No, it's definitely today, I just had the particular cutiehead wrong.

FEMA "shelters" are really "detention centers?"

He then precedes to tell us that some churches had already enquired into whether they could send a van or bus on Sundays to pick up any occupants of their cabins who might be interested in attending church. FEMA will not allow this. The occupants of the camp cannot leave the camp for any reason. If they leave the camp they may never return. They will be issued FEMA identification cards and "a sum of money" and they will remain within the camp for the next 5 months.

My son looks at me and mumbles "Welcome to Krakow."

This next passage they are talking to a FEMA Official...

He then points to the vegetables and fruit. "You'll have to take that back as well. It looks like you've got about 10 apples there. I'm about to bring in 40 men. What would we do then?"

My mother, in her sweet, soft voice says, "Quarter them?"

"No ma'am. FEMA said no...

It could cause a riot. You don't understand the type of people that are about to come here...."

I turn and walk out of the room...lugging all the healthy stuff back to the car. My son later tells me the man went on to say "We've already been told of teenage girls delivering fetuses on buses." My son steps toward him and says "That's because they've almost been starved to death, haven't had a decent place to get a good night's sleep, and their bodies can't keep a baby alive. I'm not sure that's any evidence some one should be using to show these are 'bad people'."

Looks like race is a HUGE feature of how people are responding to those displaced. This is really and truly fucked up.

What was it Barbara Bush said? Oh yes:

"This is working very well for them."

Happy Birthday, Trudy!

I'm up obscenely early because it's the first Sunday of choir after our summer break. This year I decided to be sensible and instead of getting up at 7:15 or 7:30, taking a speed-shower, and eating a Luna bar and guzzling a soda in the car on the way to dashing in late to warm-up, that I would get up at 6:45 and eat breakfast before leaving. I may still end up dashing in late to warmup, though. Some traditions must be upheld.

Cindy, as a dumb keyboard (who definitely can't think, let alone remember), I'll just point to brenda's post above. Um, if I had a finger, which I don't. I'll use my cable for pointing, how's that? Not the one that connects me to the computer though, not while forming letters on the screen anyway, because that would prevent me from said forming letters.

This whole posting thing is so much easier when Nilly is here. If I had a mouth and some lungs, I would sigh. Only I don't, so I won't.

He then precedes to tell us that

Arg.

Aw. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown died. Successfully evacuated, but at 90-something and in ill health, it looks like it might have just been too much. He was a fabulous musician, and great fun.

Shoot, brenda. I should have checked back in here, before asking Deena about Kara, in Bitches.

That's sad about Mr. Brown.

The occupants of the camp cannot leave the camp for any reason. If they leave the camp they may never return. They will be issued FEMA identification cards and "a sum of money" and they will remain within the camp for the next 5 months.

Yeah, heaven forbid they get out of a cramped, crowded, depressing place, get some sunshine and fresh air, maybe look for a job, or get to see family and friends who are elsewhere. Asshats.

Looks like race is a HUGE feature of how people are responding to those displaced. This is really and truly fucked up.

From the sounds of that article at least, yep--race and social class, and possibly sex, too.

I honestly don't think race/class had much to do with the problems with the early response. I don't even think it got that far. As far as I can tell, it was sheer incompetence, lack of communication, and an unwillingness to cut through red-tape, which is a must in a disaster. But if I had a choice, I would not be staying in any FEMA/Homeland shelter. I'd find a church or other charity-run shelter, or beg relatives, first. Gah.

Cindy,

I'm not convinced. It has been so easy for various individuals to demonize the residents of NO post-hurricane: "why didn't they leave?" "why are they looting?" "why are they shooting at EMS?" that I cannot imagine race not playing a role beforehand.

FIVE DAYS. That's an awful long time for NG and FEMA not to bring in the cavalry.

Yes, there's a whole lot of incompetence, but I think race definitely had something to do with it.

sorry to have missed Rio.

RIO!!!!!!

Wow. I'm watching a clip of Bill Maher take Bush apart.

"You govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man. Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire metropolis to rising water and snakes. On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon, and the city of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky. I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side. So yes, God does speak to you. And what he's saying is 'Take a hint.'"