Detailed article: Superdome is hell; children raped inside

[gtalum]

NOLA has always been a relatively high-crime city. But you have to remember that natural disasters bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. And even though NOLA has always been relatively high-crime, you're fine if you stay in the FQ.

[KatDaddy]

My GOD what is going on in NOLA??!! This is just sickening! The military needs to go in and just kick ass NOW! Zero-Tolerance shot to kill. Sorry but that where I am at with this disaster.

[CaptinCrunch]

My GOD what is going on in NOLA??!! This is just sickening! The military needs to go in and just kick arse NOW! Zero-Tolerance shot to kill. Sorry but that where I am at with this disaster.

I've said that from the start of the looting, shoot to kill then tag the bodies as looters and pick them up last.

[vbhoutex]

And they wont to send these people to the Astrodome here in Texas.....No Thanks, NOLA can keep them.

First of all they are all ready arriving and the Astrodome is set up(as best it can be at this time) to take them including very tight security. Yes there will be problems. Remember we are talking a small city here inside of a structure.

And NO CC, they are more than welcome here in Houston-maybe not in Dallas, but they are welcome here in Houston. Some of our citizens were standing by the road with signs welcoming them when they began arriving late last night.

Houston's population has swelled by 100,000+ in two days, but this entire city is mobilizing to take care of the refugees. It is a drop in the bucket, but $10M was raised in one drive here in Houston yesterday and there are many others going on.

[Nimbus]

The evacuation of the superdome is a military operation and was probably well thought out.

All of the people inside the dome were searched for weapons but the people from the surrounding neighborhoods who were expecting a bus convoy have not been processed.

I am sure the operation planners thought about the problems of stampedes beforehand GOD!

[CaptinCrunch]

And they wont to send these people to the Astrodome here in Texas.....No Thanks, NOLA can keep them.

First of all they are all ready arriving and the Astrodome is set up(as best it can be at this time) to take them including very tight security. Yes there will be problems. Remember we are talking a small city here inside of a structure.

And NO CC, they are more than welcome here in Houston-maybe not in Dallas, but they are welcome here in Houston. Some of our citizens were standing by the road with signs welcoming them when they began arriving late last night.

Houston's population has swelled by 100,000+ in two days, but this entire city is mobilizing to take care of the refugees. It is a drop in the bucket, but $10M was raised in one drive here in Houston yesterday and there are many others going on.

I'm all for helping, but do you want the people who rape women and childern, and the dope heads smoking crack and shooting herion coming to your city?? Dallas is doing the same thing with Reuion Arena by making it a long term housing base. I think all these plase will become is a containment camp under heavy guard and i wont be suprised to the violance increase even in better conditions.

[Windy]

Wow -- just woke up and it sounds like all hell is breaking loose in the city. My God. What a horrible, horrible thing -- and what a horrible response that has been happening so far. WHERE ARE YOU, MILITARY? Jesus, you'd think after 9/11 we'd be able to respond faster than this!

[MBismyPlayground]

Wow -- just woke up and it sounds like all hell is breaking loose in the city. My God. What a horrible, horrible thing -- and what a horrible response that has been happening so far. WHERE ARE YOU, MILITARY? Jesus, you'd think after 9/11 we'd be able to respond faster than this!

You just got up?? See what happens when we listen all night. I am in shock at what has transpired. The only good thing I can see is that 82nd Abn is on the move, from what I am hearing from Ft. Bragg... YEAH
What this means.......not sure. But hopefully it will be soon. I don't think these people can last another day without killing one another or resorting to even more evil doing!!!!!

[Swimdude]

I can't even comment on this thread... I just want everyone to know I read it.

[TexasStooge]

Official: Superdome aid a 'disgrace'

NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) - Heavily armed state policemen stood watch Thursday as tense, exhausted and angry crowds struggled onto buses that would deliver them from the miserable conditions of the Superdome.

As buses that arrived hours late were being loaded for the trip to the Houston Astrodome, a crowd broke through a line of National Guardsmen and rushed the glass doors into the Hyatt Regency complex that adjoins the Superdome.

