[Rhodes22-list] Jim White's response

[Herb Parsons]

This is Herb's wife, Gini.  He can't answer as he's just returned from
Slidell to Baton Rouge after delivering a truckload of supplies,
especially baby formula and medical supplies in the city, as well as
other items to Diver Dave and Mark White at Oak Harbor Marina.  There
are people there who have very little food, lost homes.  Tomorrow he's
delivering more of the same from Baton Rouge to Gautier, MS, a town east
of Gulfport where I'm told they feel forgotten.  He and his college
roommate started to do this after the DUKW he was captaining in St
Bernard Parish broke down permanently yesterday, but not before they
rescued 67 persons the day before.

I don't know a single person in this city where I live here in Texas
that has not donated clothing, food, water, money, their extra bedroom,
school supplies, etc.  EVERY one is pitching in.  

This isn't my style (I abhor bad language and bad manners), but I wish
those folks who are doing it, including politicians, would quit BITCHIN'
in and start PITCHIN' in.

PS:  We were in Slidell Sat, Aug 27, planning on a long weekend (thru
the Tues after the hurricane) when we listened to the news and the
pre-disaster request of Pres Bush for people to evacuate.  So we lashed
down the hatches and left that day.  It took 12 hours to get home
(normally 8 ½ hours), but arrive home we did.  Herb was able to peek in
to the boat today when he dropped supplies at the marina.  The boat has
a busted window and is missing a rubrail - amazing!!!

Herb Parsons

S/V O'Jure
  1976 O'Day 25
  Lake Grapevine, N TX

S/V Reve de Papa
  1971 Coronado 35
  Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast

>>> ekroposki at charter.net 9/6/2005 3:48:29 PM >>>
Jim:
	Now we know it takes a disaster to get your attention. However,
it
is probably better that most of the politicians stay away.  They could
really screw things up on scene. Unfortunately the news media thinks
that
they could help.	 

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org 
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Jim White
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 3:44 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Blame the Republicans, Deomcrats, you and
I

 
I make it a rule not to usually chime in on this sort of thing, but
I've
just heard so much of this kind of thing in the past few days that I
felt
obligated too. So forgive my indulgence. 
 
Here in Texas we have hosted over 250,000 folks from NOLA.....At the
risk of
starting a fiery hailstorm: How many has NY taken in? 
 
Texas can and will accommodate as many of the victims of this tragedy
as
possible. It's in our nature. We'll do the best we can. And it is sort
of
scary....we have a tenuous economic balance as it is, and crowding
multitudes of people into common areas invites all sorts of trouble
(black,
white or otherwise...it's the human ANIMAL), but we're willing to take
the
chance and risk it, try and provide some solutions, some hope and
comfort
because they're AMERICANS who are hurting, and we're good neighbors.
You'd
do it for us right?
 
I assume Herb (another Texan) is currently assisting with the rescue
and
recovery effort, as are many from here. That too is in our nature.
Please
list for me politicians or partisans on both sides of the coin (I know
BIll
Frist is one), who are overe there rolling up their sleeves and helping
out.
Where is Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank or Hillary Clinton? Where is Newt
Gingrich, John Cornyn or Kay Bailey Hutchinson (the latter two,
Republicans
from Texas)? When you start counting on politicains and administrations
to
"help out", you might as well pee into the wind. 
 
Our tiny City of Port Isabel (population 2500) has a number of
displaced
families, with five kids (as of last Friday) already enrolled in the
local
high school, (which has a graduating class of under 100), I'm sure
we'll
probably see more. They're welcome here.
 
The devistation from that hurricane was unprecidented, and certainly
there
were failures at all levels and with all political persuasions, that's
to be
expected. We all gave them license to behave badly in Washington, our
State
Capitols and local governing bodies, did you research your candidates
(every
one of them) record each time you voted, or did you just vote for your
party? Maybe it's time for a total housecleaning, both sides of the
isle?
Maybe this thing is showing us how much of a failure both sides are,
and
like Brad says, maybe we ought to be Boy Scout prepared....
 
This isn't about racial inequality or any such crap and you know it.
Politicizing this situation exacerbates the agony, heartbreak and
frustration we all feel. It's not about an administration....it's about
a
country, and dammit we need to work together to try and solve this
mess.
jw 
 


And now this news from Barbara Bush:

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in

Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality and so many of the

people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so
this 
is working very well for them."

Bill Effros





Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com 
		
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