rubble.

(snip)

At the request of his wife, Lillian, military personnel and other authorities who helped rescue him will serve as pallbearers, along with his son, Wesley, the California National Guard said in a statement.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had issued orders to rescue workers not to enter Katrina-ravaged homes unless they heard the cries of survivors. However, a National Guard team disobeyed orders after seeing Hollingsworth's foot protruding from the rubble of a home.

(snip)

How many others have died only recently or are still clinging to life? Not just in New Orleans but throughout the South? Can you imagine - left to die FOR TWO WEEKS, and rescued only by breaking FEMA orders.

There must be thousands of bodies, many of them dying long after the storm, in the houses of New Orleans and all over the hurricane area. And they are being left to ROT.