They were stopped by 19 heavily armed state policemen -- one had an AR15 rifle and another a 12-gauge shotgun -- all in Kevlar vests. State police officer K.W. Miller told a reporter, "You better move to the back. This is ready to break. We've been here since 6 a.m. and this is getting worse and worse."

Authorities had said Wednesday that some 25,000 people who had been in the Superdome since Sunday, taking shelter from Hurricane Katrina, would be taken to the Astrodome. The crowds at the New Orleans arena suffered in hot, smelly conditions with few supplies and no air conditioning.

The first buses left late Wednesday, and officials in Texas said that 2,000 people had already arrived at the Astrodome in Houston by late morning Thursday. Besides the 25,000 or so hurricane refugees being brought to Houston, Texas officials said another 25,000 would be taken to San Antonio.

But an angry Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations, watching the slow procession from the Superdome, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency response was inadequate.

"This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control," Ebbert said. "We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans. We have got a mayor who has been pushing and asking but we're not getting supplies."

He said the evacuation was almost entirely a Louisiana operation. "This is not a FEMA operation. I haven't seen a single FEMA guy."

One hundred buses were due to arrive at the Superdome at 6 a.m., but the first buses of the morning didn't get there until more than 31/2 hours later.

Early Thursday, an air ambulance service official said that helicopter transfers of the sick and injured were suspended amid a report that a military copter was fired on. But the National Guard said able-bodied evacuees from the Superdome were still being moved by bus to Houston.

Frank Guitierrez, coordinator of the Harris County, Texas, Office of Homeland Security, said the evacuee numbers have slowed because of the lack of civil authority in Louisiana. But authorities said the delays allowed officials at the Astrodome to better manage the transfer.

"The slower arrival rate has helped us a little bit working out the kinks. We are still evolving this process," Harris County Judge Robert Eckels said.

Astrodome officials said they would accept only the 25,000 people stranded at the Superdome -- a rule that was tested when a school bus arrived from New Orleans filled with families with children seeking shelter.

At first, Astrodome officials said the refugees couldn't come in, but then allowed them to enter for food and water. Another school bus was also allowed in.

"We are going to do everything we can to make people comfortable," Red Cross spokeswoman Margaret O'Brien-Molina said. "Places have to be found for these people. Many of these people may never be able to rebuild."

The Astrodome's schedule has been cleared through December. The dome is used on occasion for corporate parties and hospitality events, but hasn't been used for professional sports in years.

In New Orleans, the refugees had lined up for the first buses, some inching along in wheelchairs, some carrying babies. Almost everyone carried a plastic bag or bundled bedspread holding the few possessions they had left. Many had no idea where they were heading.

"We tried to find out. We're pretty much adrift right now," said Cyril Ellisworth, 46. "We're pretty much adrift in life. They tell us to line up and go, and we just line up and go."

The Astrodome's new residents will be issued passes that will let them leave and return as they please, something that wasn't permitted in New Orleans. Organizers also plan to find ways to help the refugees contact relatives.

[schmita]

Listening to Chertoff now, it doesn't sound like Blanco has asked for Martial Law....

[MBismyPlayground]

Listening as well. I guess this guy hasnt listened to the police and guard scanner lately. Seems his numbers are a little off.
They say that they are expecting 2300, 100 on wheels tomorrow and right now just got a big old 18 just a while ago. That is not even a PLATOON....That is a squad!!!!!!!

Not once have I seen anyone handing out bottled water to the people on the streets or MRE's........
This is the worst thing I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE HAVE DONE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ THEN THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS!!!!!!

[schmita]

I agree, this is a disgrace.
On Fox, reporters in boats were rescueing people from the area FEMA pulled out of this morning.
Shepard was describing hundreds stranded on I - 10 in plain sight. No water, nothing.
And the world watches..
irina

[stormie_skies]

Listening as well. I guess this guy hasnt listened to the police and guard scanner lately. Seems his numbers are a little off.
They say that they are expecting 2300, 100 on wheels tomorrow and right now just got a big old 18 just a while ago. That is not even a PLATOON....That is a squad!!!!!!!

