Remember the hurricane? The one called Katrina? Then three weeks later Rita? Should you have already forgotten, below are a few of the photos that I took while in Slidell. It is abit of a 'tease', to keep ALL of your minds on the fact that our country is only 5 weeks AFTER a CATASTROPHIC disaster that has taken thousands of lives (despite what 'they' are reporting) and made refugees of tens of thousands of AMERICANS.
I'm currently processing 10 rolls of 35mm with the help of a couple of folks who will put them where they can be linked to for your viewing 'pleasure'.
You know, when I picked up these pictures I started looking at them right there in "WallyWorld" and immediately I could again smell the horrid stench of sewage, decay, mold, death and chemicals...and remember the miles and miles of total destruction, the lifelessness in the eyes of those that lived through it and my tears began again...
When I returned home, I went to DailyKos and saw all the diaries on recommend and those in my top twenty and NOTHING on the hurricanes or the suffering of the tens of thousands who lived through them and now live in sub-standard conditions...and those damn pesty tears began again...I wanted to scream to no one in particular and to everyone in America..."WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY THAT NEED ATTENTION AND HELP...DON'T FORGET THEM"....
I realize there is other news and that much of it is important...but please, ONE DIARY daily on point with the hurricane...PLEASE. I will write it if you want, but PLEASE DON'T FORGET THESE PEOPLE...
Funny, I thought once I got back to California and back into my safe routine that I'd put the trip aside, actually I thought I'd just 'forget' and let 'those people' deal with their own issues.
You know why I wanted to do this? Because when I close my eyes at night I see the images, the death, the destruction, the failure of America to take care of her own...I smell the stench that was all around me for the entire time I was there, the filth of the situations and locations. I see the children, who have nothing, many without their parents...their eyes, they look up to you with hope and a longing and all you can do is hug them and tell them you will help and tell them they WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
Yet, the stories of the victims of this castastrophy have already gone to back pages of the newspapers. Our refugees, survivors, evacuees and victims are already BEING FORGOTTEN.
Since my return I continue to talk daily to those I met in Bogalusa and Slidell. I am working with the principal of Slidell High to do what WE can...I'd like to think the "we" will encompass people from all over the country/world. Mr. Percy told me 39 of his teachers are HOMELESS and school opens on Monday...but that will be a later diary.
I beg all of you to keep the hurricane victims in the FOREFRONT of the media...like I was told repeatedly by the folks in Louisiana...'if it weren't for the individuals, the grassroots organizations and the SMALL churches...we would have nothing at all'.
We can't let fellow Americans down, not now, not ever...
Damn, here come those damn pesky tears again...I'm sure it's a 'girl thing'...
In Peace,
Barbara & Tirawa
http://scblues.blogspot.com
Also front paged at ePluribus Media Community where you can listen to my podcast interview.