When The Levee Breaks...New Orleans one year ago.....

[jus_the_facts]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3956844


Sun Sep-04-05 10:41 AM
New Orleans, Louisiana....the week that was.....


Bush urged Americans to curb gasoline consumption to ease the impact of refineries crippled by the storm. He also warned Gulf Coast residents, including those searching for water and food, not to break into businesses or commit other crimes during the crisis.

"There ought to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this," Bush said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."



The deepening crisis prompted urgent pleas for help from local officials and residents, many of whom pointedly criticized the federal government for what they said was a meager and slow response.

missin' picture here of a tank rollin' down the streets full of people dudes pointin' M16's at them.



Parents carried small children, and grown children carried their elderly parents through the flotsam. Corpses floated in fetid waters and lay amid the crowds of refugees



"This is a horrible tragedy and an unconscionable way to treat human beings,"

If people need water and food, we're going to do everything we can to get them water and food," Bush added. "It's very important for the citizens in all affected areas to take personal responsibility and assume a kind of a civic sense of responsibility so that the situation doesn't get out of hand, so people don't exploit the vulnerable."

The calls for calm came amid increasing signs of unrest among those who remain stranded in New Orleans. Continued engineering difficulties have kept 80 percent of the city flooded for more than three days.

"They said they're doing it by quadrant and we'll just have to take a number and get in line," Cunningham said. "They are there without food. Some were on dialysis and needed medical attention. . . . Their lives are threatened. I'm not even sure they'll be alive when we get there."




If it keeps on rainin', levees goin' to break,
If it keeps on rainin', levees goin' to break,

When the levee breaks I'll have no place to stay.
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan,
Lord, mean old levee taught me to weep and moan,
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,

Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.
Don't it make you feel bad
When you're tryin' to find your way home,

You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down south
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about chicago.

Cryin' wont help you, prayin' wont do you no good,
Now, cryin' wont help you, prayin' wont do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
All last night sat on the levee and moaned,
Thinkin' bout me baby and my happy home.
Going, gon to Chicago,
Gone to Chicago,

[jus_the_facts]

1. Memorial Day should be a reminder of Katrina victims now too...

Hush now don't cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You're lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain

Of someone close to you leaving the game...of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day
Your dream is over...or has it just begun?

There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run to in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared

It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the tears
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly, you hear and see
This magic new dimension


I-will be watching over you
I-am gonna help you see it through
I-will protect you in the night
I-am smiling next to you...in silent lucidity

If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumblng down, and a new world will begin

Living twice at once you learn
You're safe froom pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly

A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dreams alive, you can be the guide but...

I-will be watching over you
I-am gonna help you see it through
I-will protect you in the night
I-am smiling next to you...

Silent Lucidity ~ Queensryche

[Maddy McCall]

2. Hey, sugarbritches.

:hi:

I've been very sad this week. We recovered quickly from Katrina, but many of my family, friends, and colleagues did not--Katrina and Rita.

Thanks for posting this reminder. I think that my son and I might drive down to NOLA tomorrow and eat at Acme...walk the Quarter and drive through the lower 9.

Haven't talked to you in awhile. :hi: :loveya:

[jus_the_facts]

4. Hey backatcha sweetie pie.....

....I haven't gotten over it...don't think I ever will eventhough I wasn't affected literally...my soul is still crushed for all who were...and always will be. x(

That sounds like a plan...hope ya'll enjoy the Quarter...eat an oyster po'boy for me...purrty please!! :hug: :loveya:

[Maddy McCall]

7. I cried all day Tuesday.

I was fit for nothing. It was a terribly sad day. And I agree with you...it's the blackest spot on our nation's history.

Oh, and I'll TRY to eat a oyster po-boy for ya. See, I'm going to eat one for myself, and I doubt I'll have room for a second one. How's about I just drink a beer for ya. :D

:hug:

[jus_the_facts]

10. Cheers then....

....I cried a lot Tuesday too...squalled off and on all week really..sigh. :cry:

I'm gonna go listen to the rest o'the LSU game...we're beatin' the Ragin' Cajun's but stinkin' it up some with a turnover...this is the FIRST time in ULL history they've scored on LSU..hehehe! :bounce:

You have a good time and have that beer for me..I could use one!! :toast:

[Maddy McCall]

12. ...

Will do.

