We Shut Down the Bridge

Washington Times & UPI via NRO ^ | Sep. 9, 2005 | Shaun Waterman

[hipaatwo]

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."

[stand watie]

rotflmRao!

free dixie,sw

[dalebert]

Truth teller.

[tuffydoodle]

Where in my post does it say that evacuees leaving the city should be blocked? are you making an assumption? All I did was relate a scary news story.

I'm slowly reading through this thread, it's long, and it's making me sick and depressed. I need to take care of my children and I'm not coming back to this.

bye

[stand watie]

rotflmRao!

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

i LIKE your tagline!

me too, btw.

free dixie,sw

[dalebert]

Is he saying that he knew what the super dome looked like after the flood before the storm hit NO?

[Heyworth]

Yes, Petronski, by all means check out the Civil War threads, where you'll see Watie claiming that slavery had nothing to do with the Civil War, that there's a German U-Boat (captured by Texas-commissioned privateers, no less) on display in Galveston, that every last victim of Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas had it coming, and that he doesn't say the word "indivisible" when he says the Pledge of Allegiance.

That "free dixie" thing he signs off with isn't just a cute thing--it's his fondest dream.

[EllaMinnow]

as i said, even the mainSLIME, LEFTIST,W-hating, TV media types admitted that MANY of the people at the bridge incident were ARMED with guns, knives, clubs, etc.

Got a link? A source? Anything?

[cyncooper]

Where in my post does it say that evacuees leaving the city should be blocked? are you making an assumption? All I did was relate a scary news story.

I didn't say you said they should. Where did I say you did?

I made a logical inference, however, as to why you would suddenly insert that story into the discussion and I made a straightforward observation without comment on or to you personally.

If you weren't relating that story to the story of stymied bridge evacuees then your story belongs on a different thread.

[Petronski]

as i said, even the mainSLIME, LEFTIST,W-hating, TV media types admitted that MANY of the people at the bridge incident were ARMED with guns, knives, clubs, etc.

Yeah, I gotta have a source on that too.

[timydnuc]

You are correct about the different ways out of NO.

I lived in Baton Rouge for 6 years and have been to NO on countless occasions. The best and safest way out of Les Ville is the I10 corridor that has, for years, been designated for hurricane evacuation (It's posted all along the I10 corridor, for crying out loud). Had the mayor of NO and the dufus Gov. of Louisiana given any thought what so ever to the evacuation of the city of New Orleans and known the history and construction of the I10 corridor they could have significantly reduced the number of suffering citizens of Les Ville (New Orleans). If, on the other hand, they didn't know it then they must not have been familiar with emergency hurricane plans that designated the I10 corridor as the OFFICIAL evacuation route of the New Orleans area.

I had just arrived in BR when Andrew hit Houma and it came straight up Airline Highway and clobbered Baton Rouge. No power, water, emergency services for a week. Baton Rouge fared well though because we had an EMERGENCY PLAN! We handled the influx of evacuees from the southeast well and we had NOTHING like New Orleans had. The state agencies handled the emergency and FEMA came in later to help with the clean up. I was lucky, I got stuck at work, I'm in medicine and got stuck at the largest hospital in the deep south. We were never in danger of anything failing even once.

The people of Baton Rouge are trained for this, they are aware that any large hurricane on the gulf coast (of La) will immediately make that city a staging area and an evacuation point. Believe you me this has always been the fable of the grasshopper and the ant. New Orleans has always laid back and counted on luck to push a 'cane away from them. While Baton Rouge had a plan in effect and it worked well. During Andrew, as I recall, we had 10 deaths that were attributed to the storm.

Y'all are right about state and local government in New Orleans and that stupid excuse for a governor but be aware that Baton Rouge is about 180 degrees from the political climate in New Orleans. Low crime rate (but that has changed dramatically since the evacuation), much more conservative than Les Ville, more gun permits, and much less poverty and welfare state folks. Baton Rouge is a slow moving, deep southern city that one would be proud to live in (as I was). I've heard (from dear friends down there) that this will be tough for the citizens of Baton Rouge but they will make it through this ordeal as well, and be better for it.

In short, don't judge the good people of Louisiana by the actions of the inept politicians or the looters in New Orleans, because that city has always been different from the rest of southern Louisiana. The REAL southern Louisiana is genteel, and moral, and friendly, and helpful, and neighborly, and trusting, add a little "devil may care" in that mix and you have a wonderful place to live.

