Well ladies I may not be a political genius claming to know all the answers BUT the Mayor and the Governor is and always has been aware of the unlawful element running around New Orleans in gang form. My question is not to the poor or any other citizen, its to the politicians running the city. Why in heavens name did they not make sure the guns/gun shops in that city were secured. Take the guns out of these shops and put them in a vault in any bank. If they had done that, done their jobs then these gangs could not and would not be running around out numbering and out gunning the local police. They'd probably have some illegal guns but no where near the fire power they were able to obtain by these weapons being left unguarded. So much could have been avoided if someone, anyone in authoruty would have used common sense when they had the time before Katrina hit full force. I do believe some heads will roll long after this situation is under control.I am proud and happy to tell you that The Las Vegas Convention Center, the largest in the world is opening its doors to the refugees. Thats all I know so far but have volunteered my services for food preparation or whatever else I am needed for. I want to hug someone and tell them it IS going to be alright...No one should be blamed because they were unfotunate enough to be in the middle of this hell. I am sure that if they could change things, they would and don't need to hear from us who are high and dry how much smarter we would have been. I wonder?????

You're so right Chatty...God bless you and your help. I have people in Biloxi right now and as of yesterday they had not seen the red cross or any aid of any kind. They interviewed people in waveland (wiped out) and they had not seen any help...there are so many without help and who still need to be reached. It's a mess everywhere but the greatest tradegy is in NO.
I hope the heads that need to roll get rolled for this. I think this is a major blue print for the future in any city across America that might/will face a natural disaster.
We need to show compassion to the victims...that and only that is going to get them through this. Not our arrogance, or ignorance or prejudices. Those have no place in our society today. I'm not naive enough to think everyone can/will feel the way I do, but I can hope.
To those struggling, my prayers are being poured out and I will help anyway I can.

WHEW! I just read this entire thread, and held my breath till I saw that you were okay, Dee.

Dotsie, how did your sister fare?

Donna
(continuing to pray...)

I know I'm putting myself in the line of fire here, and frankly, am scared to post in these forums anymore for fear of the hatred that will be thrown (undeservedly) my way. But I have to summon my courage and dare to speak.

There are not enough words to express my horror and heartbreak at what's happening in NO and the shattered lives Katrina has left behind. PLEASE know that I weep and pray and am searching for ways to help.

But in the meantime, I cannot sit by and hear the word "evil" being bandied about and flung in anyone of my sisters' faces here. That's a very serious judgement call, a very damaging word to just fling at someone in the heat of an argument, and in my humble opinion, completely uncalled for, unwarrented and unacceptable in this forum.

Please TRUST that we ALL care, more than words can ever adequately convey. Maybe we don't express it as perfectly as others think we should, but we cannot just call someone "evil" because their words don't match our expectations. And we cannot ever assume that those differing expressions reflect an underlying lack of care. I don't believe there is one single woman on this forum who isn't heartbroken and devastated by this tragedy unfolding before our eyes. Please, let's think before we throw any damaging accusations at each other. That's not the answer. We're all hurting, we're all desperate to help, we're all trying to process this tragedy of unprecedented magnitude. Please let's try and work together, ride this horrible nightmare out together and come out the other side still intact.

[ September 03, 2005, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

Thank you Donna J for your being concerned...when the hurrican was going on we held our breaths as well a few times. We were lucky...very, very lucky. Things here are starting to get slowly back to normal...our neighborhood just got their electricity (we can see night lights and the sound of generators has ceased). The lines for gasoline have lessened, although in wal-mart this afternoon you could hear accents of those from new orleans and see in the faces of those who do not call this area home a sad....I'm not sure what you would call the expression...lost maybe? There are still lots of people uprooted, too many to count, and although things are improving, it's going to be a long time before life returns to some type of normalicy for a lot of Americans.

I want to say thank you to those who have never met me but who wrote words of concern for me and my husband. It has touched me more than words can express. My heart will be grateful to you forever.

Hugs to you all,

Dee

I wanted to add...nothing yet on my husband's job...too soon, but we did see more photos of tracks he travels on...especially around Pass Christian and Bay of St. Louis, and of course New Orleans...it's going to be sometime before there are trains running from Mobile to New Orleans again. We're hopeful and optimistic that God knows what he's doing and will take care of everyone who has lost something or everything in this great American tradegy.

my mother, an avid harry chapin fan, used to play several of his songs late into the night when she wrote and sketched...
one of those was "what made america famous"...

