Katrina refugees returning to New Orleans

Killeen Daily Herald ^ | Saturday, July 28, 2007 | Desiree Johnson

[Cailleach]

Two years after Hurricane Katrina blew through Louisiana, demolishing homes and displacing families, people are finally starting to make their way back home.

When the Guidry family first arrived in Killeen, they came with literally nothing.

"When you have no support, a situation can seem worse than it actually is," said Karen Guidry. "We were travelling from Louisiana with literally nothing, but when we hit the Texas border, there were people at a rest stop with sandwiches, toiletries, everything you could think of. Everywhere we went there were people helping, and it was truly amazing to have someone open up their heart to you."

[LibLieSlayer]

As a Katrina survivor that refused Federal assistance, I will say thank you on behalf of all Mississippians that needed and received assistance from anyone.

LLS

[Old Professer]

Two things must have happened, the projects were rebuilt and a sizable number of statutes of limitation have expired.

[Ditter]

If you will go back and read my post #16 I think you will see that I said the same thing.

[ClaireSolt]

You are very welcome. Glad to help.

[SeafoodGumbo]

guess they heard there is more free money back home!!!!

You've fallen for some of the media's lies. Of course, the idea that the poor of New Orleans who didn't leave in the face of a hurricane, caused anarchy post-storm in N.O., and shot up other cities, notably Houston, aren't the victims the media would like us to think they are. But you are falling for another of the media's myths -- that only poor black people were affected by the storm.

If you were to come to the city and drive through Lakeview/Lakeshore, you'd go through miles of white middle-class neighborhoods that are still beat the hell up. Many have moved on for various reasons (insurance screwing them, like where they moved better, waiting on insurance money, job in N.O. doesn't exist anymore and found one elsewhere).

St. Bernard Parish, which was demolished was working class and middle-class whites mostly. It wasn't only ghetto thugs who were affected by the storm.

I was one of those who fled the storm and had to spend time in Texas for a few months.

[SeafoodGumbo]

A huge thank you to everyone in the rest of the country, especially Texas, for helping after the storm. It was the largest outpouring of generosity that I've ever seen in my life, and was profoundly humbling.

It is an unbelievable shame that New Orleans has so many scumbag ghetto folk who were contemptuous of those helping. Please remember all the normal, good folks who were helped.

And, Texas, you really do have the BIGGEST HEART IN THE WORLD! The state of Louisiana will never forget the incredible outpouring of love from your state. The people of Texas are the best on the planet, bar none!

[Ditter]

You are very welcome and Texas will do it again, I am sure, if the need arises. I didn’t do very much physically to help the residents of NO but I donated quite a bit of money and I was happy to do it. I also cried a lot of tears and send a lot of prayers over the destruction of a city that I have always loved.

We have a very liberal relative in San Francisco who has never had a very kind of view of Texans, we are rich with oil money drive big cars and don’t care about the environment, that sort of hatred of us. But even he had some unexpected kind words about our state after seeing how we welcomed the folks from NO. He has probably gone back to his original attitude by now. LOL!

[Bogtrotter52]

“The people who made our crime rate rise are killing each other off, slowly...”

Not nearly as fast as they are breeding.

[SeafoodGumbo]

Many, many thanks to you, Diter!

It truly is the great unwritten story of our time -- an outpouring of generosity and philanthropy on a scale never seen before. People donated time, money, second-hand items, spare rooms, guest houses, etc. It was (and still is) absolutely incredible to behold and shows the good, generous heart of your average American. That's why the media has mostly ignored the story.

Even today, there are vans of church groups coming from all over the country to help gut or fix up houses for those in need. (Sadly, some people who do have the means are having the groups do their work.) That's part of why the story has been largely ignored -- it's churches and church groups that have done a large part of the help.

There have been thousands of people who have come to the city or to Mississippi on their vacation to help. Thousands of college students have spent their Spring Breaks fixing up an oldster's house instead of going to the beach.

How many millions doanted money to the Red Cross, gave blood, or performed the MILLIONS of acts of kindness after the storm. How many millions of people bought a beer for someone from Houma, donated good luggage to someone from Biloxi, or let a family from Chalmette use their vacation home for free for four months?

How many millions of people around the country expressed their sorrow at our bad luck, wished us the best, and said a prayer for us?

This country has a lot to be proud of for the way ordinary people treated those in need after the storm. When your time for help comes, I'll be there for you.

[SeafoodGumbo]

Sorry. I misspelled your name, Ditter.

[stevie_d_64]

Like Xena said...Not really...

Because even though I do understand that not all the folks displaced by that “natural” disaster were not money grubbing, welfare sucking, criminal type coming to roost for a while...

These are the folks who were patient, got their house in order and are moving back home...I wish them well...

But we are still going to be left with the dregs...that I am confident of...

Thats why I was ribbing you a while back to see if you can snag one of those nifty up armored Hummvees when you come home...hehehe

You might need it...

[Ditter]

That’s OK. I’ll bet you make a mean pot of seafood gumbo.. My husband is in Louisiana right now and he said he had the worst bowl of shrimp gumbo he has ever tried to choke down. He described it as celery soup with a few tiny canned shrimp. Ugh! Mr Ditter is a fine Cajun cook himself and he knows gumbo!

[bannie]

Right.

The cow birds won’t go back unless someone else has already built a nice nest there.

[pax_et_bonum]

No.

[COBOL2Java]

How about looter guy? Is he coming back or is he still working on 'Abbey Road'?

[Disgusted in Texas]

No ,I seriously doubt that the crime rate will drop. Because by now ,several hundred more Mexicans ,make that “thousands” have come to Houston,the “Sanctuary City”.I’ve read crimes that are done by Mexicans ,that make your hair stand on end.And by the way ,not all of the Katrina evacuees are terrible people.Just the criminals that made their way here after the storm.