A DEATH IN NEW ORLEANS

[beam me up scottie]

A DEATH IN NEW ORLEANS
Tired of waiting for authorities to help, citizens rescue the living, bury the dead

Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, September 4, 2005

New Orleans -- Neighbors buried Vera Smith on top of the concrete sidewalk at the edge of the Garden District on Saturday in a crude grave they made of soil and bricks they had unearthed from a little park nearby.

Smith had been dead for four days. She was killed by a hit-and-run driver Tuesday night as panicked residents fled the flooded city and looters descended on her neighborhood. She became one of the hundreds, possibly thousands, who died in the mayhem unleashed by Hurricane Katrina.

*****

But to the neighbors who knew her, she was Vera, the sweet lady in her 60s who had liked shopping and wigs and casinos, whose husband's name was Max and who had adored her two small dogs.




A DEATH IN NEW ORLEANS / Tired of waiting for authorities to help, citizens rescue the living, bury the dead
Maggie McEleney, John Lee, Janet Clouden, Kema Smith and Patrick McCarthy, join in prayer for their neighbor and friend, Vera Smith, they just buried on a street corner near their homes. Chronicle photo by Michael Macor


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/04/BADKHEN.TMP

[spuddonna]

1. Dear God...

These people are so wonderful, so beautiful... God bless them. Rest in peace, Vera.

[beam me up scottie]

8. I know.

Her friends looked after her.

[Bluebear]

2. Rest in peace, Vera. I am sorry we failed you. nt

[beam me up scottie]

7. I don't know why this one story

hit me this hard.
She's dead, after all.
She can't suffer anymore.
But...

[Bluebear]

14. I know.

I know. :hug:

[K8-EEE]

24. We Need To Tell These Stories

...it's so hard...but we can't let them get away with how they're trying to tilt it, that the problem was all THE VICTIMS. I am absolutely astounded by the quiet dignity of the people getting on and off the buses after the hell they went through.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Because it makes it personal

(And I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already know)

when one hears numbers, statistics, or words like "casualties", "bodies", "fatalities" it always sounds like "someone else".

Words like that usually make people go, "oh, that's too bad" or, "what a shame".

Every "casualty" is someone's child. Probably someone's best friend, someone's sister or brother, someone's mother or father. Someone who laughed, cried, told jokes.. Someone who some other people might not be able to imagine the world without.

These tragedies are being repeated thousandfold right now.

To paraphrase John Donne, "everyone's death diminishes me; for I am involved in humanity"

[beam me up scottie]

29. Yes, that, and the picture.

The picture was so... I don't know how to describe it.

[theHandpuppet]

37. Perhaps its because...

... so many of the MSM reports coming out of NOLA focus on the suffering and fear and violence in a way which objectifies and dehumanizes the victims. Constantly seeing the people of NOLA in masses of hundreds and thousands and in so much pain, our minds create a distance between ourselves and what we're actually seeing. Perhaps its a defense mechanism, I don't know.

With the story of Vera the victims are made human again, individuals who loved and were loved by others, whose smiles and laughter will no longer grace us, whose loss is reflected in the tears and tender care shared in her friends' farewell. I'm a pretty hard-bitten person, but It's hard for me not to cry right now. I feel as if we've all lost a part of our soul.

Juxtapositioning that one photo against the ones of Bush eating cake while people were drowning, Rummy yukking it up at another photo op while families clung desperately to rooftops, or Condi shopping for designer shoes while babies fought for life in the darkened rooms of hospitals destroyed, I'm not at the place where I can forgive an administration so measured by its calculated heartlessness. And maybe, just maybe, that's a good thing right now.

[beam me up scottie]

40. Yes, I'm what you could

call hard bitten too.
And I've never been so close to losing it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

38. Damn, same thing happened to me

I haven't cried but one or two times during this whole thing but that one got me. I don't even know why, I've seen pics that were so much worse.

[beam me up scottie]

41. Maybe it's the resignation?

The fact that they didn't scream in anger or cry for help.

The knew nobody was coming for Vera.
So they rolled up their sleeves and took care of their friend.

They just wanted the world to know that Vera was a person, not a #29.