:hug:

[jonnyblitz]

5. just remember that "southern decadence" is happening

down there right now so it will probably be insane! I wish i could just drive down to new orleans tomorrow!! :hug: :hi:

[Maddy McCall]

6. Hell, I didn't even know that!

Ought to be a REALLY fun day in the Quarter, then. If I go, I'll make pictures. :D

[jonnyblitz]

8. yup, every labor day weekend except for last year. :(

have fun if you go and I will look forward to pictures if you take them. :P

[Maddy McCall]

11. I knew that! I just forgot to put two and two together.

I WILL make photos if I go. :hug:

[Maddy McCall]

3. I hope...

Sunday morning
I heard the preacher say
Thou’ shall not kill
I don’t wanna hear nothin’ else
About killin’ and that it’s God’s will

‘Cause our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They’re gonna be like us
So let’s learn from our history
And do it differently

(I hope)
For more love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
We’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
We’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And we can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope

Oh Rosie
Her man he gets too rough
And all she can say
Is he’s a good man he don’t mean no harm
He was just brought up that way

But our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They’re gonna be like us
It’s ok for us to disagree
We can work it out lovingly

(I hope)
More love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
You’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
You’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And you can all live more fearlessly
And you can lose all your pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope

There must be a way
To change what’s going on
No I don’t have all the answers

But I hope
(I hope)
For more love, more joy and laughter
(I hope)
You’ll have more than you’ll ever need
(I hope)
You’ll have more happy ever afters
(I hope)
And we can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
(I hope)
I hope
And we can lose all the pain and misery

Dixie Chicks - I Hope

[flamingyouth]

9. Great post

:hug:

[jus_the_facts]

16. Hey girl....thank you....

:hug: :loveya:

:hi:

[nosillies]

13. I went home and was down there a couple of weeks ago, so I got my

crying out then. Or so I thought! But thanks for the post.

BTW -- GEAUX TIGERS! We're up at halftime, but I don't want to jinx it.

[jus_the_facts]

17. Geaux Tigers indeed....

....they let the Ragin' Cajun's score on them for the first time ever in the history of them playin' eath other. :scared: :D

:hi:

[buddhamama]

14. thank you, sweetie

for this post. the other day a DU member posted a poem they had written shortly after the disaster. i thought this thread would be a good place for it. The DUer is MagickMuffin

Katrina and a Slow Moving Bush

The Howling Wind ; The Rushing Water; The Silent Bush
I am a victim of a hurricane and a slow moving Bush
I was to poor to be evacuated
Some may say that I am under privileged
Well, I say What's that got to do with anything
I'm still a Human Being
Some may say they're scared because I've been relocated
And I say What's that got to do with you
I'm still a Human Being and I deserve respect.

I died in my flooded house
I died at the hospital while waiting to be rescued
I died without my oxygen, because of no electricity
I died in the Super Dome Arena, because I had no food
I died in the Super Dome Arena, because I had no water
I died in a tree, because of the stinging fire ants
I died because I couldn't swim
I died in my wheel chair
I died with my dog; I died along with my cat

I've been dead for days now and I'm still lying in the street
I've been dead for days now and I'm still lying in the water
I've been dead for days now and I'm still lying in this building

How could this have happened?
Why did they cut the funding?
Why wasn't their lives valued?
Is it because they were poor?
Because they were black?
Because they had no money?
Because they didn't belong there anymore?
Because the wealthy wanted the land?
© 2005 bMorpheus

[jus_the_facts]

18. Thank You and MagickMuffin for that...I'd not seen it.....

....powerful writing...the truth shreds my heart. :hug: :loveya:

[merh]

20. ..

:hug:

[merh]

15. I talked about our experiences in Katrina with my older brother

for the first time today. He lives in California and was here for a reunion. Talking about it and reliving the experience for him and driving the coast to get to the reunion had it's toll on me. :(

We will never be the same, not our beloved Coast line or our psyches.

I wish peace for all of the survivors, sweet and blessed peace.

The love and support of friends and family does help and I thank you jus_the_facts, for this thread and all of your compassion. :hug:

:loveya:

[jus_the_facts]

19. I wish you and yours the same merh.....

....and everyone else whose lives have been changed forever. {{{{{PEACE}}}}}

:loveya: :hug:

[SoyCat]

21. My husband and I just got back from New Orleans about an hour ago. It's

our fifth trip back since Katrina. We saw progress. But that progress is extremely uneven with some areas clearly moving ahead faster. Poorer areas are as expected; the powers that be just don't care enough to get them the proper help. But at least there was noticeable progress on each trip.

[Kool Kitty]

22. That's good to hear.

But I'd like to know what the situation is in Plaquemines (sp?) Parish, where Katrina made her first landfall.

[SoyCat]

23. I haven't been down there yet but I've heard that it's extremely bad.

I don't have friends in Plaquemines Parish so, I haven't had a reason to venture that far, yet.