Aspects of the
disaster,
published by Indymedia,
United States.
The city has a 40% illiteracy rate. New Orleans Police Department
officers, who have been accused of drug running, corruption and theft,
were 'caught' on videotape looting a Wal-Mart.
The Arizona Republic reported that its local sheriffs "watched
New Orleans police officers loading their patrol cars with items taken
from
various businesses, a couple of pharmacies, a hardware store, an
auto-parts store and a grocery store."
The Bush administration, in every year since 2001, has cut or
refused to fund New Orleans flood control, and ignored scientists
warnings of
increased hurricanes as a result of global warming.
There are many first-hand reports of relief organizations being
refused entry into the city. The Red Cross' official website explains
"The state
Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--
that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following
the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and
encourage others to come into the city."
New Orleans is the only deepwater port in the US served by six
class-one railroads. None of these were used to take people out of the
city.
Tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees was halted
because of President Bush's visit to the city. "We had arrangements to
airlift food by
helicopter to these folks, and now the food is sitting in trucks
because they won't let helicopters fly," said Casey O'Shea, U.S. Rep.
Charlie Melancon's chief of staff. It was not reported
whether the supplies ever actually made it to those who most needed it.
Private military companies have been employed to guard the
property of the city's millionaires from looters. “As we
approached the bridge,
armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the foot of the bridge.
Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing their weapons
over our
heads. We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge. They responded
that the West Bank was not going to become New Orleans and there would
be no Superdomes in their City. These were code words for if you are
poor and black, you are not crossing the Mississippi River and you were
not getting out of New Orleans.”
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