NationStates Jolt Archive

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/012104.html

I'm not sure what to make of this: The Red Cross reports:

Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
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.
The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents.
The Red Cross shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering.
The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access.
The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of New Orleans to safe places outside the city. With the hurricane bearing down, the city government decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives.

Steve Rose at Daily Kos has more (http://steverose.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/2/2125/04978). Further confirmation was had on Larry King (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/02/lkl.01.html):

Joining us now in Washington is Marty Evans, the President and CEO of the American Red Cross. She traveled with the president today. The Red Cross is not in New Orleans, why?

MARTY EVANS, RED CROSS PRESIDENT AND CEO: Well, Larry, when the storm
came our goal was prior to landfall to support the evacuation. It was
unsafe to be in the city. We were asked by the city not to be there and the Superdome was made a shelter of last resorts and, quite frankly in retrospect, it was a good idea because otherwise those people would have had no shelter at all.

We have our shelters north of the city. We're prepared as soon as they can be evacuated, we're prepared to receive them in Texas, in other states, but it was not safe to be in the city and it's not been safe to go back into the city. They were also concerned that if we located, relocated back into the city people wouldn't leave and they've got to leave.
Is Bush a jackass, or what? Come on, now, Conservatives. Even you can't use some Rovesque, apologetic distortion of reality to explain away with this shit.

BUSH BLOWS!!! (caps)

I'd like to know a little more about the situation in the city safetywise before I make judgment.

Is Bush a jackass, or what? Come on, now, Conservatives. Even you can't use some Rovesque, apologetic distortion of reality to explain away with this shit.

Not a conservative, but I'll try and answer this. Whether or not you agree with the Red Cross being barred from entering, you can't pin it on Bush. Your quotes clearly state that it's the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security not allowing them in.

Let's stick to bashing Bush for things he's actually done, shall we?

Not a conservative, but I'll try and answer this. Whether or not you agree with the Red Cross being barred from entering, you can't pin it on Bush. Your quotes clearly state that it's the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security not allowing them in.

Let's stick to bashing Bush for things he's actually done, shall we?

WHAT?!

You mean we can't bash him for the hurricane itself anymore?!

-silent clapping-

Let's stick to bashing Bush for things he's actually done, shall we?
What about bashing him for his failures? Do we have your permission to discuss those, or is that too much for people to handle?

I could be wrong, but I bet it is a safety issue. The Red Cross has food, water, medicine, gasoline, and trucks, which is exactly what looters are looking for. If you ask me, the closest they can safely go towards New Orleans is Louis Armstrong Int'l. A bunch of humanitarian flights are coming to that airport, anyhow.

What about bashing him for his failures? Do we have your permission to discuss those, or is that too much for people to handle?

Feel free, but this isn't one of them. It's Louisiana DHS and the National Guard that are responsible for management of the relief effort, not Dubya.

I personally think that the city's better off if the Red Cross is allowed in, but lacking the information that the authorities have, I'm willing to at least consider the possibility that they're keeping the Red Cross out because it's simply too dangerous for them right now.

Attention Posters on this Board.

1. Bush is not Hurricane Katrina.

2. Bush is not Satan.

3. Bush does not have an I.Q. of 30.

That is all.

Feel free, but this isn't one of them. It's Louisiana DHS and the National Guard that are responsible for management of the relief effort, not Dubya.

I personally think that the city's better off if the Red Cross is allowed in, but lacking the information that the authorities have, I'm willing to at least consider the possibility that they're keeping the Red Cross out because it's simply too dangerous for them right now.

Actually from what it sounds like in the article letting the Red Cross in would be problematic because it would encourage those who need help to go into the city, as opposed to leaving and finding the Red Cross.

I could be wrong, but I bet it is a safety issue. The Red Cross has food, water, medicine, gasoline, and trucks, which is exactly what looters are looking for. If you ask me, the closest they can safely go towards New Orleans is Louis Armstrong Int'l. A bunch of humanitarian flights are coming to that airport, anyhow.

I imagine that they are witholding the food to make people come to them to get it and starve the rebels. Good thinking.

Actually from what it sounds like in the article letting the Red Cross in would be problematic because it would encourage those who need help to go into the city, as opposed to leaving and finding the Red Cross.

I suppose that makes some sense. It still seems to me that if you're not already in the city, it'll be difficult for you to get in, and if you're still in the city, it's because your attempts to leave haven't met with much success.

I imagine that they are witholding the food to make people come to them to get it and starve the rebels. Good thinking.
I don't. If there are dead civilians lying around New Orleans, it's gonna be a liability for the federal government. If they are from outta state, the issue becomes messier, and the lawsuits start to fly. It sounds cold, but that's the way it is.

Not a conservative, but I'll try and answer this. Whether or not you agree with the Red Cross being barred from entering, you can't pin it on Bush. Your quotes clearly state that it's the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security not allowing them in.

Let's stick to bashing Bush for things he's actually done, shall we?
You must not be American. Either that or highly ignorant. There is no "Lousiana" Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security is a part of the President's cabinet, in the Executive Branch, of the Federal government. It was, in fact, designed by President Bush through an Executive Order and there are no statewide branches of it.

I believe you were confused by the quote "The state Homeland Security."

The person who posted on Talkleft.com made some typos. It should say, "They state Homeland Security."

