NEW ORLEANS AUG. 2005
HURRICANE KATRINA
Shortly after the hurricane moved away on August 30, 2005, some residents of New Orleans who remained in the city began looting stores. Many were in search of food and water that were not available to them through any other means, as well as non-essential items. Reports of RAPE MURDER AND SHOOTING AT RESCUERS was the "News at 11:00" leader for what seemed like weeks.
Media and Hollyood outcry was endless. And blame for a lack of government response to help the residents who ignored evacuation orders was vocalized by the same Kanye West, who interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Music Video Awards, when he said "George Bush hates black people."
As the U.S. military and rescue services regained control over the city, there were restrictions on the activity of the media. On September 9, the military leader of the relief effort announced that reporters would have "zero access" to efforts to recover bodies in New Orleans. Immediately following this announcement, CNN filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order against the ban. The next day the government backed down and reversed the ban.
Hurricane Katrina has also been the centerpiece of several documentary films, including Spike Lee's film, WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE, and Darren Martinez's film, HELLP. An episode of the Fox TV series House first broadcast on May 16, 2006, featured a teenage victim of Hurricane Katrina at the center of the main medical storyline. An episode of the BBC show Top Gear was praised by some for being one of the first to show the total scale of the destruction once the waters had receded.
Hurricane Katrina has also been the centerpiece of several documentary films, including Spike Lee's film, WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE, and Darren Martinez's film, HELLP. An episode of the Fox TV series House first broadcast on May 16, 2006, featured a teenage victim of Hurricane Katrina at the center of the main medical storyline. An episode of the BBC show Top Gear was praised by some for being one of the first to show the total scale of the destruction once the waters had receded.
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SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL
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NOTE* NONE OF THE ABOVE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN 2005.
ALL ARE OF THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY SEASONAL FLOODING IN IOWA SPRING 2011.
Where are the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa, and helping the folks affected by the floods or areas devastated by recent tornadoes? Where is good old Michael Moore?
Why is the media NOT asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved this problem? ...Asking where the FEMA trucks and trailers and food services are?
Why isn't the Federal government moving Iowa people into free hotels in Chicago and Minneapolis ?
When will Spike Lee say that the Federal government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines ?
Where are Sean Penn, Bono, and the Dixie Chicks?
Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes, cases of beer and television sets?
Where is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder?
Where are all the people screaming that Barack Obama hates white, rural people? My God, where are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Oprah, and Ray Coniff Jr?
How come you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again? Where are the government bail out vouchers? The government debit cards?
There must be one hell of a big difference between the value of the people of Iowa and value of the people of Louisiana.
It really does seem strange, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteVery good... very VAILD points...
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad sad sad shape this country is in today... Our government is wanting to raise taxes and tax rates... they want the upper earners to pay more...
That sounds good in theory until one looks at the statistics and see that the upper 1% of all tax payers, pay almost 40% of all taxes paid.
The upper 5% pay over 50% of all income taxes that are paid...
And this government wants them to pay more?
We are so screwed...
To that last taxpayer to leave the country, please turn the lights off on your way out...
~shoes~
Damn... I really can spell v-a-l-i-d... valid...
ReplyDeletesee??
:oD
~shoes~
I'd love to hear an answer to this.....
ReplyDeleteThis was Iowa? This year? I hadn't even heard about it...!
ReplyDeleteShame
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki;
Comfort Spiral
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I am not sure that some of the people of New Orleans simply ignored evacuation advice, but more likely did not have the funds to leave-or anywhere to go.
ReplyDeleteThe government handled that tragedy awfully,but you're right ,there was other support which forced them to act[belatedly].
I think celebrities only jump on the bandwagon IF the media makes a stink about a tragedy and it becomes a 'noble' cause to back. Sadly, this non story was just that, as you say.
Good for you for bringing attention to it though.
Oh how I've missed you :-) Decided to resurface after almost a year. Life's been hellish... but after catching up on your latest blog posts I am humbled and put back in my place.
ReplyDeleteYou 'da man!
aloha, Pal :)
ReplyDeleteYour points are valid! Well said friend :0)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy ooops above-I typed so fast I had too many errors- ugh
ReplyDeleteIt is just a sad state of affairs..and kids in states that are starving because their parents can't buy food...and yet we ship cargo loads overseas.
I think America needs to wake up and take care of its own first. Not that I am opposed to helping other countries- I'm not...but we have starving children and senior citizens too~
The other day I was in a grocery store and could have cried. There was an elderly couple there trying to figure out if they could afford to buy a second can of cheap tuna. I wanted to help them but didn't quite know how to do it without embarassing them-thought I would sneak around and pre-pay part of their bill for them- but think they left the store ahead of me. It is sad-people that have worked their whole lives and can't afford to live on their social security. I guess I said more than I meant to-