Posted on 07/20/2007 1:30:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It's been two years since Hurricane Katrina and Rita ripped through the belly of the South, and survivors, along with various scholars and activists, are seeking to hold the US government responsible in a tribunal court hearing scheduled for this August.
On Tuesday (July 17), New York City Councilman Charles Barron and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney met at Manhattan's Center for Constitutional Rights for a press conference to discuss the upcoming trial. The tribunal will target President Bush, the US government, State of Louisiana, State of Mississippi, and various other agencies who were involved in the Katrina and Rita relief efforts.
The Tribunal will include a team of human and civil rights prosecutors, including Joan Gibbs from the Center of Law & Social Justice and Kali Akuno, from the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund.
Overall, the Tribunal's main goal is holding the US government accountable for their reaction to the 2005 storms.
"Some people are being held accountable," said Former Congresswoman McKinney. "But what about [US Secretary of Homeland Security] Michael Chertoff? I'm wondering why he still has a job!"
Councilman Barron believes potential Democratic leaders have not raised the issue enough. "We can't let Barack Obama and Hillary, and all these so-called Democrats, whisper about what happened with Katrina," he said. "America needs a revolution."
"I'm a survivor," said Viola Washington, in a thick New Orleans drawl. "I was there. We had racism, and a whole lot of -isms before the storm, but it don't excuse what happened during the storm. We had helicopters flying over the city and nobody came to help us. We were begging for help."
Like Washington, other survivors will give their testimonies during the hearing, detailing abusive and humiliating treatment during delayed relief efforts.
"They put me in a wilderness, in a place I never heard of in my life," another, graying survivor added.
When Katrina hit, that woman was raising her three grandchildren, after her daughter was murdered. "They [National Guard] were putting guns on you just to ask a question. This is America! It took us from Tuesday to Friday to get out of there," she said.
At the time, the woman owned her home. Her biggest concerned after the storm was returning to it. "But FEMA told me I was supposed to get back to my home or I'll lose my assistance," she said. "What am I supposed to do with three children?"
In addition to survivor testimonies, foreign nations have lent their support to the International Tribunal effort, including Cuba, Mexico, France, and Brazil.
The Mexican government released the following statement: "The Katrina disaster was a disaster organized by a political and economic system rooted in racism, exploitation and oppression. The massive deaths and human suffering could have been avoided were it not for the racism of the U.S. government at all levels."
The hearing will be held August 29 in New Orleans, marking the two-year anniversary of the hurricane tragedy.
And see post #17. Thoughts?
Thanks for the ping, tt.
“I’m glad you know so much more about a situation that I lived through than I do. Are you a god, or do you just play one on TV?”
I’m just having a hard time imagining why FEMA would single you out and tell you you can’t get assistance SOLELY because you’re white, and yet they assisted thousands — maybe tens of thousands — of other white people.
I didn’t live through it, but I have dozens of relatives in the NOLA and Baton Rouge areas. My parents live in Thibodaux, although they suffered only very minor damage. My VERY white aunt in Covington, La., whose house was split in half by a pine tree, was living in a FEMA trailer and got other assistance. Another aunt in Metarie got some small assistance.
I even have a cousin in Biloxi who lost the whole first floor of his house and most of his belongings. He didn’t seek assistance because he’s a multi-millionaire. But he vows never to live on the coast again. I saw Biloxi shortly after Camille and that was enough to convince me the coast is a bad place to live.
I’ll never forget when Annan had his private meeting with the US Supreme Court. 1st time ever that a UN rep had been granted that honor. Shortly thereafter O’Conner started talking about “international laws” and our need to succumb to them.
What could Annan have possibly said to have convinced the US Supreme Court to go along with anything that corrupt man could possibly say?
“Tribunal Court”?
