I Know This Little Boy In New Orleans

[Bob Geiger]

I get a lot of e-mail. Most of it is very nice, some funny and some from right-wingers who -- go figure -- I seem to have made very angry. But the most gratifying I've ever received has been over the last week or so when a large number of people have written asking me to rerun I Know This Little Boy In New Orleans for the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina striking the Gulf Coast.

I wasn't going to do it, but then a person who had actually been trapped at the New Orleans Superdome for four days asked me repost it and that's made me cave.

This column, for which I was fortunate enough to be nominated for an award or two, was written when, a couple of days after the storm, I saw a picture of a young man praying in the Superdome. As the father of a little guy right around this boy's age, and looking at my own son sitting safe and comfortable next to me on the sofa, I was overwhelmed with feelings for a child I did not even know.

For those of you who have asked to see it again, here you go -- and I thank the rest of you for indulging the rerun.

* * * * *

I Know This Little Boy In New Orleans



I know the little boy in this picture.

No, I don't know him personally. But he is roughly the same age as my small son. This boy is beautiful, innocent, vulnerable and probably very scared in this photo.

I know this young boy.

He doesn't like vegetables. He prefers macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and hot dogs. He watches too much television and loves SpongeBob SquarePants and Yu-Gi-Oh. He used to like Pokémon, but thinks it's lame now.

He tries hard to not cry when he scrapes his knee or bumps his head. But sometimes he does and he feels better when his Mommy holds him. He likes to hug his grandparents and be spoiled when he visits them. He gets to stay up later at their house. He likes that.

He hates for people to know it, but he is afraid of the dark and has a nightlight in his room. He sleeps with a stuffed dog, but doesn't want his friends to know.

He can't really match his clothing yet, and has to be nagged to clean his room and do his chores. But he's filled with pride when he accomplishes his work. He knows his family isn't rich, but his bed is warm at night and his parents make sure he always has good meals.

He doesn't like girls yet, even though his parents tell him he someday will.

He knows a big storm came, with lots of water. And he hates where he is now.

He's embarrassed in public bathrooms and doesn't understand why he is now living in such a bad place. He's glad he doesn't wear diapers any longer so his parents don't have to worry about that. He wants to go home.

He loves Mountain Dew and Gatorade but has been so thirsty that water sounds better than anything he's ever had to drink.

He knows his bedroom, with his stuffed animals and Spiderman poster, is gone. It's under water now, which scares him even more. He hasn't yet learned to swim.

He wonders why his Mommy is crying so much and why his Daddy is so angry. He's worried because he knows his grandmother has been lost. He misses her.

He doesn't understand why it's taking so long for anyone to come and help him and why his family has to stay so long in the scary place where the Saints play football.

He doesn't like the dark or the heat or loud noises or yelling – and for days and days in his young life, that is all he has experienced.

I don't know this young man's name. But I know him. He's just like my little boy.

And I know he deserved better. I know he is too young to have been that scared, that thirsty, that hungry, that hot and that confused.

I know he deserved to be rescued as quickly as possible. I hope he was and is now in a place where he is in darkness only because it's time to be tucked in and go to sleep.

And I hope when this sweet little boy, along with my own child, are grown men, they will live in an America where this will never be allowed to happen again.

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail] and read more from him at BobGeiger.com

[rfranklin]

1. Thanks, Bob. That's the humanity and compassion that we hear about..

that seems in actuality so lacking on the part of many Americans, especially the Barbara Bushes of this world.

Your words ring true.

[bandy]

2. Thank You, Bob. What a beautiful story.

I think this had to come straight from a very good, loving heart. You could only have put these feelings on paper because they were heartfelt. What a beautiful tribute to him and all of those who suffered due to our...well, you know. Wish you could find him and see how he is doing. He probably would be pleased to know that someone took notice of him. Your son is a lucky little boy. With tears, thanks again.

