Urgent call to residents of Houston

[soonertwister]

I'm seeing the early results from the relocation of those who have been displaced from Katrina's devastation to your city, and I have to say that I'm extremely discouraged by what I'm seeing.

Your authorites are lumping all persons into undifferentiated areas of occupation, with single males and females intermixed with families. I see a very distinct lack of law enforcement presence across the Astrodome in order to control the behavior of those most restless residents.

You must have a police officer at least every 25-30 feet across the arena, or someone else who is capable of some sort of authority. You must segregate the groups of single males from single females and those from the families. And you must not allow persons to wander unimpeded in the bedding areas. Those should be quiet zones at least 12 hours a day.

You must let everyone know that they are secure right now, because I'm seeing a replay of the Superdome. Don't let those who have planned this mission allow this to become another mistake. Tell your city officials that order must be enforced at all times, that random roaming is not allowed, and for goodness sake, separate the groups in the dome.

I'm warning you right now, you are taking a much too easy attitude about what's going on there. These people have been through the most stressful experience in their lives, and the need order more than anything now.

If you allow the evacuees to start controlling the dome, you will already have lost the fight. I'm seeing the beginnings of that now, with people nervously not sleeping on their cots and lots of young males roaming unimpeded throughout the arena. Everyone should be sleeping with lights dimmed right now, and any egress from sleeping spaces should be authorized and escorted.

Your national reputation is at stake. Do not allow this to become a fiasco. This response is more important than you might imagine right now. but if you wait until tomorrow or the day later to restore order, it will be too late.

Show your stripes as a city, and protect those who are in your care. All of America expects no less than that from you, so do what needs to be done.

Now.

[Eye10TX]

It has already happened. They tore down all the dividers. I'm afraid our helpers and volunteers were just too nice and not expecting this. I don't know what to say. I'm just sick about this.

[artist]

sooner - shouldn't respect be expected from those given refuge as well?
IT sickens me that a bad few can ruin things for the others.

[blueeyes_austin]

Sigh. Our compassion is getting in the way of our common sense.

[jasons2k]

I am very concerned about riots, etc., spreading to other cities - and not just the cities with evacuees, but people rioting in anger about the whole thing in other cities too. And I'll bet that's one reason why the death toll numbers are not being released; the nation will be horrified.

[JenBayles]

Just saw a report on Fox. They were interviewing this poor man who got to the Astrodome last night. He got his whole family out in the nick of time but his 20 year old daughter stayed behind. The last he heard from her she was at the convention center in chest high water. He is obviously frantic.

So, he gets up this morning intending to go on a job interview and finds somebody stole his clothes.

Much as I hate to say it, some of these people are just freakin' animals.

Houston was in no way prepared to take on this many people. We're doing the best we can. But a little cooperation on the part of the refugees would go a long, long way towards settling everything down.

[Mattie]

I've been saying that all along and have received a bit of flack for my opinions posted. . .

Again - this is going to happen in EVERY community at one point or another because aid will not be able to reach them continuously as there are other people outside of shelters in the gulf coast area that will also need supplies. They will not only have this problem within the shelters, but those who are just displaced and allowed to roam the communities that they are evacuated to.

Unfortunately it only takes a handful of troublemakers to cause a lot more heartache for the people who are stranded with them as well as the workers who have and are trying to assist as quickly as possible.

The cities/communities hosting these evacuees can only do so much for so long. These people have been through hell, their mental attitudes are not what they should be (and who can blame them!).

[Windy]

I am very concerned about riots, etc., spreading to other cities - and not just the cities with evacuees, but people rioting in anger about the whole thing in other cities too. And I'll bet that's one reason why the death toll numbers are not being released; the nation will be horrified.

Good to see I'm not the only one concerned about this. Rodney King was enough to set off LA.

Really, I'm more worried about the fuel shortages that are soon to occur on the southern seaboard. Things get hairy when the gas goes away.

[Portastorm]

Well folks, I have been in the dome all day and am back at my hotel.

Law enforcement has EVERYTHING under control and an awful lot of people are doing an awful lot of things to help the evacuees.

Everyone is working very hard to coordinate efforts and get these people back on their feet. Will there be trouble or troublemakers? Sure, aren't there always ... but I personally did not witness anything like that today. All I saw was a mass of humanity that is beaten down, tired, and scared.

Michael

[ajurcat]

Well folks, I have been in the dome all day and am back at my hotel.

Law enforcement has EVERYTHING under control and an awful lot of people are doing an awful lot of things to help the evacuees.

Everyone is working very hard to coordinate efforts and get these people back on their feet. Will there be trouble or troublemakers? Sure, aren't there always ... but I personally did not witness anything like that today. All I saw was a mass of humanity that is beaten down, tired, and scared.

Michael

Thank you for coming to Houston to help! We will be there this weekend helping. No matter who is doing what, I think it's great that the city of Houston and Harris County and the State of Texas reacted so quickly to arrange this for those coming from NO. Now other states are starting to do the same. There will be problems, that's understood. But these problems will not be happening in a hot dome, without electricity, water, food, etc.
Annette