[DoYouEverWonder]

43. Also the time and care that they took

to bury her with some semblance of dignity. Here these people are living under very dire circumstances with no food, water or electric. Just trying to survive but they took the time to build a proper tomb to put their friend to rest in.

[beam me up scottie]

44. Yes, that's it too.

The quiet dignity.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

55. For me, it's the photo. Her neighbors and friends, black and white, at

her humble grave. There is something iconic about it. It gives a little ray of hope for Americans as a people.

[ribrepin]

3. Heartbreaking

What century am I living in?

[beam me up scottie]

10. I keep asking that...

[ribrepin]

20. At least those good people are trying to do right by their neighbor

My heart breaks that this has happened in my country. Those poor people waiting five days for help to arrive in New Orleans. I've heard there are small communities throughout the storm area that are still waiting for help.

The yuppie Bitch I work with is only worried about the looting in New Orleans. I think if it had been left up to her, we'd let New Orleans rot because of the looting.

[beam me up scottie]

22. I can't even tell you

what my co-workers were saying.
I don't know if I can go back on Tuesday.
I knew they were bigots but this, ... this was beyond hate.

[ribrepin]

31. What gets me is that I live in a blue state and work in a profession

that is known for it's liberals. Wonder how the yuppie felt about the mother on TV begging for help for her baby that needed water and wasn't waking up very well. Yuppie has two young children.

After talking to the Yuppie, I go into the lunchroom and some genius is saying he doesn't think it will take two months to get New Orleans up and running. Americans are ingenious--don't you know.

I am in despair.

[beam me up scottie]

32. Something like this shows what

people really are.

The one person at work who I thought would have some compassion was also a mother of two.

Her comments: "I wonder how many of them chose to stay"

After seeing a picture of a woman with an infant begging for milk for her child:
"Why doesn't she just breast feed the kid? How stupid can you be?"

"It figures. Jesse Jackson is trying to make it about race now."

That last comment brought all of the bubbas in to the office to comment on the c**ns, ni**ers and fat, lazy welfare mothers.

They know I won't tolerate their racism and normally they would whisper jokes and comments like that to each other in my presence.

Now because so many people are suffering, dead and dying, they suddenly feel emboldened?

I need this job.
But I don't know if I can go back.

[ribrepin]

34. I'll go back--like you, I need this job

But I'll have a totally different view of some of my co-workers. I will try not avoid these people. You know the old "Hi" and "Bye" routine. Nobody was using the words " c**ns, ni**ers and fat, lazy welfare mother, but you know they were thinking it. As far as beast feeding the baby goes,if Mama's dehydrated; she won't have much for the baby.


This whole thing reminds me of the movie "Escape from New York" starring Kurt Russel as Snake. I don't know if you have seen the movie, but it's about New York City as an isolated colony where all the prisoners and undesirables have been dumped. Anarchy reigns until the Vice President's plane goes down into the city. They offer Snake a deal and he goes in to get the Vice-President back.

Bush flying his big plane low over the chaos in New Orleans so reminds me of that movie.

[beam me up scottie]

36. I love that

movie.
I wish someone had pushed * off over the city.
There wouldn't have been enough of him left for Snake to rescue.

I hate how stupid and ignorant "educated" people are.
Intolerance and apathy coming from them is much worse than from someone who was born with a below average IQ or someone who doesn't have access to an education.

These people are ignorant and hateful by choice.
And that is a crime.

[OhioChick]

4. OMG........

Words fail me.......

[beam me up scottie]

15. Me too.

[Erika]

5. Call it what it is...W failed her n/t

[beam me up scottie]

17. At least there are some

real journalists in the city.
This needs to be seen.

[MissMarple]

6. God help us all.

[beam me up scottie]

23. "On the tarp,

Vera's neighbors had written a dedication of sorts in thick black letters, large enough for rescue helicopters roaring overhead to see the words.

It read:

"Here lies Vera. God help us."

[Desertrose]

9. At least she was buried by friends.....

I hate to think of all the others that will not get that much...


this is so sadly surreal.

damn.

[beam me up scottie]

13. It reminds me of the

families in Iraq who had to bury their own in their gardens.

