The Andrew story is that of common knowledge to those in south Florida which is where I was living at the time when it happened.
You could see video of the local networks bringing in the trucks to Homestead AF Base and there were locals who said bodies were all over the place in Naranja. I am not saying major thousands died in Andrew, but a hell of a lot more did die and were cremated and or buried in places where homeless are buried.
I remember interning at a local television station a few years later where we got to discussing what was seen firsthand and it was a political decision on 2 counts
1. To keep people coming to Miami in the future and to build there. Because giving a high death toll in one particular region means that more than likely people will not move back to that spot because of fear of a repeat.
2. Illegals were and are huge down in that area especially hundreds and thousands of migrant workers who live in small 2-bedroom homes that they put like 12 people in each. Also labor camps as well which were known about but looked past for the sake of supplying local jobs.
I am the last person to jump on the tin-foil bandwagon. Believe me...I am all about the source. My only thinking is families coming down to Miss and LA who have not heard from loved ones will find out for themselves after the rescue operation is over. This will take a lot of time to get organized. But the state wants to use this land again for building homes and businesses along the gulf coast. Not put the fear of God into people from moving away and not rebuilding.
The only problem with that is...we live in 2005 and communications and sources such as blogs and cell phones plus computers all over...just makes it different than when Andrew had hit. It will be much harder today to contain info.
Perhaps you should go down there yourself if your station would possibly let you......not very likely....we need people down there relaying what is happening back if there are not reporters there like your friend said was the case.
If the government can keep a lid on the fact there are millions more illegals in the U.S. than officially "estimated," what's a few thousand nameless paupers' graves in a mass-casualty event?
News in the U.S. is managed. Most serious truths are well-massaged before the mass media is allowed to tell the story.
Common knowledge, but not believed by all or most of the South Florida inhabitants. I was there too, I heard the talk. I don't believe it. A local paper did a story on it, the author was a conspiracist too, but he was unable to find a single first person eye witness. Nor any family members of the supposed deceased. Sorry, I am not bashing you MFH, you are a freeper and poster in good standing, and I don't doubt that you are relaying the truth, in as much as what you have heard. I just disagree with the Andrew story.