It really sucks that this is my first diary, but I'm running out of options. My family lives in a rural area in Mississippi, 90 miles north of Biloxi and they and their fellow citizens need help. No one has noticed their needs.
I live a thousand miles away in South Florida. Mama refuses to let me come up -- not that I can get to them because the highways that I need to get to them are restricted to emergency personnel. So I've resorted to emailing U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a congressman in Mississippi, to plead for assistance. Maybe someone else in the dKos community has some ideas.
My email is below:
Rep. Thompson,
I'm writing on behalf of my mother. She is a native of Bolton, and has lived in Prentiss, Miss. (Jefferson Davis County), for more than 40 years. Her deceased husband is another Bolton native and former president of the Jeff Davis branch of the NAACP. I believe both of my parents grew up with you back in the day.
I just got off the telephone with mama. She can accept phone calls, but can't call out -- except in the Jeff Davis County. Her complaint is that no one in leadership has stepped up to do ANYTHING for the citizens. As you know, Jeff Davis is predominantly black. The only time the county is in the news is in regard to rodent problems in the local schools and about rampant drug use and sales. There is little leadership even among African Americans. My dad was one of few who did speak; he's been dead since April 1999 and can't speak.
According to mama, "people are in dire straights. Power lines are down in the streets, trees are everywhere." They don't have electricity and some don't have running water. The citizens are cutting back trees that stretch across the roadways so they can get to their homes. There are no gasoline stations where she can get gas to drive to Jackson, Magee or Brandon. She says that power crews are passing Jefferson Davis County en route to who knows where.
So far, neither the mayor nor the county supervisors have called to add Jeff Davis to the disaster list. I called the American Red Cross (stayed on the phone on hold for two hours) to inform them of this. I got a list of shelters in adjacent counties, and was told that Jefferson Davis wasn't on the list.
Rep. Thompson, please help my mama. My dad was close to former Rep. Ronnie Shows, and always worked on his re-election campaign. These people need some help. It is greatly appreciated if you could reach out to Gov. Barbour and others who can direct some help with restoring power and making roads passable. They need gasoline, ice, water and food.
Any help that you can provide is appreciated.