[expatriot]

11. Black, white.... we bury our dead together and then we're coming after you

Bush. TOGETHER. As much as you'd like to divide us and make us pawns in your contrived race war, we ain't falling for it, man. We are united now more than ever. We are coming for you!

Nero of New Orleans
Butcher of the Gulf

May all who you've slain rest in peace because we will not rest until justice is served.

[beam me up scottie]

12. Thanks.

The picture says it all.

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. Exactly. He's contriving inciting enough racial violence around the

country that he and the Poodle Press can hype it ito the skies. Then LOOTERS™ will be turned into the domestic TERRA-ISTS and the American public will be blasted with propaganda until they are frightened enough to be grateful for the "protection" of martial law.

That's the plan. Obviously, the more I research this and watch what is happening. They want division and they want violence that can be used for propaganda and more division. Then they get what they want and, as John Dean wrote in 2002, Bush could become a "constitutional dictator."

I am putting together a huge post on this. If you want a draft of my current working draft - with many links - PM me and I'll PM it back to you.

This is a huge, huge thing, and most people are overlooking what the real goal is. Whether are not some kind of genocide or "poor people - o- cide" is also deliberately planned - I do believe it is - is another issue. The possibility that this is being pushed toward martial law is valid whether or not the "genocide" is deliberate.

Very frustrated that more people don't see this.

[Psyop Samurai]

35. I see it, my friend...

...and look forward to your post.

I was telling people today that the MO that was shaping up was one of marginalizing citizens and militarizing "law enforcement".

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. That is exactly right. I suggest reading this article:

It was written in response to that statement by Gen. Tommy Franks in, of all places, "Cigar Afficiando" (i can give you the link if you want), that -I'm paraphrasing - one more hit and our constitution will be suspended. I recommend the entire article, which was written in 2003, but this paragraph really captured my attention. Maybe I should make a DU post on this old article and Tommy Franks' statement. People are being so willfulling blind. Even Will Pitt, whom I respect and admire, wrote an entire post deriden people who think any of the desruction and death on in the south now is delibeerate. He thinks it's all incompetence and we're foolish tiinfoilhatters to think otherwise. I cannot agree.

Here's that stunning paragraph, but do read the whole thing:

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/07/Columns/From_Tommy_Franks__a_.shtml

It was the Nine Years' War in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World that facilitated the seizure of power by the world reformers who then took control of nearly all human and social development. In 1984, George Orwell described Oceania as in a constant state of war with a changeable enemy who "always represented absolute evil." These inventors of the great dystopias understood the way governments use war and its associative fear and instability to consolidate power. Despotism thrives on insecurity. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts safety right behind food, water and sleep. Humans naturally crave stability and are willing to sacrifice values such as liberty in its pursuit.

I'd be happy to PM you my working draft of the long post on how I think that they are pushing for an excuse to begin what will be martial law under the Pentagon, with suspension of the Constitution, though doubtless they would call it something like "Operation Safe America." (I just made up that name, but doesn't it sound like what they'd use?) I would welcome comments/criticisms/suggestions.

Only effective response to all this will be a powerful nonviolent, inclusive, effectively planned movement. Otherwise, all is lost, I fear. Katrina did them such a big favor. The predictions back in early 2001 were that the three most likely catastrophic events in the continental US were an earthquake in San Francisco, a terrorist attack on New York, and a hurricane that hit New Orleans. Lucky Bush - got two out of three. In the case of the 9/11 attacks, that was so obvioulsy an inside job and it got them so much of what they want. In the case of the hurricane, statistical probability said it would be coming sooner or later, and the maintenance of the levees was blocked. Now people are STILL dying and aid is being blocked. Reports of "violence" are clearly hyped. There is violence, of course, but there is more despair. And no wonder.

[Psyop Samurai]

47. I'd be happy to look over your draft...

...after I get some sleep! ;-)

I met a 78 year old woman tonight that's all fired up about going to Washington, and she kept me past 4:00, then I came home and got on this danged board. But yeah, PM me.

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. Major development confirming suspicions: Bush Admin blackmailing Gov

Blanco, holding back aid unless she signs over civilian powers to them. This is it, folks.

(From some comments and also more that I have learned, as well as this latest development, I've decided
to do another rewrite of my draft. When I have a V3 I'll PM it to you.)

