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Apr 12th: Stop Global Warming College Hud Tour Blog: New Orleans
| Posted on 4/12/2007
The drive from Baton Rouge to New Orleans after the show was short, which explains why the alleged incident of an exploratory tour of the French Quarter was able to take place on the same evening of the Baton Rouge show. The aim was a purely investigative fact finding operation created in order to prove that indeed the quality of entertainment (read shots and cocktails) in New Orleans has been fully re-established since Katrina. Whether or not this mission actually took place cannot be confirmed without the use of credit card statements.
Yes, we were tourists. Yes, we went down to look at the lower 9th ward. But as much as we were awestruck to see the actual evidence of the tragedy with our own eyes I would like to think that our visit helped inject some much needed help and enthusiasm into the volunteers there from the common ground collective.
Laurie and Sheryl were too modest to mention the detectable excitement from those present once they realized exactly who they were. What was not mentioned was the spontaneous financail aid that the two girls provided. It is beyond all of us to understand that, in this country, there is a need for volunteers and people like them to give money to help an area, a neighborhood, a whole community to recover from a tragic worldwide re-known climatic event.
I think America can be credited with creating the term ‘teamplayer’ and if that is the case, I don’t think you will find a stronger example of the opposite of that when it comes to examining the overall input of effort of a nation in helping their compatriots reclaim their lives.
We spoke to various people, out drivers, the volunteers, etc. They told us these things.
-300,000 people left the area. Many don’t plan to come back.
-the volunteers at common ground claimed that there has always been an extreme shortage of materials required to re-build houses.
-while the population has decreased in the city, the murder rate has increased.
-until only just recently there was a waiting list for children to enter public schools.
-it’s not a life or death situation, but according to more than one person there is no recycling program operated by the city.
-there is talk that all the re-building to be done in the city will be done to “green codes” but it can’t be proven.
-the irony is that many of those who left, were happy to leave- they were living in conditions so unbearable anyway, life away from New Orleans is preferable...so maybe our concern for a displaced community is...misplaced?
Yes, we were tourists. Yes, we went down to look at the lower 9th ward. But as much as we were awestruck to see the actual evidence of the tragedy with our own eyes I would like to think that our visit helped inject some much needed help and enthusiasm into the volunteers there from the common ground collective.
Laurie and Sheryl were too modest to mention the detectable excitement from those present once they realized exactly who they were. What was not mentioned was the spontaneous financail aid that the two girls provided. It is beyond all of us to understand that, in this country, there is a need for volunteers and people like them to give money to help an area, a neighborhood, a whole community to recover from a tragic worldwide re-known climatic event.
I think America can be credited with creating the term ‘teamplayer’ and if that is the case, I don’t think you will find a stronger example of the opposite of that when it comes to examining the overall input of effort of a nation in helping their compatriots reclaim their lives.
We spoke to various people, out drivers, the volunteers, etc. They told us these things.
-300,000 people left the area. Many don’t plan to come back.
-the volunteers at common ground claimed that there has always been an extreme shortage of materials required to re-build houses.
-while the population has decreased in the city, the murder rate has increased.
-until only just recently there was a waiting list for children to enter public schools.
-it’s not a life or death situation, but according to more than one person there is no recycling program operated by the city.
-there is talk that all the re-building to be done in the city will be done to “green codes” but it can’t be proven.
-the irony is that many of those who left, were happy to leave- they were living in conditions so unbearable anyway, life away from New Orleans is preferable...so maybe our concern for a displaced community is...misplaced?
