100,000 Dead??

[Hotflats]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

If they can get 500 buses now to evacuate the superdome, they could have requisitioned every city bus and every school bus to help evacuate last Saturday.

DING DING DING...I have said those EXACT same words 100 time this week!
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES!

They knew what was about to happen....if it's a manditory evacuation...why can't they mean it and DRAG everyone who refuses to leave out!?

I know that is an unrealistic thought because there are THOUSANDS of people who didn't evacuate...but why oh why didn't people think about saving themselves before, instead of what it has come to?

And WHY are they sitting there! Why don't they get up and walk out of there? I want to SCREAM at them...get out...get out of there PLEASE! Pleople are losing their minds there....women are being raped....

All the death......I can't stomach this!

Please every know that I am not yelling at any of you! This is just my angry venting...call it a grieving process I guess! But thanks for being here for it!!!!!

[Origam]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

You guys badmouthing the Red Cross should be ashamed of yourselves.

I can't think of any organization that's done so much good in this country and around the world.

This thread is about the saddest thing I've read all day.

I am not ashamed. Like I said in my post they do some good. I just refuse to donate to them because of the crap they pulled when families in San Diego were in dire need of help. People donated a lot of money to the Redcross thinking it would go to those specific causes.. only to find out afterwards that only a portion of it went to those causes because you have to earmark it for the specific cause! I spoke the truth when I said make sure you specify where you want your donations to go... otherwise it'll end up in the general fund and only a portion of it will go to the victims you intend it to go to.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

More than 20 countries, from allies Germany and Japan to prickly Venezuela and poor Honduras, offer to help the United States cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

http://today.reuters.com/News/Crises...ryId=N01231065

[Miss Phode]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

OMG, I don't know if you know it but I have worked for an volunteered for the Red Cross since 1970s and I hate to see so much bad publicity about the Red Cross. If someone told you that the Red Cross changed for any disaster service its a lie, I have worked on Hurricane George, Hurricane Hugo, Earthquakes, floods and down to little house fires and never in all those years as anyone asked for a penny from the victims. I know what happened in San Diego and that was wrong and sad, but the whole organization should not be blamed for the actions of one stupid person. Do we always do things right, no, 98 % of us are VOLUNTEERS who get no money work long hours and train on our own time. Does our money come from the government, absolutely not, it is all donated dollars from folks like you.
Don't badmouth and organization because someone said something that you cannot verify, expecially hurting a lot of great volunteers who are just trying to help their fellow man out. I am proud to say I donated a big chuck to the Red Cross yesterday and I also donated a chunk to the Salvation Army cause they both are great worthy organizations and need my support. This is not the time to bad mouth anyone, this is a time to help our neighbors.

Desert, (and everyone else)

I SINCERELY apologize. I was out of line. I shouldn't have posted what I did about the Red Cross. You are correct, I cannot verify the information. I was ASSuming my co-worker was being honest. People take advantage of devestating situations. Perhaps the "Red Cross" people she spoke of were criminals that were taking advantage of people in a desperate situation. There are numerous possibilities. I should have never assumed that the organization was involved in some sort of misconduct. My comments were cruel and ungrateful. I don't have an excuse for what I said. I should have kept it to myself. I did not intend to hurt, upset, or anger anyone. I spoke (typed) before I thought about what I was saying. I applaud any and all of the volunteers who are working to help these victims.

[Iapetus999]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

I am not ashamed. Like I said in my post they do some good. I just refuse to donate to them because of the crap they pulled when families in San Diego were in dire need of help. People donated a lot of money to the Redcross thinking it would go to those specific causes.. only to find out afterwards that only a portion of it went to those causes because you have to earmark it for the specific cause! I spoke the truth when I said make sure you specify where you want your donations to go... otherwise it'll end up in the general fund and only a portion of it will go to the victims you intend it to go to.

Gd forbid you should ever need their help...

[Finelly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Well, people have various reasons for not supporting the Red Cross. Mine is that the International Red Cross recognizes and includes the Red Crescent, the Muslim version, but refuses to accept the Magen David Adom, the Israeli version.

The thing in San Diego was awful. I live here and people drove down to the Stadium and other places to donate thousands and thousands in cash. Only a small portion went to the victims of the fire. Money donated to other organizations got to the victims faster and more equitably.

People who are a little cynical about the bureaucracy of the Red Cross may use it if we need it.......but we shouldn't feel badly about our refusal to donate, given the organization's history and the fact that it appears to have done very little for people in Mississippi and New Orleans this past week.

[Origam]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Gd forbid you should ever need their help...

God forbid anyone should ever need their help. I never said they didn't do any good and that they were a horrible organization, I simply stated that <<I>> would never donate to them, gave my reason, and let people know to earmark their donations for the specific cause or their money would go in the general fund and most of it wouldn't be used for that specific cause. You want to show me where I told anyone "Don't donate to the Redcross.. they suck and are horrible and don't help anyone when they need it"?

Personally, I donate to the Salvation Army and a few other organizations that help people when they are in need. I also make it a point to donate to places that help animals during times of disaster. Just because I choose not to donate to the Redcross doesn't make me a bad person.. and if you think so, then that's your loss.

