[Rhodes22-list] Political - Now Ark Building, planning boards

[Herb Parsons]

Brad,

The "FEMA didn't replace my shit overnight" broght back a memory. I'll 
indulge myself a little and share it (possibly again, I'm sure I spoke 
of some of these things 2 1/2 years ago, when it was all fresh). This is 
memorable because of the strong but conflicting, emotions ist stirred in me.

When we first got to NO, frankly we were a bit lost. I knew where we 
needed to go, but my memories DIDN'T include submerged highways, and I 
didn't know the "other routes". We were in a pickup truck towing a 
smaller boat, being followed by an 18 wheeler with a high/low carring 
our DUKW.  As we tried to find out way to the meeting point we were 
headed to, at one point we ended up right off the ramp leading up to the 
I-10 overpass that was pictured in many newspapers because of the 
"mini-city" camped out on the overpass. We were literally right next to 
that overpass, and soon right in the middle of it.

As we headed to the ramp, I saw a deserted water plant next to us. 
Delivery trucks were strewn about like some giant kid had played with 
them, then grew tired and forgot to put them away in his giant toybox. 
Most were laying on their sides, some upside down. But almost all of 
them had one thing in comon, their "cargo" was strewn all over the 
place. Literally dozens, probably hundreds, of 5 gallon containers of 
water. Though the outside of the bottles probably contained all kinds of 
contamination, they were sealed so I figured they were good. I also 
decided that taking them would not be looting. We weren't grabbing 
televisions or CD's, this was water. Almost as importantly (though it 
probably wouldn't have have stopped me were it not true), it was water 
that was never going to be able to be sold to anyone as "merchandise", 
but it most definitely could be used.

So we stopped our little caravan, and loaded up every single intact 
container we could find. We had them stacked on the high/low, stacked 
around our stuff in the pickup, and all over the smaller boat. It 
wouldn't have made a long trip, but we were confident they'd make it the 
200-300 yards up the ramp. That's important to remember, the 200-300 
yards up the ramp.

So, we took our salvaged drinking water up the I-10 overpass ramp. We 
stopped, and asked if anyone wanted water. At first, a couple of dozen 
folks came by, many of them carrying off two jugs at one time. Before I 
knew what was happening, we were surrounded by probably over 200 people. 
Some of them were angry that some folks were getting two jugs, taking 
more than "their share". I was actually getting nervous, and had the 18 
wheeler driver pull besides us, so he could help clear the path when we 
ran out. This whole thing probably took about 20 minutes (not counting 
the hour to load them all on the rigs), about 10 of which was probably 
the most scared I was on the whole trip, possibly in my whole life. 
There's something more than intimidating when you're surrounded by 
desperate people, all of whom want something you have.

However, we finished without incident. As the 18 wheeler was nearing 
empty (the pickup and boat had finished pretty quickly), we simply got 
in the vehicles, and watched the last jugs get taken off. Then we slowly 
drove away.

I was relieved. I was proud. And I was disgusted. It wasn't the last 
time I'd feel those conflicting emotions that week.

I was relieved because my worst fear about "the crowd" was exaggerated 
in my mind, and we were able to simply drive away.

I was proud, because I felt I had done something truly worthwhile. 
Something unplanned, something out of the "norm" for me, something that 
required a new set of "as you go" rules and decisions. Most importantly, 
something that worked.

I was also disgusted. These were adults, many of them men, almost all of 
them fully able-bodied. The were ready and willing to swarm a couple of 
rigs bringing them salvaged water, but they had (for the most part) been 
unwilling to walk the 200-300 yards and get the water themselves. The 
water plant was in plain view of the overpass, and some of the new 
"residents" had gone and gotten water jugs themselves. The others, the 
MAJORITY, waited for someone to bring their "salvation" to them. That 
first morning in New Orleans for us was very much a metaphor of the 
problems of the city.


Brad Haslett wrote:
> Robert,
>
> First came the outsiders, immediately. The Salvation Army and Red Cross
> asked, do you need a blanket?  Do you need food?  Then came the National
> Guard.  "We'll protect whatever wasn't stolen in the first 48 hours".  Then
> came the contractors mixed with FEMA.  All FEMA has to offer is other
> peoples money which they dispersed freely.  Then the cries of "I've been
> treated unfairly" began.  "The National Guard checked my ID". "The Red Cross
> and Salvation Army shouldn't be feeding my neighbor, his house is still
> standing". "FEMA didn't replace my shit overnight!" The Rolling Stones said
> it best, "you don't always get what you want, but you get what you need."
> Good luck to your wife and god bless people like her - it is a thankless
> job.
>
> Brad
>   

-- 
Herb Parsons
S/V O'Jure - O'Day 25
S/V Reve de Pappa - Coronado 35