It was the town that made America famous.
The churches full and the kids all gone to hell.
Six traffic lights and seven cops and all the streets kept clean.
The supermarket and the drug store and the bars all doing well.
They were the folks that made America famous.
The local fire department stocked with shorthaired volunteers.
And on Saturday night while America boozes
The fire department showed dirty movies,
The lawyer and the grocer seeing their dreams
Come to life on the movie screens
While the plumber hopes that he won't be seen
As he tries to hide his fears and he wipes away his tears.
But something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?
We were the kids that made America famous.
The kind of kids that long since drove our parents to dispair.
We were lazy long hairs dropping our, lost confused, and copping out.
Convinced our futures were in doubt and trying not to care.
We lived in the house that made America famous.
It was a rundown slum, the shame of all the decent folks in town.
We hippies and some welfare cases,
Crowded families of coal black faces,
Cramped inside some cracked old boards,
The best that we all could afford
But still to nice for the rich landlord
To tear it down and we could hear the sound
Of something burning somewhere. Is anybody there?
We all lived the life that made America famous.
Our cops would make a point to shadow us around our town.
And we love children put a swastika on the bright red firehouse door.
America, the beautiful, it makes a body proud.
And then came the night that made America famous.
Was it carelessness or someone's sick idea of a joke.
In the tinder box trap that we hippies lived in someone struck a spark.
At first I thought I was dreaming,
Then I saw the first flames gleaming
And heard the sound of children screaming
Coming through the smoke.
Something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?
It was the fire that made America famous.
The sirens wailed and the firemen stumbled sleepy from their homes.
And the plumber yelled "Come on let's go!" But they saw what was burning and said "Take it slow, Let'em sweat a little, they'll never know
And besides, we just cleaned the chrome." Said the plumber "Then I'm going alone."
He rolled on up in the fire truck
And raised the ladder to the ledge
Where me and my girl and a couple of kids
Were clinging like bats to the edge.
We staggered to salvation,
Collapsed on the street.
And I never thought that a fat man's face
Would ever look so sweet.
I shook his hand in the scene that made America famous
And his smile from the heart that made America great
We spent the rest of that night in the home of a man we'd never known before.
It's funny when you get that close it's kind of hard to hate.
I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous.
I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school.
Of the America that made America famous...and
Of the people who just might understand
That how together yes we can
Create a country better than
The one we have made of this land,
We have a choice to make each man
who dares to dream, reaching out his hand
A prophet or just a crazy damn
Dreamer of a fool - yes a crazy fool

And something's burning somewhere.
Does anybody care?
Is anybody there?

[ September 04, 2005, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: msdiana ]

Sugaree, my heart aches for your pain and anguish. And it grieves me to know that anything said in these forums, and especially by myself, is adding to your grief. I am WITH YOU in your pain, even if my words can't seem to say it right. There is nothing but agony and anguish in my own heart for the suffering that's going on, and I'm praying right alongside of you to the same God that things be made right. I just don't know how else to convey to you my heart's compassion and that I anguish WITH you. I grieve in profound sadness that you think that anyone here would ever intentionally add to your pain.

Everybody, I wonder if I could make a suggestion here. A lot of hurt has been incurred here in this thread, and I daresay it's been unintentional. That doesn't make it any less painful for ALL of us. I wonder if we can all just step back, close our eyes and remember why we're here. This is Dotsie's forum. If we've joined and logged in, then it's because we believe in Dotsie's vision, and we agree with the mission statement that affirms that every woman who comes here brings a unique and VITAL voice to the table. We are all meant to be here, no exceptions. And our hope is always that we connect, discuss, listen, and in the process heal each other. We still want to do that, I know we do. But it's really difficult to know how to best handle this painful atmosphere that we're all feeling here now.

Would it be okay to suggest that we take a deep breathe, try and trust that nobody here has intentionally set out to hurt anyone, and try to pray for compassion, forgiveness and peace with each other. And to maybe help us make a fresh start, what if we decided to close this particular thread and began a new fresh one on the hurricane topic. I'm not trying to sugarcoat anything, or sweep anything under the rug. I'm trying to save Dotsie's vision, I'm trying to rescue this site from deteriorating any further.

What do you think? I'm not on any side here, I'm on OUR side, all of us, ALL OF US, no exceptions. I want us to work together, come together in care and peace and work through this anguish TOGETHER in care and compassion. Is that do-able?

I have to go to church now and will carry BWS in my heart and prayer this morning. Then I'll be spending the day playing with my 4 year old granddaughter, so won't be back here til later.

Smile, thanks for this post. I have been totally confused here. I see nothing wrong in your statements. I was here in the morning and then head out to shop with my sister for a baby shower. Then I spent the rest of the day with my family and we headed off to a cook-out at a friend's home.

You may think this is weak on my part, but I think we need to carry on here. I'm beginning to think this was a next to perfect online neighbohood where we could share our hearts, but I'm beginning to wonder as this baby grows how this can continue. It saddens me that women are being misunderstood and attacked. This is not the intent of the forums. Quite the opposite.

The sermon this morning was about conflict resolution...doing things that Matthew 18 way. When one is hurt, you go to that person alone and address the situation and concern. WHen they don't get the message, you go with another person to be certain there are no misunderstandings, If the problem remains, you make the audience bigger. When there is no resolution, guess what...you keep trying, but you don't have to prove your point. You forgive and move on, continually giving love. It's work. That was the minister's message. It isn't always easy. I'm pondering how this looks in thsi neighborhood.

Any thoughts?

I also have to mention that when I heard mention of the racial issue in the news this week in regard to New Orleans, I wanted to stick my finger down my throat. It made me so sick! I don't get the statement. We send relief all over the world to every race imaginable. Do we not?

There are no words to describe the terrible and horrific experiences that people have been subjected to in New Orleans. Their plight, their anguish, their fear, their terror and their fear for their future.

How many of us have experienced what they have experienced, years of poverty, years of being side-lined by the economics system, years of being neglected with no inward hope for a different life. And now this...a city devastated beyond repair, hearts devasted, lives devastated and no future in the minds of many.

What can we do ladies? Can we find the hearts within us to pray and help those in need, if not indeed physically but with good-will and strong hearts. Can we understand that there are many forces at work here? There is economics, there is politics, there is policy, all relative to these moments and why New Orleans is under water. Many answers, many arguments and yet what is it that matters most?

That we love! Just love! No judgement, no fear, no retribution over who is right, who is wrong, why disasters happen. Just love! For that is what this world truly needs.

Love shall overcome the world's plight. Love shall overcome the pain and hearts wounded by life and the forces they have no control over.

Just love and how that love shows up!

May God Bless every woman, man and baby in New Orleans with a brighter future, a more loving future and a more prosperous future...and may the forces that be supply it! Our hearts!

With love
Leigha

With love
Leigha