Last time I sw, looters and rioters were shooting at police/firefighters/coast guard rescue personel/military rescue personel...I think it is in teh red cross's interest to not go into the city.

You must not be American. Either that or highly ignorant. There is no "Lousiana" Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security is a part of the President's cabinet, in the Executive Branch, of the Federal government. It was, in fact, designed by President Bush through an Executive Order and there are no statewide branches of it.

I believe you were confused by the quote "The state Homeland Security."

The person who posted on Talkleft.com made some typos. It should say, "They state Homeland Security."

Fine. There's no Louisiana Department of Homeland Security. There is, however, a Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Is it possible that that's what they're referring to? Or am I just being highly ignorant?

Also, since all those bullet points are written from the first-person perspective of the Red Cross, to whom would "they" refer?

Attention Posters on this Board.

1. Bush is not Hurricane Katrina.

2. Bush is not Satan.

3. Bush does not have an I.Q. of 30.

That is all.

Right. Bush is Der Great Leader and the cause of all that is just.... when things go right.


When things go wrong however, hey - he's just a figurehead....

I could be wrong, but I bet it is a safety issue. The Red Cross has food, water, medicine, gasoline, and trucks, which is exactly what looters are looking for. If you ask me, the closest they can safely go towards New Orleans is Louis Armstrong Int'l. A bunch of humanitarian flights are coming to that airport, anyhow.


What the fuck?


You're saying that aid can't be supplied to people in need.... because people are desperate for aid?

That makes no sense whatsoever....

Attention Posters on this Board.

1. Bush is not Hurricane Katrina.

2. Bush is not Satan.

3. Bush does not have an I.Q. of 30.

That is all.

1. your right
2. your right
3. your wrong

he's stupid as hell. everyone knows he's I.Q. is below the average shoe size in a kindergarten.

Actually from what it sounds like in the article letting the Red Cross in would be problematic because it would encourage those who need help to go into the city, as opposed to leaving and finding the Red Cross.


Except, of course, that people in the shelters in New Orleans are being barred from leaving on their own. For their own safety....


So they won't let the aid into them, and they won't let them out to the aid.


And this makes sense to anyone?

1. your right
2. your right
3. your wrong

he's stupid as hell. everyone knows he's I.Q. is below the average shoe size in a kindergarten.

Thank you for insulting anyone with a mental disability, such as down syndrome. :rolleyes:

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/012104.html


Is Bush a jackass, or what? Come on, now, Conservatives. Even you can't use some Rovesque, apologetic distortion of reality to explain away with this shit.

Seems pretty straightforward to me...

"Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city. "

"The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of thousands of New Orleans residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of Louisiana and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the Red Cross is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents. "

"The Red Cross does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access. "

So what's the problem? You have a situation where people are shooting at choppers trying to drop them food and water. It's *not* safe to let the Red Cross in. How would you feel (about Bush) if he let the Red Cross in and then they got shot up?

I imagine that they are witholding the food to make people come to them to get it and starve the rebels. Good thinking.

That's ridiculous. What about the people who can't get out? Like, I don't know, ALL OF THEM! Considering that the national Guard hasn't met any resistance, I don't think that there are a bunch of "rebels" that need to be starved to death here, just a handful of thugs with guns that are not inherently different than the thugs with guns on the streets of New Orleans every day. I'm sick of everyone focusing on that shit and trying to ignore the people there starving. I volunteered yesterday at a shelter here in Dallas and you should hear the stories these people are telling. Not letting the Red Cross in for whatever reasons they have is unconscionable. I'm sure there are tons of difficulties that I am not aware of but the responsible thing to do in a situation like this is to brave difficulties and save lives.

Assholes.

It's a bit strange the Red Cross (it's not exactly the Red Crescent) can operating in Iraq and other war zones, not in Katrina-trashed parts of the USA.

It's a bit strange the Red Cross (it's not exactly the Red Crescent) can operating in Iraq and other war zones, not in Katrina-trashed parts of the USA.

Er? The Red Cross is operating all across Louisiana, just not in New Orleans (yet?). The Red Cross is in Iraq, but they're not in Tikrit...

It's all a matter of security.

Er? The Red Cross is operating all across Louisiana, just not in New Orleans (yet?). The Red Cross is in Iraq, but they're not in Tikrit...

It's all a matter of security.

Thanks for that. :)

It's funny the US government was shocked they was looting after law and order broke down, they forgot what happened in Iraq?

Thanks for that. :)

It's funny the US government was shocked they was no looting after law and order broke down, they forgot what happened in Iraq?

I'm surprised that they were surprised about the looting, too. :(
It *always* happens in a crowd condition where the police have lost control, ala the L.A. Riots.

Last time I sw, looters and rioters were shooting at police/firefighters/coast guard rescue personel/military rescue personel...I think it is in teh red cross's interest to not go into the city.
The Red Cross, like the Peace Corps, sometimes goes into dangerous areas.

Thank you for insulting anyone with a mental disability, such as down syndrome. :rolleyes:
Bush is a downie?! Wow... I mean, he kinda looks like a mongoloid.

It's a bit strange the Red Cross (it's not exactly the Red Crescent) can operating in Iraq and other war zones, not in Katrina-trashed parts of the USA.
Exactly.