[me b zola]

3. k&r

:cry:

[angstlessk]

4. Thanks, Bob...I am with me b zola (tears and K&R)

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[truedelphi]

5. Thank you for words that praise cannot make brighter

or more true

Whenever I think of Katrina, I first think of Katrina's children

I think of Mike Malloy mentioning some weeks after Katrina that
Saudi Arabia had just failed to pass some type of legislation
prohibiting sex slave trade of children (Legislation
or maybe Saud family's dictate - I don't recall)

About thirty minutes later Malloy mentions that a group of children who
earlier had been bussed from N 'Orleans to Florida had been rounded up by
Florida state troopers from the school they were attending
and despite the pleas of the school officials and teachers, these kids were
taken away yet again, to a place that troopers refused to name.

And my stomach sank lower than my feet. I really was scared by the idea that
troopers under Jeb Bush's command had taken these kids away

You have to wonder what sort of nation we've become that I even thought
the things that ran through my mind in those minutes of listeneing to Malloy

[celestia671]

6. Whatever became of the children??

They weren't taken to Gitmo, were they? It shows what a sorry state we live in now when that question isn't a joke.

[Balderdash]

7. Thanks for makin' it real.

I know that people not from here have to be getting tired about hearing about Katrina but things won't change if we forget. From a Katrina survivor I thank you for your heart.

[Radio_Lady]

8. Hi Bob. I'd like to post this as a link on my web journal page.

Do I need your permission to do that?

Also, I'd like to read it for the audio show I'm putting together for Monday, September 11, 2006. I will be recording that on Friday, September 8th around 9 AM Pacific Time. Any chance I might talk with you about this at your office or home on Friday for a few minutes? If so, please PM me.

You can read more about me at my web journal page. Check out the right column of the page for details on my show.

Beautifully written -- thank you.

In peace,

Radio_Lady in Oregon

[tavalon]

9. Thank you Bob

I missed this one the first time and it is well appropriate for a redo.

[Kerrytravelers]

10. Very well done, sir. Very well done.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

11. Very powerful and moving piece

Thanks for re-posting it !

[Bunny]

12. Thanks Bob. That was very touching.

Well done.

[frustrated_lefty]

13. Thank you, Bob.

When our government failed us, it was the humanity of people like yourself which touched the survivors of Katrina and helped ease the weight upon our shoulders.

There's a brief story I'd like to recount because your words on this anniversary bring the memory of it back so vividly. My 3 children and I finally escaped New Orleans the Friday following Katrina. We weren't sure if their mother had survived or not. After several days, this 6 and a half foot burly giant of a man, one of the construction workers modifying the shelter, stopped at the foot of my cot and hesitantly asked if he could spend a few minutes talking with me. The hesitancy caught my attention, it seemed counter-intuitive coming from such a hulk of a man. It was like he was asking for permission to "invade my space."

He explained he'd been watching my kids while working there, and was stricked by the resemblance between his daughter and mine and couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like if his daughter were in a similar situation. He broke down in tears, trying to hide it from his co-workers. After regaining his composure, he quietly handed over $500 and 4 tickets to SeaWorld. With a quiet dignity, he asked me to please take the kids out to remember some of the better things in life and to buy them whatever they wanted.

It was an act of unexpected, touching generosity, an unexpected bright spot at a very dark time. It also reminded me that whatever our government may do or not do, there remains something fundamentally good at the heart of the American people.

[kelliebrat]

16. Wow

Lefty, what an incredibly touching story. With all the hatred and b.s. being flung around the country, we forget how kind and good hearted most ordinary people are.

[CrispyQ]

35. Your story made me cry.

Bless that wonderful man!

[Cha]

14. What a Cutie! I like the

way he holds his tongue. So sweet! I hope eventually New Orleans goes back to the people who lived there before.

[iamjoy]

15. That Made Me Cry

and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I was an emotional wreck for days after Katrina. I don't live anywhere near where the storm hit, and I don't have children, but it didn't matter.

[kelliebrat]

17. Great post

:cry: I just hugged my boys

[savemefromdumbya]

18. I know this little boy in Baghdad too

[emmadoggy]

19. Beautiful. Thank you for posting that.

:grouphug:

[ninkasi]

20. Thank you, Bob, and this is exactly the thing we need to keep seeing

I look at that little boy, and though they are long grown up, and in their 40s now, I had two small boys once upon a time. I had three little brothers, too. Three of my little brothers are dead now, as are the three nephews I had. They died in different accidents, none of which was the result of a natural disaster. I have four great-nephews now, and cherish them beyond measure.