Katrine flushed the toilet that was New Orleans and it overflowed. Now the good and decent citizens of southern Louisiana will have to clean it up, and they will, and they will do it in spite of the dimwits in the state office building. They always have, and they always will.

Every time we had a hurricane alert for Louisiana we would have people, citizens of Baton Rouge, that would draw you a map on a cocktail napkin of exactly what would happen if the 'cane dead hit New Orleans. I got good at it myself with in my first year there. We all knew that it wouldn't be the wind that would destroy New Orleans, nor would it be the driving rain, it would be the levee failures and the pump failures. EVERYONE I knew was aware of this very scenario, so where were the politicians, had they never studied the facts that all the people of southern Louisiana knew? That's just not believable!

I've been livid for 2 weeks about this so pardon my rant, I just had to get that off my chest.

[beckysueb]

what was your point?? do you HAVE a point??? you said he was RACIST. IF that is so, how would you know as everyone, regardless of race/gender/religion, was kept OUT by the GPD??

I was answering Torie from last night. She was calling him racsist. I asked her did he allow whites to cross over and keep blacks out. You answered me and said he kept everybody out. I said my point exactly meaning he was NOT a racsist. I think this thread is getting so out of hand. I have been misunderstood twice now cause nerves are running very raw. Everybody is snapping at everybody.

[beckysueb]

But ya know what, I don't think it is my fault that many, many people were scared of some of the people in New Orleans. It is not my fault that that place has such a bad reputation and people were frightened about letting others into their neighborhoods.

You nailed it. Its just that simple. Just like people are afraid to pick up hitch hikers or answer their door to strangers. You just can't help people anymore. They turn on you and kill you. You answered this whole thread brrilliantly.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I understand that people are raw from this thread- and perhaps not able to communicate at their top game right now- I know for sure that has happened to me on this thread- BUT_there are still some people worth helping. ( all bullshit aside)

I am still going to try -and the reason why is because I feel an obligation to help a fellow American- because if it weren't for the selfless acts of other people (mostly veterans and soldiers) none of us would be here- none of us would have anything at all- and those veterans and soliders come in all colors and don't ask to just protect one race or one group-heck they would save a criminal.

Still I will admit there are certain people I just can't bring myself to care about- and those are criminals and looters.

[SJackson]

But doesn't that prove that it wasn't an action based upon race? (Yes- wrong to turn people away if you have resources to help them) but not racist. How do you see it?

I don't know yet. If the guardsman quote is correct, and representative of the department and not a couple of jerks, yes, but we're a long way from there, and likely won't ever know.

I posted the article above as a separate thread.

Racism at work [at the Gretna, La. bridge]

[SJackson]

It is not my fault that that place has such a bad reputation and people were frightened about letting others into their neighborhoods.

Not people, law enforcement.

[SJackson]

as i said, even the mainSLIME, LEFTIST,W-hating, TV media types admitted that MANY of the people at the bridge incident were ARMED with guns, knives, clubs, etc....do you think the armed ones were interested in evacuation OR could it be that they were looking for "targets of opportunity"????

And there were also children, the infirm, and tourists, but that puts thing is a somewhat different light. So the sheriff didn't simply block passage, but left the lawful folk at the mercy of those armed with guns, knives, clubs, etc.

I understand that other police forces stand aside in these matters, the LA riots and Crown Heights come to mind, but IMO, you're not helping local law enforcement with their image.

[jude24]

It's too bad you feel the need to leave.

But don't let the ignorant bastards run you out. They're the ones who are wrong, not you. Their bigotry shouldn't make you feel unwelcome. Most of us are not bigots, and most of us would rather see them go than you.

[yellowdoghunter]

You nailed it. Its just that simple. Just like people are afraid to pick up hitch hikers or answer their door to strangers. You just can't help people anymore. They turn on you and kill you. You answered this whole thread brrilliantly.

I think that is how many feel, and if I was in their shoes I would not feel guilty for feeling that way. Once again, this whole fiasco has put a stain on America and that is what upsets me most (after the fact of the elderly and infirm being left to die). This hurricane showed so much more than just flooding and destruction......

[Willie Green]

Good grief. I thought you opused.