In other words, this is a sham and a show trial which some activists put together. Akin to the multiple “Trial of GWBush” which happen with the hippie drug crowd.
if something bad ever happens in my neighborhood
I know who would need help
I don’t expect george bush would
and I dont believe it is the goverments job to know
I guess that is why I am not a democrat
just another attempt by the left to create more victims for big government to take care of
NAFTA and AGENDA 21
But why would SCOTUS be aligning itself with something completely extra-Constitutional and non-Constitutional, when their very existence is to only LOOK TO the Constitution when rendering opinions.
Because they can see over the horizen and know that the Constitution is headed for the round file.
So, when are they going to let the rest of us in on this? If it's such a great idea that SCOTUS is going along for the ride, why don't they just come out and say so??? /s
Someone please tell me that this is satire.
I went to Vibe's contact page and sent them an e-mail. I'll let you know if I hear back from them.
I am interested in finding out the source for the following quote found in the article "Katrina Survivors Take Government to Court" by Linda Hobbs posted at 10:13 EST, on July 18, 2007.The Mexican government released the following statement: "The Katrina disaster was a disaster organized by a political and economic system rooted in racism, exploitation and oppression. The massive deaths and human suffering could have been avoided were it not for the racism of the U.S. government at all levels."
I'd like to know the name of the person issuing that statement or the name of the Mexican agency involved.
Thank you.
Mississippi and Alabama were practically forgotten in Katrina and they were the states that actually suffered a direct hit!
It is true, people from those states didn’t get NEARLY the attention, or assistance of the idiots in New Orleans that chose not to evacuate even though Katrina was forecast to hit them directly five days out as a Cat 4-5 and their town is under sea level!
Here in Florida, where we know a thing or two about hurricanes, emergency management officials tell us DO NOT EXPECT ANY HELP FOR AT LEAST 72 HOURS! AND IF YOU REFUSE TO EVACUATE, ALL BETS ARE OFF!!!!
Who bungled this? The state of Lousiana and the City of New Orleans, no more no less. Quit blaming the Feds and grow up!!
“Who bungled this? The state of Lousiana and the City of New Orleans, no more no less. Quit blaming the Feds and grow up!!”
So it’s the fault of Louisiana or NOLA that a pine tree fell on my aunt’s house (she did evacuate, so she wasn’t hurt)?
It’s the fault of La. and NOLA that the canal levees broke and destroyed tens of thousands of houses?
If you’d read more carefully, you’d see that this thread isn’t about the evacuation or non-evacuation of New Orleans. I’m not blaming the feds or anybody else for the people trapped in NOLA right after Katrina. This thread has nothing at all to do with that. We’re talking about aid long after the hurricane. Help rebuilding homes, businesses etc.
In 1994 a major flood hit the Koyukuk River in Alaska. It wiped out three villages, and damaged seceral others. The villages of Alakaket, Alatna and Hughes were the hardest hit.
While the various govt agencies were deciding who would be responsible for the recovery effort, the people of Hughes got tired of waiting and chartered a plane home.(They are at least 100 miles off the road system).They rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
They reaslised that a disaster of this magnitude was beyond their ability to handle, and asked for help.
By the time I arerived to run the housing effort, they had the worst of the rubble removed, not to the street, but to the dump.(There was only one running vehicle in the village, a well worn 1984 Ford pick-up.)
This village gets virtually all it's supplies by air freight, at a cost of $1.00 per pound. Yet, they were dogged in their determination to get the village livable before winter, less than six weeks away.
I worked alongside some of the best people in the world on this project. Their ability to cope, to make do, was and continues to be an inspiration to me. I worked there five months and was sorry to see the project end, but it was satisfying to see the village back up and running. THEY DID MOST OF IT THEMSELVES. I hope I was able to leave Hughes a little better than I found it. I know I am better for having been there.
You won’t hear back from these people. If you do, I wouldn’t place any credence in what they say. Hopefully the Washington Times or a credible blogger will pick the story up.
I guess she was a clock that’s not working when she made the remark about Chertoff.
Thank you.
I’m not surprised!
A tribunal in this context is communist theater. If we could get them to sing the charges and testimony we could call it a "red daiper dope opera." It has no legal or moral standing.
I don't know. Maybe he offered to share some Iraqi oil vouchers.
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