That child is any child, any race, any country, and to abandon these innocents is an act so vile and cruel that it should be illegal. He should know that he is loved, not just by his family, but by all of us. He should never have to worry about whether help will come when he needs it, because we as a country value him as much as we value keeping gays from getting married. He should feel so loved by all of us, that he would never feel the suspicion of members of other races, simply because he is a different color. When he cries in pain, or fear, there should be arms of all colors reaching out to comfort him.

For those who are Christian, I have a question. When I grew up attending a Methodist church, one of the hymns that we sang was "Jesus Loves the Little Children". I remember this part..."Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world". My question is this...at what age are these people, the children Jesus loves, no longer worthy of his love? The little boy in this post, we can accept that Jesus loves this child, but I never read a word in the Bible about how old he has to be before Jesus approves of bigotry toward him.

Possibly some member of the far-right can enlighten me, because I can't understand your reasoning. His love also extends to Muslim children, because they are also innocent. If we believe that all children are to be loved, then it follows that their parents must become loved, as well. If we all practice what our faiths teach us, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian, then we would have no problems. Until then, it is essential that for all of the innocent ones like we read about in this post be cherished and loved and cared for by all of us.

If we did that, really did it with willing hearts, I suspect that we would no longer have the time or energy to start wars that kill and maim them. War doesn't work, and bigotry doesn't work. Isn't it time to try something else?

[dddem]

28. Another hymn from my childhood that keeps playing in my head

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers; that you do unto me."

[NanceGreggs]

21. One of the most beautfully written pieces I have ever read.

As solemn as a prayer, as hopeful as a child's wish,
and, like a well-crafted blues song, full of soul ...

[Midlodemocrat]

22. Thank you for this beautiful peace.

[cynthia]

23. Thank you

for a well-written and moving piece.

Deep down I believe that all people belief in the innocence of children. They do not deserve the pain, or the fear.

I would like to live in a world where all children felt safe.

[wiley]

24. Thanks, again.

[Booster]

25. This is beautiful. A little kick so that more can read it. Thanks, Bob.

[mnhtnbb]

26. Thanks for posting. Missed the original. Very powerful.

[Sydnie]

27. Simply beautiful ... and heartbreaking .... and full of hope too.

:grouphug:

[dddem]

29. Thank you for sharing this.

It's a beautiful essay.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. My dear Bob Geiger.......

This is an absolutely amazing work ......

Thank you so much.......

:hug:

[Seldona]

31. I know this boy as well.

Truly breaks my heart to know that there was such of complete lack of interest and action for the protection of lives and property in such a large scale way.

I know I would have done anything to either get my family out, or to protect them and provide for them. Leaving people with few or no resources and then blaming them when they had to do what they had to do to survive is the ultimate hypocrisy in this whole nightmare imho.

Perhaps if we could get one of the Bush Family or their associates into disaster relief there might actually be more than just the token actions taken so far? Nothing gets this administration into an issue like the chance to issue no-bid contracts to cronies.

Edited for typo.

[rosesaylavee]

32. Thank you

I missed this last year somehow and very glad I caught it this time round.

:cry:

[mkb]

33. Little Boys, Like All Of Us, Need Good Homes

     Remembering what I said on an earlier post about trying
to not get upset and mad is still important I think.
     It was hard for me yesterday, because I really was this
little boy, and Liz Riley sent out her mean cohorts to make my
life difficult.  I don't think I did too bad, but it makes
things worse for everyone when you get upset and lose focus.
     Ray Nagin should probably be upset by his poor treatment
of the people of New Orleans.  Ray is Done lon ging for the
ability to make things better for his people.  I say with a
left-handed stroke that he has "NO" plan for this
little boy.  This little boy probably takes medication, and
needs a compass to find his way to and from home.  Ray will
not help this little boy, and may make his life much worse
because of his "plan".  Hopefully, people can find a
way to stop Ray from ruining the dreams of this little boy,
because like everyone, he could do good things if he was able
to have a good home.
     Hopefully, this little boy can have happy days, and maybe
go to the festival or something. 

[Mad_Dem_X]

34. Beautiful!

That's all I can say. :cry:

[breakaleg]

36. Great Job.