Amazing

[tikistitch]

A little old, but I hadn't seen this first-person NOLA account before:

We organized ourselves and the 200 of us set off for the bridge with great excitement and hope. As we marched pasted the convention center, many locals saw our determined and optimistic group and asked where we were headed. We told them about the great news. Families immediately grabbed their few belongings and quickly our numbers doubled and then doubled again. Babies in strollers now joined us, people using crutches, elderly clasping walkers and others people in wheelchairs. We marched the 2-3 miles to the freeway and up the steep incline to the Bridge. It now began to pour down rain, but it did not dampen our enthusiasm.

As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing their weapons over our heads. This sent the crowd fleeing in various directions. As the crowd scattered and dissipated, a few of us inched forward and managed to engage some of the sheriffs in conversation. We told them of our conversation with the police commander and of the commander's assurances. The sheriffs informed us there were no buses waiting. The commander had lied to us to get us to move.

We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge anyway, especially as there was little traffic on the 6-lane highway. They responded that the West Bank was not going to become New Orleans and there would be no Superdomes in their City. These were code words for if you are poor and black, you are not crossing the Mississippi River and you were not getting out of New Orleans.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/sfsocialists/3687.html

Just kept repeating to myself, "This is happening in America. In America."

Comments

[saintawesome.livejournal.com]

Isn't it appalling?

Here's another one you might want to take a look at:
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

...reading...

Wow. It's like an internment camp.

[saintawesome.livejournal.com]

I'm just boggling at the "not allowed to come back if they leave" for FIVE MONTHS. How are these people supposed to get a job, get a house, LIVE THEIR LIVES if they're LOCKED UP in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE?!?

I'm just sickened by it all.

[tacohime.livejournal.com]

The only slight glimmer of hope, if it can be called that, was Brownie's recall to Washington today. Then again, it's probably so he can go get a raise and another promotion.

Angry.

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

...and don't forget, a Medal of Honor!!