I'm going to guess ... and its just that, a guess....that the 100 guardsmen are coming from Houston, at least if they have their numbers right. My friend will be one of them. I will get more details from him tonight about how many will be heading out that way tomorrow. Hopefully, if they have any contact with the outside world at all, he can give me updates.

[Mello1]

Guys, don't take this personally, but some of you really need to get a grip. New Orleans is not the only city with sexual predators, drug addicts and other petty to major criminals. You DO know that in most places, you may live within a mile or two of a convicted molester? Especially in urban settings? Your next door neighbor may have a drug or alcohol problem. And the list goes on.

But you would never know about it or see it, unless someone told you about a 'bad neighborhood', or your bad neighbor or you have been a direct victim of crime.

Now. All you need is a major calamity that cuts off the instantaneous level of communications we so heavily depend on and the technology we live on that we now take for granted. Not to mention clean water and food and you now have the apocalypse. That is what is happening in NO right now and any social engineer can tell you that this IS going to happen.

And it really has no race or class attached to it. Desperate situations will bring out the best and worst in people. It's just that the corporate controlled media has entrained you to only see how good people can be when bad things happen. That's not a balance view and unfortunately, now you are getting that balance in spades.

[MBismyPlayground]

Guys, don't take this personally, but some of you really need to get a grip. New Orleans is not the only city with sexual predators, drug addicts and other petty to major criminals. You DO know that in most places, you may live within a mile or two of a convicted molester? Especially in urban settings? Your next door neighbor may have a drug or alcohol problem. And the list goes on.

But you would never know about it or see it, unless someone told you about a 'bad neighborhood', or your bad neighbor or you have been a direct victim of crime.

Now. All you need is a major calamity that cuts off the instantaneous level of communications we so heavily depend on and the technology we live on that we now take for granted. Not to mention clean water and food and you now have the apocalypse. That is what is happening in NO right now and any social engineer can tell you that this IS going to happen.

And it really has no race or class attached to it. Desperate situations will bring out the best and worst in people. It's just that the corporate controlled media has entrained you to only see how good people can be when bad things happen. That's not a balance view and unfortunately, now you are getting that balance in spades.

Mello, of course we realize this. But this is not normal circumstances in a very unnormal world right now.....
The point is, they supposedly have 500 national guard in the dome, how the HELL could this have happened??????????????

[themusk]

What is wrong with these people? Shooting at helicopters? Raping children in a refugee camp? I had no idea NO was such a high crime violent area. Even if they rebuild the city I think NO is going to have a problem with tourism. We had plans to go in December and we were going to reshedule to later next year but I think NO is not a place I will ever go to. I know it may be percantage of the population but that population is ruining for the good folks.

There are two problems here:

Hardened criminals are, ironically, generally poor (yep, crime doesn't usually pay). When you have an evacution plan that is built around owning a car, you pretty much guarantee that the people left are, disproportionately, criminal. These individuals are the ones who are, most likely, responsible for the violence. Unfortunately, the remainder also includes, disproportionately, the vulnerable innocent.

But there are a great many people (some research says that its a majority) who under the right (wrong?) circumstances will steal. There is a strong correlation between perceived fairness or unfairness and stealing. People who believe that the social millieu that they are in wil treat them fairly are significantly less likely to steal. At this point an increasing number of persons who are stranded in the city are peceiving the government and various disaster relief agencies as treating them unfairly (for example they see disaster agency trucks speed past them when they are stranded with dying children or the elderly on a highway). Under those circumstances, many normally law abiding people lash out against the persons they see as treating them unfairly. Some of that lashing out is likely to take the form of, what amounts to senseless, looting.

I absolutely agree that it is past due to reestablish order. But an attempt to reestablish order with force alone, and not also with a visible return of the appearance of human kindness and fairness, will simply end with the kind of hellish bloodbath of a riot that only those who have given up hope of survival can attempt.