Accents
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc

'There is no order, only anarchy'

IN our part of the world, anarchy sometimes ensues when the police throw their maximum tolerance into the trashcan and chase fleeing demonstrators some of them bloodied by nightsticks. The anarchy mentioned here happened in New Orleans after super hurricane Katrina struck the state Aug. 29. Adding to what we saw on TV and in the newspapers, my son-in-law David Dingus, a true-blue American, die-hard Democrat, and a strong protester against the Iraq war, gives here a personal account of the extent of the damage wrought by the hurricane. The title of this column comes from his letter printed below in toto:

[Sept. 2]

Mom,

I wasn't sure how much news you are getting over there regarding the major disaster that we have had here this week.  New Orleans has basically been “wiped” off the map.  It was hit by hurricane Katrina on Monday.  This was only the beginning; however.  New Orleans is surrounded by levees (flood walls) because the city is below sea level.  After the hurricane hit, there was a storm surge that rushed through and demolished part of these flood walls and in doing so, destroyed most of the residential areas and closed “French Quarter”.   The waters in some areas were over 15 feet deep .

Many people were told to evacuate.  However, the poor, elderly, and sick could not.  Many of these people went to the “Superdome” which is a football stadium in New Orleans that is covered.  Over 25,000 people sought protection there.  However, during the storm the roof began to fall apart, the toilets stopped working, clean water stopped flowing, and the electricity went out.  Water also completely surrounds the Superdome, making it an island unto itself.   Others, went to the Convention Center seeking promised refuge; however, none was to be found . Without food, water, or support from the government, many people started looting for their basic needs.  However, there were others who looted for guns.  Those who took the guns decided to take New Orleans into their own hands.  The police were afraid to act and over half the police force quit.  The remaining police would not patrol at night time.  There were fires breaking out in downtown New Orleans; however, there was not a fire department to put out the fires.  The mayor of New Orleans is claiming that several thousand people are dead as a result, possibly 10,000.  People claim that bodies are lying in water, in the street, and even in the convention center and at the Superdome.  People are drowning in their own homes as well.

Also, people are being killed and raped inside these “safehouses” … the Superdome and the Convention Center .  There is no order, only anarchy.

Where was George Bush on Monday when the hurricane struck?  He was giving a speech about VJ Day and Iraq in California.  Where was Bush when the Levee walls collapsed?  He was at his ranch in Texas.  Finally today, Friday,.5 days later, he decided that he better make an appearance to investigate the situation.

It took 5 days to get National Guard troops into New Orleans to take back the city.  This is a major city of the USA, not a city in a far off land.  Why did it take so long?  All of the troops are stretched thin – thanks to IRAQ.

Right after 9/11, there was a major incentive for all cities to determine their crucial infrastructure needs.  It was determined at that time in 2001 that the levees around New Orleans would not withstand more than a Category 3 hurricane.  It was hit by a Category 5 hurricane.  The money was allocated by homeland security to repair the levees.  However, George Bush cut these funds as a result of the war in IRAQ and the 87 billion dollars that was needed to fund that war .

I have never seen reporters on television as disgusted, upset, and sad as I have during the past week.  There were literally news reporters fighting with each other on air and with politicians on air this week (especially on CNN).  People are so disgusted with the government right now.  I only hope they will remember when election time comes around.

It is times like this that I am ashamed to call myself American.   Americans should not treat others as sub-human.

Check out the news when you get a chance.

I hope all is well with you all.  Hope everything is going good with the impeachment.  I know there has been some hurdles with that as well.  We watch GMA [the channel] every night.

Love to all,
David

[Sept. 7]

Mom,

It's okay if you print the letter, however, please note that I made a couple minor changes below.  On a positive note, most of the citizens of New Orleans have now been evacuated except for about 10,000 who refuse to leave their homes.  The waters are infested with e-coli and other deadly diseases due to the human waste, human remains, and chemicals which now pollute the waters.  Most of the homes that were damaged by the waters will need to be destroyed and rebuilt, thank god for Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity (which we have donated to).

The main problems to arise from this hurricane are:

1. We do not possess the necessary preparedness for another disaster within the United States due to lack of support.

2. There is a major divide racially, economically, and socially between the peoples of the United States still today.

3. Promoting your friends (that possess no useable experience) to positions of power is a major “no-no” especially when those positions are the heads of FEMA and HOMELAND SECURITY.

We can only hope that some good will come as a result.  Maybe this will bring the Country together and maybe the upper classes will no longer consider the lower classes “sub-human”.  I doubt it though, as long as Republicans remain in power .

I am also sad to see the impeachment procedure voted down in your senate [House of Representatives] .  I only hope that [former President] Aquino will be of some help.

Love to all,

David

David, my daughter Randy, and their child Danika live in South Carolina safely away from New Orleans. His letter did drive home how bad Katrina really was and how badly George Bush responded to the calamity. Now I understand why Sen. Hillary Clinton on a televised speech has pushed for an investigation of the Bush administration's disaster preparedness. (Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)