Last Friday, the biggest items in the news were the John Roberts nomination and Pat Robertson’s stupid comments about Hugo Chavez, it was such a slow news day that I even posted a picture of our dog.
All of that seems like a world away now. August 29, 2005 came and changed everything. There have been other things going on in the world this week, but the only story on everyone’s mind has been Hurricane Katrina and the continuing collapse of the city of New Orleans.
Another day is starting and things only seem to be getting worse. Consider these entries from the WWL-TV Blog:
5:07 A.M. - CNN producer Jim Spellman, who has been stationed with police sharpshooters, says reports indicate that New Orleans officers are not showing up for work. In some districts as many as 60 percent of officers have not reported for duty.
4:55 A.M. - Refugee Alan Gould spoke to CNN from inside the New Orleans Convention Center. He said sick, eldery and children are dying and children have been beaten and raped. He pleaded for help.
4:41 A.M. - CNN reports fires, explosions erupting in southwest part of New Orleans. Thick smoke is billowing into the air. Police are working to get hazmat teams to the area, which is near Chartres Street. That is where railroad cars are housed.
Or this from the Surivial of New Orleans Blog
Three days ago, police and national guard troops told citizens to head toward the Crescent City Connection Bridge to await transportation out of the area. The citizens trekked over to the Convention Center and waited for the buses which they were told would take them to Houston or Alabama or somewhere else, out of this area.
It’s been 3 days, and the buses have yet to appear.
Although obviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 people are packed into and around and outside the convention center still waiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine for the last three days, until today, when the National Guard drove over the bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashing down to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from the drop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them before they hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up the bridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach the police or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.
There are many infants and elderly people among them, as well as many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape flood water and the like — all of them in dire straights.
One only wonders what today will bring.