In the meantime, the move toward martial law has begun. The Bush Admin is trying to blackmail Gov Blanco, and I'm betting govs in the other two hardest-hit states, into signing over control of the State National Guard and command of all state rescue operations to the federal military.

Blanco has resisted so far. This is blatant, murderous blackmail. This is why they have prevented, delayed and blocked aid. They were setting up the blackmail in addition to trying to worsen class/social tensions. (And they don't care if lots of poor, mostly black, people die.)

The title of this post on the WaPo article is very misleading, and thus the LBN title is also very misleading. A lot of DUers are going to miss the point of what is happening. The foolish or corrupt WaPo authors think it's only about shifting the blame to state and local authorities and deny that this is about martial law. The governor, however DID see this move for what it is and refused to sign.

Here's the LBN thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1750979
Here is one of my three posts there - it has links to the other two in it. The three posts make some of the points in my draft, though without the documentation and skipping a lot.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1750979&mesg_id=1752054

[im10ashus]

52. Hideous! And shameless disregard for the displaced.

They want to privatize the whole reconstruction project with Halliburton and their hundreds of other sycophantic warmongers.

[Nothing Without Hope]

53. Halliburton already has the contracts. No, what this is about is the

next step to what is functionally martial law, though they will have a nice comforting-sounding name for it. They are trying to blackmail the governor (and probably the other two) into signing over civilian powers to federal military control. This would the the precdent for it moving step by step over the rest of the country. The shameless hyping of racial/class tensions and fear plays right to their plans. They'll be oh-so-happy to "protect' us all from each other - just accept federal military police "supervision."

[im10ashus]

54. THAT truly is frightening.

I don't think the American people will stand for that, even in a small part of the country. Well, at least I can say, I won't.

[Nothing Without Hope]

60. They know there is resistance to giving up liberties. That's why they

used - and I believe, staged - the 9/11 attacks (remember General Eberhard?) to get much of what they wanted: their Iraq war started, the President given blatantly unconstitutional powers by the Congress, the Patriot act, universal ID, so much more. They create fear and hate so that they can use it to frighten people into giving them what they want in exchange for "protection." I suspect that if they had gotten tired of waiting for the hurricane or the earthquake, we would have had another staged, hyped "terrorist" attack. Heaven knows they've made a whole lot of REAL terrorists now, too.

Since you mention Halliburton, here are 3 DU threads on how Halliburton has ALREADY gotten contracts for hurricane cleanup;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1747674

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4588896

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1747674&mesg_id=1748410

[im10ashus]

63. Thanks for the links!!!

I am no longer amazed at the long-arm of Halliburton. It's political money laundering and should be investigated. WHY are American people so damned complacent and seemingly apathetic? It just pisses me off.

[Psyop Samurai]

46. Here we go...

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3966

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi hurricane survivors looked around Saturday and wondered just how long it would take to get food, clean water and shelter. And they were more than angry at the federal government and the national news media.

Richard Gibbs was disgusted by reports of looting in New Orleans and upset at the lack of attention hurricane victims in his state were getting.

"I say burn the bridges and let 'em all rot there," he said. "We're suffering over here too, but we're not killing each other. We've got to help each other. We need gas and food and water and medical supplies."

Sadly, the people of Mississippi have been neglected too, but it seems the "less deserving" are getting all the attention. You see, we're not all in the same boat, but rather, we're competing for scarce resources. As there are not enough resources to go around, it becomes a matter of who best "merits" the resources. A diabolically clever manipulation.

[Nothing Without Hope]

48. Oh no. Predictable but painful to see. All forms of divisions in our

society are useful to the neocons, who have already stripped away so many Constitutional protections for us and the world and want to take the rest. Like Tommy Franks said, one more "hit" (like 9/11) and they can suspend the Constitution.

I will certainly read that article and add it to my file on this issue.

