We Shut Down the Bridge

Think local officials are less to blame for deaths in New Orleans than federal officials? In the most jaw-dropping story of the week, UPI has the police chief of Gretna, Louisiana, admitting that he closed off one of the major arteries out of New Orleans on Monday, before the storm hit:

"We shut down the bridge," Arthur Lawson, chief of the City of Gretna Police Department, confirmed to United Press International, adding that his jurisdiction had been "a closed and secure location" since before the storm hit.

"All our people had evacuated and we locked the city down," he said. The bridge in question -- the Crescent City Connection -- is the major artery heading west out of New Orleans across the Mississippi River.

He added that the small town, which he called "a bedroom community" for the city of New Orleans, would have been overwhelmed by the influx. "There was no food, water or shelter" in Gretna City, Lawson said. "We did not have the wherewithal to deal with these people. If we had opened the bridge, our city would have looked like New Orleans does now: looted, burned and pillaged."

Rdb3,I don't think you have handlers and I don't think any one is pandering to you or mhking for being black.

Matter of fact I didn't know that either of you were Black until I saw you mhking on TV and my hubby pointed at you and said that is a FReeper and rdb3 I didn't know you were until the unfortunate situation with the picture posting troll.

I like both of you as human beings and don't care what color you are and I value your opinions on any issue even if I sometimes disagree with it,but I never would go so far as calling you names or any other FReeper who's opinion differs from mine.

I don't blame you for wanting to leave FR after seeing the things that were said here on this thread.

To me it was never a race issue,just a failure of the local government to react to the thread of hurricane Katrina.

I for one don't need either of you to defend your race,because in every race there are good and bad individuals and to stereo type a race based on what bad individuals do that belong to this race is asinine,IMHO.

I have friends that belong to different race groups and I don't treat them different then any other human being.

When will People learn that the color of someones skin doesn't make any difference,WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS with the same feelings,no matter what color the skin.

I for one will miss your posts and your insightful comments and I am sorry I didn't speak up sooner,because I find it despicable to attack someone based on their race and not willing to listen to an opinion because of the racial difference.

I hope you know that there are some FReepers that feel the same way I do.

FReegards
Mrs.Nooseman

Dear Chief,

what is your decision??

inquiring minds want to know.

are the barbarians at the gate just outside your town??

or are you sure they are PITIFUL escapees from NO Parish???

fwiw, the clock is TICKING.

free dixie,sw

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