American Views Abroad

 
On the head of every hour the news report on German radio brings not only the latest horrific news from New Orleans but a very contradictory signal to those in the rest of the world who very much want to help the victims. President Bush, the radio lets us know, says outside help is not needed and the US can manage to take care of its own people. The State Department, on the other hand, says all help is welcomed and will be accepted. So which is it? One hand not knowing, perhaps not even caring, what the other is doing? Two days ago a white woman in New Orleans looked into the camera, was crying and said, 'Please someone in the world somewhere, help us.' And people here do want to help.

For those in Europe who would like to help via bank wire here are two ways: The German Red Cross -- Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, Bank fuer Sozialwirtschaft, BLZ: 370 205 00, Konto: 41 41 41, Stichwort: Soforthilfe USA and Die Oekumenische Diakonie-Katastrophenhilfe
BLZ: 600 100 70 (Postbank Stuttgart) Konto: 502 707.

It is not easy for an American to start talking about 'a white woman' but there is no denying that the imagines on TV and the photos in the newspapers everywhere are showing that the victims who are the last to be evacuated and have been living for days without water and food are overwhelmingly black. In today's New York Times read From Margins of Society to Center of the Tragedy at http://www.nytimes.com/. See also the report in the following link
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9160710. The reports are alarming. There is untold looting and plundering going on. However, there is a world of difference between those who are simply trying to stay alive and not die of thirst and those who are criminals.

The following quote in another NYT's article Local Officials Criticize Federal Government Over Response say it all:

'.....Col. Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans was particularly pungent in his criticism. Asserting that the whole recovery operation has been 'carried on the backs of the little guys for four goddamn days', he said, 'the rest of the goddamn nation can't get us any resources for security. We are like little birds with our mouths open and you don't have to be very smart to know where to drop the worm.....It's criminal within the confines of the US that within one hour of the hurricane they weren't force-feeding us. It's like FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has never been to a hurricane.'
- posted by Gloria @ 3:14 PM