This is the same administration that got us into a war claiming that it was
foresight made them do it--needed to get to those WMD before they could be
used. Whereas a natural catastrophe that was a matter of when, not if...
At 12:27 PM 9/2/2005, you wrote:
>Stephen Vincent wrote:
>
>>Re the recovery of Fats D
>>Ironic to re-hear replaying constantly in my head,
>>"I found my thrill On Blueberry hill"
>>
>>When I was 13 I had no clue what it meant
>>
>HA! We must be of an age because neither did I. Antoine totally
>rocked. According to his daughter he hasn't been out much in the last few
>years. I imagine he has retired for performing.
>
>>(Whether an actual place in the rural south or a form of male self-care,
>>I still don't know.)
>>
>Me neither, but I guess we've all been there since:-).
>
>>But it is already something - as is the history of African-Americans - to
>>imagine the music/song that will emerge from this tragedy. Always a weird
>>white American luxury to listen to after the fact.
>>"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Indeed. (No, don't put an image of Bush's plane
>>doing a New Orleans flyover into the song). Let it be a real rescue. And
>>definitely not that refrain, "Let it be...."
>>But, heah, do we have a government manufactured New Orleans holocaust going
>>on? Out of sheer negligence - in spite of all the warnings about the levees,
>>the need for protective marshlands, etc.
>>A monumental open wound is going to be with us - USA - for a long time
>>coming.
>>
>This is why I made the Carthage comment. No, I don't think for a second
>there was an aggressive move against the city, but I believe that people
>inside the administration were perfectly aware what could happen if those
>funds were withheld. Yet Nature had the final hand here...even if the
>levee was finished it was supposed to withstand a Cat 3 hurricane, not the
>Cat 4 of Katrina when it made landfall? Even if it "missed" the city by
>just a bit, it was quite a monster. I do not believe N.O. will be
>back. Not in my lifetime. A city of some sort may rise elsewhere or
>there will be a New Orleans "diaspora" as is already taking shape...but
>after what's happened I can't imagine anyone wanting to build in that
>"bowl" ever again.
>
>Someone who works in a retreat house (understand the context) sent me a
>video about N.O. with music; it is both appalling and deeply moving.
>The music is not gloppy/soppy but aims at the sense of indomitability and
>uplift, and its only message is to give charitably to no named cause. Red
>Cross, churches, whatever.
>
>My S.O. said she had to turn off the TV. "If I see much more I'm going to
>have to go down there." This woman is not an activist, but she is a human
>being. It it was I, the bleeding heart liberal, who had to remind her
>that the Red Cross might take us (they have been soliciting volunteers)
>but would put us in untoileted hovels in brutal heat, that it would be
>physically dangerous, and that we'd probably have to get down there on our
>own and buy our own gas. I doubt they're going to charter a flight to
>land in an airport that may not be there anymore.
>
>Sometimes I hate my occasional practical moments.
>
>Oh...songs...I don't think I'm going to be able to listen to Arlo Guthrie
>sing "City of New Orleans" again.
>
>Ken
>
>--
>Kenneth Wolman
>Proposal Development Department
>Room SW334
>Sarnoff Corporation
>609-734-2538
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