Did bad things happen in NewOrleans?

[ballistic gelatin]

I keep reading little snippets about people who were victimized because they could not defend themselves after hurricane Katrina. What I haven't read is descriptions about specific events in which an armed citizen could have actually thwarted evildoers. Did anything bad actually happen to those left after the storm?

 

[Alex45ACP]

http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/shared/news/nation/stories/09/10KATRINA_ALGIERS.html

 

[thatguy]

Near as I can figure virtually all of the reports of violence, such as the rapes, murders and shootings, were bogus. No rescue workers were shot at, no bodies at the Superdome (despite Geraldo's breathless claims to witnessing stacks of bodies) and the only crimes that happened were the lootings of some stores.

There may have been a few isolated crimes, but the news of massive violence appears for the most part to have been little more than rumor spread by cable news outlets anxious to broadcast sensational stories.

If it bleeds it leads.

 

[Lupinus]

There were six confirmed deaths inside the superdome, some of which were suicide's.

And there were many report's of many crime's and looting throught the city. A lot of the superdome report's were bogus. I am sure some of the reports of looting were. But that place was FAR from safe.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I predict it'll be quite awhile before the facts get sorted out: too many national leftist extremist so-called "news" media reports have to be discarded before we'll be able to figure out what was what.

 

[wmenorr67]

As a member of the National Guard who was on the ground on the 4th of September let me tell you that yes some bad things did happen in NOLA. I have pictures of a homicide victim that was in the water for at least a week and patrols from my unit found several houses that contained items from businesses and/or houses that were not associated with the houses the items were found in. As for confiscating weapons our unit did not kick in any doors nor did we take any weapons from individuals. I will be honest to say that if we found a house unsecured and there were weapons in the house, we secured the weapons and turned them over to the BATF. Yes some of those weapons were probably in the home of the legal owner, however the house was unsecured and now way of securing it. We decided best to secure the weapons to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. I only hope that the rightful owners get those weapons back. Yes we did document when and where the weapons were found.

 

[Borachon]

No rescue workers were shot at, no bodies at the Superdome (despite Geraldo's breathless claims to witnessing stacks of bodies) and the only crimes that happened were the lootings of some stores.

I think it is very likely ALL of those things happened. But every extra body...every report of a crime....every report of a tragedy....is something that will now be laid at the feet of George Bush. Every extra body is a political millstone around his neck. People already perceive him as having acted too slowly and are making comparisons to his reading the Goat story to the school room full of children after 911. He doesn't want, or need, any more reports of bad news hitting the airwaves. So now I think they are back pedelling and saying that none of these bad things happened. Your CRAZY for thinking that people would act these ways after a disaster. The government IS your best friend and is always right!

The National Geographic magazine ran an article a year before Katrina and predicted EVERYTHING accurately....except for one detail. They missed the number of dead by 48,000. They predicted the dead would number around 50k in New Orleans. Only 2000 are reported dead now. So did they miss it? I don't think so. Every dead body is a political millstone. So don't count them.

Oh yeah...I think a lot happened in New Orleans that we'll never know about.

 

[cane]

One victim for sure was Patricia Konie, wonder what happened to her after the CHP body slammed her and took her from her undamaged, unflooded, well stocked home, to a place of safety in the NO conference center?

 

[HD]

save every thread/reference you find

the liberal commisars want to make any 'negitive' images of the nola vermin vanish from human memory asap...

 

[Rezin]

I used to live in NOLA. Gretna actually.

I still have a lot of firends there. The first-hand reports form some of them, was the media certainly exaggerated a bit, and added drama, but lots of stuff was happeneing, gunshots were common and it was chaotic, but not to the extent of say, FOX's perception.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

But every extra body...every report of a crime....every report of a tragedy....is something that will now be laid at the feet of George Bush.

Why? Planning for and evacuating the city was the responsibility of the Mayor. It was city authorities who failed at that point, not federal.

 

[Borachon]

Why? Planning for and evacuating the city was the responsibility of the Mayor.

Yes...I'll grant you that. But people didn't really die because of the hurricane. I'd say that you'd be hard pressed to find one person in New Orleans who was killed because of a tree falling on them, or wind collapsing their building. People died AFTER Katrina came through. Sending relief convoys didn't happen for 4-5 days AFTER the city flooded. This delay....after it was clear that Nagin's resources had been destroyed...can really only float uphill to two places. 1) The governor's office in Louisiana, and 2) the President's office. These were the two authorities...both Federal and State...who were responsible for disasters in that geographic region.

The media has changed it's tune somewhat since Bush's poll numbers started to fall...I'm including Fox news in this. Before they were asking, "Where's the help?" Now they are blaming Nagin and New Orleans for not giving enough warning. To me it looks like there was plenty of warning. The evacuation was only suppose to get 80% of the city out anyway. That's all that have EVER left ANY disaster in the US. Some one is ALWAYS going to stay. Be it Mt. Saint Helens, or tornado alley, or wherever. The problem wasn't the evacuation...it was the poor rescue attempt on the part of Fema and the Federal Government afterward.

