New Orleans Is Not Fixed

[Screwtape]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/dearscrewtape/000_0261.jpg
In front of these steps, there used to be a house with a cinder block foundation. The house is about thirty feet to the left of the shot, crushed against a neighbor's house.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/dearscrewtape/000_0255.jpg
This house was a few yards across the street from the one our crew worked on. As you can see, Godzilla stepped on it.

This is not in an abandoned neighborhood. It's not even in the 9th Ward. It's right across the way from the 9th, in the poorest part of New Orleans. Insurance companies work these people over and refuse to pay out and stall until the statute of limitations is up on the damages (which happens in a month). FEMA is kicking people out of their hotel rooms (a man who came and ate lunch with us while we worked a few days this week said that he was just living in his old house, which he had fixed up as best he could. He had gotten out of prison after two and a half years to find his home totally destroyed, and now, since he's an ex-con, FEMA won't take care of him and he has to go back to dealing in order to eat). The streets are haunted by dirt-poor drug dealers and the addicts who are past hunger and don't care about where they live.

The French Quarter is full of drunk college students. I don't know if they don't see the FEMA FOOD DROP signs spraypainted on the sides of buildings or the THERE ARE TWO DEAD BODIES HERE notices, or if they just ignore them. I'm afraid I think it's the latter.

No one is helping. Our church sent 8 people, churches across the country sent about 40 more for this week. The number of volunteers is tapering off.

Please take a week off work and go down to New Orleans. Please contact Samaritan's Purse, or the Volunteers of America, or the freakin' Red Cross. Please pick up a crowbar and a hammer and go knock down some drywall. It's hard and grueling and hot, but it requires nothing more than willpower to do.

Please, please. You owe it to your fellow human beings.

If you're a Christian, PM me. I'm going to try to raise an army to go down later this year with a Jesus freak group.

[DoubleShot]

Just goes to show that the prison system is broken.

I ain't no christian so I'm not interested in your army but if I were to volunteer who would I contact?

[the4thpip]

Good luck with your endeavors.

[Cam63]

'Same goes for me, Screwtape.

[Screwtape]

This is Habitat for Humanity (https://secure.habitat.org/site/c.ffIPKYOBJqG/b.1651801/k.2681/Hurricane_RecoveryOperation_Home_Delivery/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?kntaw14497=797DD868F37445759F294 A25D4E81889). They're a Christian organization, but you don't have to be a Christian to volunteer.

The same goes for Samaritan's Purse (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/Volunteer_Index.asp), although they have you sign something saying that you understand that they consider it a missions project.

Then there's The Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/services/volunteer/).

I don't really know how other people are getting down there, guys. I would guess that Volunteers of America would have something. Most of my contacts are through churches, and honestly, that's the group doing the lion's share of the work. However, if you google "New Orleans Volunteers" or "Katrina Relief Volunteers" or something like that, you'll find all kinds of stuff.

[DEWLine]

Any reaction to this post by Toronto Star columnist Antonia Zerbisias (http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/2006/07/apres_lui_la_de.html)?

[AndrewCrossett]

Any reaction to this post by Toronto Star columnist Antonia Zerbisias (http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/2006/07/apres_lui_la_de.html)?

Whatever our government does, it does because we allow it.

The past 5 years have taught me that Americans want to feel safe, not be free. (Notice I didn't say "be safe, not free.") Therefore, as Franklin predicted, we will never again have either safety or freedom.

This has been our choice. Now let us live with it.

[OzBat!]

This has been our choice. Now let us live with it.Or, conversely, change it.

[Screwtape]

Yeah, we got hassled by the military police. They wanted our drivers license numbers and SSNs. They're treating it like a war zone, because of all the crime.

[Boldido]

Yeah, we got hassled by the military police. They wanted our drivers license numbers and SSNs. They're treating it like a war zone, because of all the crime.

Did anyone ask why or tell them to go screw themselves (or whatever the Christian equivalent is)?

[Screwtape]

Not really, man. One guy gave up his SSN after I had made the guy promise us that the reports all went through a shredder after they were through with them, and two people put down their names and addresses (which are in New York and Tulsa, OK, repsectively). I think none of us wanted any trouble, and honestly, it was sort of more important to keep on working unimpeded. They seemed satisfied that we didn't have a high enough percentage of black people in our group to cause any trouble.

[Jack Zodiac]

I'm too poor to afford to go down to New Orleans and help out myself. I can't afford to take the time off work. I do, however, consistently donate to the Red Cross every couple of months. I used to donate annually, but these past couple years have been horrible for the entire world, so I started to donate more often after the tsunami two years ago, and again after Katrina. My company raised money for their relief fund that month, too, which the Red Cross matched.

There isn't a whole lot the American people can do about New Orleans except hold our government (ir)responsible. Any money I contribute now is entirely in the hands of those organizations, so I don't know exactly how much good I'm actually doing.

One of the biggest contributing factors in why New Orleans is still in the horrible state it's been in for the past year is that the media doesn't pay any attention to it anymore. And, sadly, in our country, out of sight is out of mind.

[Dustin]

Good luck.

[Sam T.]

That is just wrong that New Orleans hasn't been talk about in the news...!

[Dustin]

Yeah. It needs more help and supporters.:mad:

[Cam63]

Did anyone ask why or tell them to go screw themselves (or whatever the Christian equivalent is)?

I believe it's, " Go seeketh pleasure upon thou phallis. "

[the4thpip]

http://www.salon.com/comics/knig/2006/07/19/knig/story.gif

[Screwtape]

There isn't a whole lot the American people can do about New Orleans except hold our government (ir)responsible. Any money I contribute now is entirely in the hands of those organizations, so I don't know exactly how much good I'm actually doing.

One of the biggest contributing factors in why New Orleans is still in the horrible state it's been in for the past year is that the media doesn't pay any attention to it anymore. And, sadly, in our country, out of sight is out of mind.

That's great that your company is raising money for the Red Cross. Please keep it up; that's the only kind of thing that keeps people from having to use donated safety equipment and shoddy tools.

Most of us were taking vacation days. I'm a freelance writer, so I just tell people I'm going to be out of town for a week and damn the torpedoes.

As far as the government is concerned, I have no idea how to hold them responsible, though I agree that they should be helping more than they are. How do people plan on doing that?

[Dustin]

I'm too poor to afford to go down to New Orleans and help out myself. I can't afford to take the time off work. I do, however, consistently donate to the Red Cross every couple of months. I used to donate annually, but these past couple years have been horrible for the entire world, so I started to donate more often after the tsunami two years ago, and again after Katrina. My company raised money for their relief fund that month, too, which the Red Cross matched.

There isn't a whole lot the American people can do about New Orleans except hold our government (ir)responsible. Any money I contribute now is entirely in the hands of those organizations, so I don't know exactly how much good I'm actually doing.

One of the biggest contributing factors in why New Orleans is still in the horrible state it's been in for the past year is that the media doesn't pay any attention to it anymore. And, sadly, in our country, out of sight is out of mind.
I'll try donating to the Red Cross also so I can help. My church has things for that. I'll work on it.:)

[Jack Zodiac]

As far as the government is concerned, I have no idea how to hold them responsible, though I agree that they should be helping more than they are. How do people plan on doing that?

Protest, piss, and petition. That's all any of us can do to keep our government aware of how angry we are that they aren't taking care of their own citizens. That or armed revolution.

[Rhydaman]

Protest, piss, and petition. That's all any of us can do to keep our government aware of how angry we are that they aren't taking care of their own citizens. That or armed revolution.
Or, you know, vote for the other guy next time.

[Screwtape]

Ugh. Two more years with this jackass. Don't remind me.

[AndrewCrossett]

Or, you know, vote for the other guy next time.

Already tried that. Twice. Didn't work.