Big events always generate stories that range from the amazing to the bizarre to it-was-only-a-matter-of-time. Kartina is no exeption. Here are a few I’ve run across. It’s a sure bet more will surface as time goes on.
Transgendered evacuee jailed – A transgendered Hurricane Katrina evacuee jailed for five days after showering in the women’s bathroom at a local shelter was released Friday after the county attorney declined to press charges.
Using $2000 debit cards to buy Louis Vuitton $800 handbags – Profiteering ghouls have been using debit cards distributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina – intended to buy essentials for evacuated families – in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta.
Toddler Hero– In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard in New Orleans last Thursday, one group of survivors stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.
Fake news story – Bush to lead inquiry into Katrina: “I’m going to find that Katrina woman and have her arrested.”
Suburban NO police vs evacuees – A suburban police officer angrily ordered about 200 people to abandon an encampment between the highways near the bridge. The officer then confiscated their food and water, the four witnesses said.
Lets make this kid President. He’s obviously a better leader than the Duh.
“A transgendered Hurricane Katrina evacuee jailed for five days”
Ah, nice to know we can still keep our prejudices alive even during a crisis. Good to keep the priorities straight.
Regarding “Suburban NO police vs. evacuees.” I hadn’t realized why I despise so much of what goes on until I realized: these men are cowards. The police in the story are cowards, turning back refugees on the fear that there might be danger; those in charge are cowards in that it’s clear from the story that there will never be any serious investigation.
But they are merely representative of the age. We have a cowardly populace that will trade its birthright for a bowl of stew called security. We have politicians afraid they won’t win elections if they don’t give in to special interests and their money. We have troops in Iraq killing innocent civilians on a daily basis, being too afraid for their own safety. We have Google and Yahoo doing what they know is wrong to appease the Chinese government and make their sales quotas in China. The military not allowing pictures of coffins. Cover-ups. Lies. Obfuscation. Denials. And it’s because we live in the age of cowards.
You get to choose if you are going to live a courageous or cowardly life. But you are stuck with it for the rest of your life. These cops are stuck with turning back innocent refugees for the rest of their lives. And what will they tell their kids when asked “How did you help during hurricane Katrina?”
Wow! The “$2000.00 ATM cards issued to hurricane Katrinas “victims” is being misused! Nobody saw this coming?? Hasn’t anyone been in a grocery store behind someone buying $50.00 worth of Budweiser and Marlboros with cash (and maybe $10-$20 in lottery tickets to boot) and $100.00 worth of groceries with food stamps?
Although there are many deserving people and sad storeis in the wake of Katrina, I am convinced a large portion of the people who stayed behind did so specifically to loot. These “victims” will now be rewarded with cash payouts. I’m sure free homes and interest free business loans are just around the corner.
I am all for the government helping deserving people after a disaster but there should be a solid process to make sure they are deserving. Until this process is in place only food, shelter and health care should be distributed, NO CASH. People who have food, shelter and health care will not die without cash.
The goverment being eager to tell how many billions they have thrown at a problem is a recipe for massive waste and fraud. Am I the only one who has seen stories about people in Iowa receiving 911 relief funds?
“And what will they tell their kids when asked “How did you help during hurricane Katrina?”
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Its easy to figure, not only do we live in a society of couards, but many cowards are liars too.
First I read Bill’s comment about “let ‘em suffer” until they’ve proven they are destitute and then Thomas’s wry comment on liars.
I agree that along with lying comes denial. And denying that over one million people don’t have a home to go back to is cowardly. Insisting that the people receiving aid are criminals first is just plain wrong. You can’t apply a means test to someone with only the clothes on their back!!!
But then I guess that Iraq is a good example of why throwing money at a problem without a plan is OK.
As for the alleged abusers in Atlanta that didn’t even seem to know how to use the cards, I don’t think it sounds right. If the sales clerk is so indignant that they actually bought something with the cards, then why doesn’t she report the transaction to the FBI. The debit receipt is traceable and if the card was fraudulently obtained then the holder could be charged.