I recommend reading the following article. It's very, very good and I think I'll post ont it, along with what Franks said, in a short post tomorrow. Setting the stage and, I hope, getting people to THINK. I'll excerpt only the single paragraph that really grabbed me, but the whole thing is excellent and it isn't very long:

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/07/Columns/From_Tommy_Franks__a_.shtml

It was the Nine Years' War in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World that facilitated the seizure of power by the world reformers who then took control of nearly all human and social development. In 1984, George Orwell described Oceania as in a constant state of war with a changeable enemy who "always represented absolute evil." These inventors of the great dystopias understood the way governments use war and its associative fear and instability to consolidate power. Despotism thrives on insecurity. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts safety right behind food, water and sleep. Humans naturally crave stability and are willing to sacrifice values such as liberty in its pursuit.

As the article you showed in your post shows, one of the other things that is lost when safety, food, water and shelter are taken away is often compassion for strangers. Also mutual trust and generosity. Many people retain these things, but the higher proportion who drop them make life hell for everyone else. Nothing to restrain them from being selfish bastards.

[Psyop Samurai]

39. Thank you... This is our rallying cry...

"we bury our dead together and then we're coming after you"

And we ain't fallin' for a month of hand-wringing, soul-searching pundits while the murderer slips out the back door.

[Nothing Without Hope]

49. YES! This is the turning point. Either we go forward together or we are

lost.

[Vektor]

16. Truly worth a thousand words.

So very sad.

[maddezmom]

18. RIP Vera

:cry:

[beam me up scottie]

19. "Unwilling to tolerate the indignity of her abandonment..."

Unwilling to tolerate the indignity of her abandonment, Smith's neighbors decided to bury her themselves Saturday, joining throngs of New Orleans residents who are simply taking charge of their own incomprehensible problems.

"Let the country see this," wept Maggie McEleney, who wore a respirator pushed up on her forehead as she freed elliptical bricks from an overgrown rock garden and arranged them to frame the grave.

Lee and Patrick McCarthy stabbed the brown earth with their dirty shovels and piled the soil on top of Smith's bloated body. A man in a white SUV pulled over, grabbed an extra shovel and joined the men.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whatelseisnew]

26. 29 - the police complaint code number signifying death

The police, too overwhelmed by the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in the city, refused the neighbors' pleas to collect her body. Instead, they spray-painted "29" -- the police complaint code number signifying death in Louisiana -- on the sidewalk near where she lay, along with an arrow pointing at her body.

[SeattleGirl]

27. Oh God

Bless these kind and caring people, and damn * to hell.

[jillan]

30. Vera, deserved better than this. But you can rest in peace knowing

that you had friends that loved you enough to give you as much dignity as they could during these difficult times.:cry:

[Phentex]

58. Well said, pirhana.

and thanks, beam.

[Robeson]

33. I just don't know what to say anymore.

[me b zola]

42. Rest in peace, Vera

[Solly Mack]

50. The Vera Smith Memorial. The authorities had damn well better allow

that to remain and be improved upon. Let her tragic death bear witness.

Let her monument forever remind us -

both at the inhumanity that killed her and of the humanity and love that buried her; that honored her.

I'm in tears.

[beam me up scottie]

62. Thanks, Solly.

You said it much better than I could.

I'd like this story to be a testament to the triumph over despair by the survivors.

There is so much violent anger and rage everywhere, and rightfully so, but the absence of it is what appealed to me in this story.

I'd like to think that in the same situation, I would have done what these wonderful people did for their friend.

And I'd like to think that my friends would do the same for me.

[Solly Mack]

64. I think you just said it beautifully

"I'd like this story to be a testament to the triumph over despair by the survivors."

[Sydnie]

56. The sadness is getting to be more than I can bear

I can't stop sobbing this morning. Where is my country? If anybody sees it, please tell it to come back because we need it now.

[all.of.me]

57. what a powerful photo!

with the ruined building behind. this needs to get around, and we need to hear and see more of how people are STILL waiting for authorities to deal with this. i think it's great that people are pulling together, though, to do what bush will not. it's like saying 'fuck you' to them. unfortunately, they do not hear it.

(look! white people! will that get them to act faster?!?! :crazy: sheesh...)

[txindy]

59. That people would take the time/effort to do this says everything to me.

Vera was obviously a wonderful person who earned the love and affection of her neighbors. They went to a lot of trouble and stress to bury her like that. That shows the depth of her worthiness as well as their own. God bless them all.

[newyawker99]

61. ...

:cry: