reports from New Orlean

“I have a link to some first person accounts and concerns. The link is below, but I found this account worth cutting and pasting:

The Positive Stories Must Get Out
Name: Robert LeBlanc
Subject: My Hurricane Story -- The Positive Stories Must Get Out

Story: Please help me to get this story out. We need to get the truth out and these people helped.

Jeff Rau, a family and now personal friend to whom I will forever be linked, and I were volunteering with a boat and pulling people out of the water on Wednesday. I have a first-hand experience of what we encountered. In my opinion, everything that is going on in the media is a complete bastardization of what is really happening. The result is that good people are dying and losing family members. I have my own set of opinions about welfare and people working to improve thier own lot instead of looking for handouts, but what is occurring now is well beyond those borders. These people need help and need to get out. We can sort out all of the social and political issues later, but human beings with any sense of compassion would agree that the travesty that is going on here in New Orleans needs to end and people's lives need to be saved and families need to be put back together. Now.

I will tell you that I would probably disagree with most of the people that still need to be saved on political, social, and cultural values. However, it must be noted that these people love thier friends and families like I do, desire to live like I do, and care for their respective communities (I was even amazed at the site of seemingly young and poor black people caring for sickly and seemingly well-to-do white people and tourists still needing evacuation from New Orleans' downtown area) the same way I care for mine.

Eight people in particular who stood out during our rescue and whose stories deserve to be told:

1.) We were in motor boats all day ferrying people back and forth approximately a mile and a half each way (from Carrolton down Airline Hwy to the Causeway overpass). Early in the day, we witnessed a black man in a boat with no motor paddling with a piece of lumber. He rescued people in the boat and paddled them to safety (a mile and a half). He then, amidst all of the boats with motors, turned around and paddled back out across the mile and a half stretch to do his part in getting more people out. He refused to give up or occupy any of the motored boat resources because he did not want to slow us down in our efforts. I saw him at about 5:00 p.m., paddling away from the rescue point back out into the neighborhoods with about a half mile until he got to the neighborhood, just two hours before nightfall. I am sure that his trip took at least an hour and a half each trip, and he was going back to get more people knowing that he'd run out of daylight. He did all of this wit! h a t!
wo-by-four.

2.) One of the groups that we rescued were 50 people standing on the bridge that crosses over Airline Hwy just before getting to Carrolton Ave going toward downtown. Most of these people had been there, with no food, water, or anyplace to go since Monday morning (we got to them Wed afternoon) and surrounded by 10 feet of water all around them. There was one guy who had been there since the beginning, organizing people and helping more people to get to the bridge safely as more water rose on Wednesday morning. He did not leave the bridge until everyone got off safely, even deferring to people who had gotten to the bridge Wed a.m. and, although inconvenienced by loss of power and weather damage, did have the luxury of some food and some water as late as Tuesday evening. This guy waited on the bridge until dusk, and was one of the last boats out that night. He could have easily not made it out that night and been stranded on the bridge alone.

3.) The third story may be the most compelling. I will not mince words. This was in a really rough neighborhood and we came across five seemingly unsavory characters. One had scars from what seemed to be gunshot wounds. We found these guys at a two-story recreational complex, one of the only two-story buildings in the neighborhood. They broke into the center and tried to rustle as many people as possible from the neighborhood into the center. These guys stayed outside in the center all day, getting everyone out of the rec center onto boats. We approached them at approximately 6:30 p.m., obviously one of the last trips of the day, and they sent us further into the neighborhood to get more people out of homes and off rooftops instead of getting on themselves. This at the risk of their not getting out and having to stay in the water for an undetermined (you have to understand the uncertainly that all of the people in these accounts faced without having any info on the resc! ue ef!
forts, how far or deep the flooding was, or where to go if they want to swim or walk out) amount of time. These five guys were on the last boat out of the neighborhood at sundown. They were incredibly grateful, mentioned numerous times 'God is going to bless y'all for this'. When we got them to the dock, they offered us an Allen Iverson jersey off of one of their backs as a gesture of gratitude, which was literally probably the most valuable possession among them all. Obviously, we declined, but I remain tremendously impacted by this gesture.

I don't know what to do with all of this, but I think we need to get this story out. Some of what is being portrayed among the media is happening and is terrible, but it is among a very small group of people, not the majority. They make it seem like New Orleans has somehow taken the atmosphere of the mobs in Mogadishu portrayed in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," which is making volunteers (including us) more hesitant and rescue attempts more difficult. As a result, people are dying. My family has been volunteering at the shelters here in Houma and can count on one hand the number of people among thousands who have not said "Thank You." or "God Bless You." Their lives shattered and families torn apart, gracious just to have us serve them beans and rice.

If anything, these eight people's stories deserve to be told, so that people across the world will know what they really did in the midst of this devastation. So that it will not be assumed that they were looting hospitals, they were shooting at helicopters. It must be known that they, like many other people that we encountered, sacrificed themselves during all of this to help other people in more dire straits than their own.

It is also important to know that this account is coming from someone who is politically conservative, believes in capitalism and free enterprise, and is traditionally against many of the opinions and stances of activists like Michael Moore and other liberals on most of the hot-topic political issues of the day. Believe me, I am not the political activist. This transcends politics. This is about humanity and helping mankind. We need to get these people out. Save their lives. We can sort out all of the political and social issues later. People need to know the truth of what is going on at the ground level so that they know that New Orleans and the people stranded there are, despite being panicked and desperate, gracious people and they deserve the chance to live. They need all of our help, as well.

This is an accurate account of things. Jeffery Rau would probably tell the same exact stories.

Regards,
Robert LeBlanc

http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_nolaview/archives/2005_09.html#075736”

“Of course, I am moved by the goodness and humanity of this man - even more than by the stories he writes.

I've been pondering something WIlliam James wrote for about a week now, and although Mr. LeBlanc may not agree with me, what he writes resonates for me:

"I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big
success. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from
individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so
many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time,
will rend the hardest monuments of pride."”

“also interesting:

http://www.gumbopages.com/looka/”

“Ped - thank you for sharing. My mom and I had a similar discussion yesterday about how we were sure there so much more positive happening than negative. And how tiring the media coverage can be when they insist on talking about the deaths, rapes, looting, etc... painting a most horrible picture. Instead of showing us how situations like this can bring together so many people for the sake of doing good for others.

It's sad that the positive attention is given, it seems, mostly to those who traveled from other states to help out. But, what about those who live right in the city? They lost homes and families yet are still sticking around to help those that are less fortuante.

Thanks, again. I'm gonna send the link to my mom, now. I know she'll appreicate it, too.”

“Pedxing, thanks for posting that story and the William James quote. The opportunity to be a part one of those "tiny, invisble, loving human forces that work from individual to individual" is why I have started working on my employer to allow me to take time off to volunteer with the Red Cross.

For people who are interested in learning about political and social realities by reading a very funny book about the effects of welfare to work, I highly recommend Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.”

“Pedxing thank you for the story and the links.

I too agree with Tarabull, for every 1 bad story in the media there are a hundred stories of goodness. They don't normally get reported. For every Abu Graib there a a thousand soldiers that have rescued someone and emperiled their own lives.

I lived this precept last year during the hurricanes and several years ago when a tornado went through and devestated 7 counties. Neighbors helping out neighbors even though yesterday they may not have been speaking over something petty like a barking dog or other such thing.

I am a believer in the greater good of most people. I have seen it in action.”

“Thanks Tarabull, Wannabp and Tango. While I'm not ready to abandon my passion for some large scale social ideals, history may have to sort out who is right and wrong about social and international policy.

It is in the small human actions that goodness is more clearly manifest. I respect Wannabp's volunteer work as well as spontaneous informal and direct assistance to others. I'm looking at ways I can do more of this kind of thing in my life.”

“Thanks for posting. It's good to read something without the media spin. I am so worried about the children that have been affected by this catastrophe. I bought some diapers, childrens books and water for the local relief effort, but I want to do more.”

“I got the call last week day 2 going on day 3 that my local station wanted to get down there and tell the stories of the people. My market is # 30 out of 200 and some, so we come on pretty strong about the slam of media hype. We are a rather large Southern city that takes pride in going to great lengths to get the story straight and without the BS sensationalism that is so prevellant in todays major network slants of typical disaster coverage. I saw first hand. I stood beside those locals. I gave what I had and shared with their misery and total loss. I felt compassion towards the hardened criminals that were let out of the city jail to fend for theirselves and watched as they took (i believe the term is looting) what little food and water,clothing from the stores only to give these life sustaining material goods away to the mothers and children that were beyond help from our national effort. We covered the efforts of ordinary people from far away giving immediate aid and not hesitating to open our front doors to give comfort to so many that lost so much so quickly. In a day or two I will try to relate the immpressions and emotions I am confronted with now after last week.”

“Thanks for the upbeat and human interest side of the story.All politics aside,there is always more than the media says.
There has always been crime and vile behavior and always joyful surprises of lights shining in the darkness. Keep the light on for these folks!”

“thanks for sharing this Ped.”

“Good read pedxing. I knew that there were some good things coming out of all this bad.”

“I find this website fascinating, and full of opportunities for people interested in helping. While there are are some negative things there, I am blown away by how many people from all around the country are making huge efforts to help.”

“Expect the best out of people and they will suprise you with more.

I just would like to say Please don't forget avout these people a month or two down the road when the media has moved onto more tantalizing stories.”

“Thanks for re-aiming the spotlight to where it needs to be... a well-needed shift of perspective!”

“Nice Ped!

Thanks for the book referral wannabp, I'm going to WalMart to loot it today!”

“LOVE TRIUMPHS
6-year-old becomes a hero to band of toddlers, rescuers
Tense days lead to reunion of kids and their moms

By ELLEN BARRY
Los Angeles Times


HURRICANE KATRINA
NOAA
Hurricane Katrina swirls toward the Gulf Coast.

BATON ROUGE, LA. - In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of evacuees 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.

They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A 3-year-old girl had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he said his name was Deamonte Love.

After their rescue Thursday, paramedics in the Baton Rouge rescue operations headquarters tried to coax their names out of them.

Transporting the children alone was "the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, knowing that their parents are either dead" or that they had been abandoned, said Pat Coveney, a Houston emergency medical technician who put them into the back of his ambulance and drove them out of New Orleans.

"It goes back to the same thing," he said. "How did a 6-year-old end up being in charge of six babies?"

Clean and healthy
So far, parents displaced by flooding have reported 220 children missing, and that number is expected to rise, said Mike Kenner of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which will help reunite families.

At the rescue headquarters, the children ate cafeteria food and fell into a deep sleep. Deamonte gave his address, his phone number and the name of his elementary school.

He said the 5-month-old was his brother, Darynael, and that two others were his cousins, Tyreek and Zoria. The other three lived in his apartment building.

The children were clean and healthy, said Joyce Miller, a nurse who examined them. It was clear, she said, that "time had been taken with those kids." The baby was "fat and happy."

False hope
Thursday night, they got an encouraging report: A woman in a shelter in Thibodeaux was searching for seven children. People in the building started clapping at the news. But when they got the mother on the phone, it became clear that she was looking for a different group of seven children.

The children were transferred to a shelter operated by the Department of Social Services, rooms full of toys and cribs where mentors from the Big Buddy Program were on hand. For the next two days, the staff did detective work.

One of the 2-year-olds steadfastly refused to say her name until a worker took her picture with a digital camera and showed it to her. The little girl pointed at it and cried out, "Gabby!" One of the boys — with a halo of curly hair — had a G printed on his T-shirt when he arrived; when volunteers started calling him G, they noticed that he responded.

Deamonte began to give more details to Derrick Robertson, a 27-year-old Big Buddy mentor: How he saw his mother cry when he was loaded onto the helicopter. How he promised he'd take care of his brother.

Late Saturday night, they found Deamonte's mother, who was in a shelter in San Antonio along with the four mothers of the other five children. Catrina Williams, 26, saw her children's pictures on a Web site set up over the weekend by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. By Sunday, a private plane from Angel Flight was waiting to take the children to Texas.

In a phone interview, Williams said she is the kind of mother who doesn't let her children out of her sight. What happened on Thursday, she said, was that her family, trapped in an apartment building, began to feel desperate.

The water wasn't going down and they had been living without light, food or air conditioning for four days. The baby needed milk and the milk was gone. So she decided they would evacuate by helicopter. When a helicopter arrived to pick them up, they were told to send the children first and that the helicopter would be back in 25 minutes. She and her neighbors had to make a quick decision.

It was a wrenching moment. Williams' father, Adrian Love, told her to send the children ahead.

"I told them to go ahead and give them up because me, I would give my life for my kids. They should feel the same way," said Love, 48.

His daughter and her friends followed his advice.

"We did what we had to do for our kids because we love them," Williams said.

The helicopter didn't come back. While the children were transported to Baton Rouge, their parents wound up in San Antonio, and although Williams was reassured that they would be reunited, days passed without any contact. On Sunday, she was elated.

"All I know is, I just want to see my kids," she said. "Everything else will just fall into place."”

“MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Radio talk shows and newspapers here buzzed with excitement over news that Mexico, long on the receiving end of U.S. disaster relief, was sending a hurricane aid convoy to help its larger, richer and more powerful northern neighbor.

Carrying water treatment plants, mobile kitchens and supplies to feed victims of Hurricane Katrina, the army convoy bound for Houston will be the first Mexican military unit to operate on U.S. soil since 1846.


http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/09/07/katrina.mexico.ap/index.html”

“catskhiker,

that is such a touching story... Obviously, these children show that there are still kids out there being taught about how to love and care for others...

My hubby, Thinkbubelz & I were on vacation when this all happened, and only just have had access to the TV news once we got back...

I'm appalled at our government's lack of preparation and help to many of these people in the days immediately following Katrina... It's great to see that some positives in human spirit and kindness still remain...I can't even begin to imagine what these families are going through....for some, all that they own and have were located in their houses-- now that is even gone....

I'm hoping to gather some of my friends in a few weeks to do a potluck dinner and clothing drive for the people of New Orleans. It's not much, but I have so many clothes in my closets that haven't been worn for years-- I'm sure that the people in Louisiana would appreciate them more than I have...

Seeing the devastation on the news really makes me wish that I could do more to help.”

“pic of Sass brother...Maj. Timothy A. Doherty, from the 148th Medical Company, Georgia Army National Guard, helps a man up from a school building near downtown New Orleans. The man was stranded by floodwaters caused by Hurricane Katrina. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.


Maj. Timothy A. Doherty, from the 148th Medical Company, Georgia Army National Guard, walks the streets of New Orleans, searching for people stranded by Hurricane Katrina floodwaters. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.
last edited: 9/07/05 7:03:27 PM”

“I pray that Sass' brother stays safe down there. I'm sure he'll have amazing stories to tell once its all said and done.”

“Hat's off to Sass's brother.

And ditto what Smiley said.”

“His dad must be way proud. He flew helicopters for 20plus years and retired as a colonel 10 years back, his oldest boy followed his steps, very very cool.”

“Thanks Smiley, he needs those prayers. He's got five little kids waiting for him at home and doesn't need to have any accidents.”

“Wow, Sass....

I pray for your brother and his current mission... Sadly, I'm sure some of what he experiences may cause inner wounds (i.e. mental) vs. external... Hopefully, he will be able to take some time during each day to wind down and allow himself some mental rest....

Will keep him in our thoughts and prayers...”

“Good Luck Maj. Doherty!”

“my thoughts are with him also sass.

may god bless him and the others that are giving their time and energy to help.”

“He says he's doing pretty well actually, excepting that he hasn't had a shower since he's been down there. I imagine that's be pretty nasty after wading through sewage water. But he's in good spirits and says that things are generally much better than we're hearing.

Thanks for the well wishes and prayers. I'll let him know. =)”

“here are some pics from a volunteer in Gulfport, MS:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86953017@N00/sets/913093”

“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.

They were holding hands. Three of the children were about two years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A three-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9230423/”

“Tango, That is so sad and at the same time amazing how a young boy can keep his family together on his own.

All I can say is that mayor has some nerve playing the blame game at a time like this. Doesn't he think that everyone can see he did not have an evacuation plan??? It's pretty damn obvious!”