Although I'll grant you that the news media and the spin doctors are doing a great job diverting attention from the Federal govt.

 

[thatguy]

Blame Bush? Are you kidding?

How about we blame healthy people who chose not to leave town when advised to do so thus putting themselves in this situation?

How about we blame people who made zero preparations to take care of themselves in an emergency?

How about we blame local city government that did NOTHING before OR after the storm?

How about we blame state government that did NOTHING before OR after the storm?

There's a long list of people to blame before we get around to Bush and the fact is I don't see where the federal government did anything wrong, at all. It's the federal government, for crying out loud!!! Does ANYONE actually expect it to move swiftly and surely? I thought the response went pretty good considering how ponderous and sluggish such a huge bureaucracy usually moves. God, I'm tired of the Bush bashing oveer this!!!!

Borachon- As I understand it, there were NO confirmed reports of shootings at resuce workers. All of the other crime reports were either bogus or grossly eggaerated, as well. Anyone saying "Blame Bush" is either a socialist who expects the central authority to take care of them or a political operative for the Democrats.

 

[Sinsaba]

Last I heard (and yes I do realize I could be wrong) FEMA and other National agencies have said ALL ALONG people should be prepared to be on their own for a minimum of three days.

So what's this about the government taking too long?

Good or bad, we have laws in this country. One of those laws (as I understand it) dictates that the federal government not step in until requested to by the state. Also (as I understand it) the state government didn't request assistance for quite some time after the storm.

So what's this about the government taking too long?

If either or both of the above statements are indeed fact then I think we really need to examine any statements that "the government took too long" for underlying motives.

If people were saying "because of the rules that the government and government agencies operate under, it took a long time for aid to get to NO and therefore we need to look at changing the rules", I might listen. However, I wouldn't even accept that without looking at it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

But people didn't really die because of the hurricane. I'd say that you'd be hard pressed to find one person in New Orleans who was killed because of a tree falling on them, or wind collapsing their building. People died AFTER Katrina came through. Sending relief convoys didn't happen for 4-5 days AFTER the city flooded.

People died because they were in New Orleans, when they should have been evacuated to high ground outside the city. People died because of criminal acts -- including the strong hogging all the food and necessities (did you see any pregnant women or old people with walkers in the looting scenes shown on TV?) People died because, despite warnings they would need to be able to subsist on their own for several days, they failed to prepare. People died because the first line of response, the Louisiana National Guard, was held back.

People died because in Lousiana they elect crooked and icompetent politicians -- like Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco.

 

[torpid]

Nothing bad happened!- Lalalalalalalalala... I can't hear you... lalalalalalalalala...




.

 

[Stauble]

But people didn't really die because of the hurricane. I'd say that you'd be hard pressed to find one person in New Orleans who was killed because of a tree falling on them, or wind collapsing their building.

i went through the South Florida part of katrina, and the first people that died were people who had trees fall on them, thier cars, or thier houses

 

[Ryder]

They predicted bad things for those who returned. But...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051012082827.htm

Katrina Floodwaters Not As Toxic To Humans As Previously Thought, Study Says

"Their study, the first peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the water quality of the Katrina floodwaters, is good news for those who’ve been exposed directly to the floodwaters"

"Levels were within the range of typical storm-water runoff in the city, the scientists say."

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Katrina Floodwaters Not As Toxic To Humans As Previously Thought, Study Says

"Their study, the first peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the water quality of the Katrina floodwaters, is good news for those who’ve been exposed directly to the floodwaters"

"Levels were within the range of typical storm-water runoff in the city, the scientists say."

This is obviously a plot by the Bush Administration to embarass the Democrats. The water would have been toxic, but the same team that dynamited the levees pumped all the water through backpacker filters.

 

[thatguy]

Torpid- Not sure I get your comment. Are you saying that we who say there weren't massive crime problems in the wake of the storm are fooling ourselves?

Not so. Facts are there were a few crimes reported but NOTHING like what was being broadcast in the days following the event. It was media hysteria and hype. I heard of 40+ murders in the Superdome. A lie. I heard of snipers shooting at helocopters and rescue boats. A lie. I heard of armed gangs roaming around raping and killing. A lie.

I don't doubt that a few people died in the Superdome. Old people, sick people and others who couldn't stand the physical and emotional strain. Maybe some folks who couldn't get their meds died of chronic ailments. But massive crime, like rape and murder? Didn't happen. Just the media outlets trying to top one another with no regard for truth or accuracy.

As for the federal response, it was just about what one would expect. It arrived, eventually. I don't think it's reasonable to expect federal aid in less than 72 hours.


Who really has their fingers in their ears refusing to hear the truth?