[Iapetus999]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

If you refuse to contribute but would gladly use their services in an emergency then you are completely hypocritical. It's up to you to decide if that makes you a "bad person." Your cynism is unbounded.

Here's what they've done so far:
Fast Facts
(As of 11:00 a.m., Sept 2)

• Red Cross Mass Care:
  
  • Shelters – 284 American Red Cross shelters are open in 9 states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri and Georgia, with many more on standby.
    
  • Evacuees – More than 94,300 evacuees are being sheltered.
    
  • Emergency Vehicles – Nearly 240 Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) are now in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, with additional ERVs en route to the affected area. The Red Cross is working to engage additional vehicles for food distribution to survivors.
    
  • Relief Workers – Thousands of Red Cross staff and volunteers across the country and from every part of the organization are working around the clock to serve the public need. More than 3,300 Red Crossers have left their families to serve in affected areas already, and the Red Cross is moving more than 600 additional workers into affected areas every day.
    
  • Feeding – The Red Cross is working closely with several partners, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Adventists and Second Harvest to provide emergency food to survivors and responders. In coordination with the Southern Baptists, preparations are underway to serve nearly 500,000 hot meals each day.
    
    More than 309,000 meals have been served in the last 24 hours.
    
  • Houston Astrodome Shelter – The Red Cross is supporting government officials in the relocation and sheltering of more than 23,000 hurricane survivors traveling over 300 miles from New Orleans to Houston.
    
    In Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Antonio, the Red Cross and local partners are working to find dozens of facilities in which thousands of evacuees will find a safe, clean and comfortable environment.
    
  • Health & Preventative Care – The Red Cross is working with government and health services partners to develop health strategies and preventative measures to help the public and relief workers cope with the serious public health emergency. Note: Media is encouraged to contact their local Red Cross chapter to learn how it is responding to the disaster.
    
    
    
• Reuniting Families: The Red Cross, with support of the worldwide Red Cross Movement, has launched a Web site and hotline to help reunite loved ones.
  
  
  
  • Online – Persons looking for loved ones can go to www.redcross.org and click on “Family Links Registry” to register yourself, a missing relative or view the existing list of registrants.
    
  • Hotline – Those who do not have Internet access should call toll-free 1-877-LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317).

Now show me a list of what our Government has done. Remember your contributions are tax-deductable so which organization would you rather support? Red-Cross first-responders or the govt 5-day later responders?

I'm glad you're contibuting something to someone. I just want it to be known that people should feel good that their contributions to the Red Cross are being used wisely.

[Finelly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

If you refuse to contribute but would gladly use their services in an emergency then you are completely hypocritical. It's up to you to decide if that makes you a "bad person." Your cynism is unbounded.
Thank you for sharing. Your general rudeness on this board is NOT contageous and I refuse to adopt it.

[Iapetus999]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

If you refuse to contribute but would gladly use their services in an emergency then you are completely hypocritical. It's up to you to decide if that makes you a "bad person." Your cynism is unbounded.
Thank you for sharing. Your general rudeness on this board is NOT contageous and I refuse to adopt it.

Neener Neener to you too!

[Origam]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Iap, will you please show me where I said that the Red Cross doesn't do any good? You want to show me where I told people NOT to donate to the Red Cross? Once again, since you seem to be reading impaired.. I stated I wouldn't donate to them, gave my reason and warned people when they donated to the Red Cross to make sure they ear marked their donation for a specific cause so all the money would go to that cause.

[sadie147]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

K...maybe this will p' you all off..but i really wanna know. what is FEMA's part in this and the federal gov't? i dont' live in america, but as an ousider looking in why is everyone bashing a non-profit agency? maybe you should be directing your anger elsewhere...

[Finelly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Well, it seems that FEMA is run by an incompetant boob and he may be fired soon.

The federal govt actually is only brought in to this by invitation from the states.

I am not a huge Bush fan, but it appears that he, not the governor of the State of Louisiana or the Mayor of New Orleans, was the one urging that the evacuations be made mandatory before the storm. And Bush authorized federal money for disaster relief and declared Louisiana a disaster area BEFORE the storm hit.......

Having said that, there are plenty of federal officials in the Army Corps Engineers and FEMA who totally dropped the ball, so while the head of the Federal Govt may have been smarter than the average bear, his underlings do not appear to have been the same. Condi Rice was in NYC buying $3,000 shoes the other day and shooed away people who were asking her how she could do that given the disaster.........

[sadie147]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Well, it seems that FEMA is run by an incompetant boob and he may be fired soon.

The federal govt actually is only brought in to this by invitation from the states.

I am not a huge Bush fan, but it appears that he, not the governor of the State of Louisiana or the Mayor of New Orleans, was the one urging that the evacuations be made mandatory before the storm. And Bush authorized federal money for disaster relief and declared Louisiana a disaster area BEFORE the storm hit.......

Having said that, there are plenty of federal officials in the Army Corps Engineers and FEMA who totally dropped the ball, so while the head of the Federal Govt may have been smarter than the average bear, his underlings do not appear to have been the same. Condi Rice was in NYC buying $3,000 shoes the other day and shooed away people who were asking her how she could do that given the disaster.........

ok that's what i thought..but not being an american, and not havin a first hand account, i thought maybe there was something i was missing..but apparently not (and that's what i figured)

i'm so appalled by what i'm witnessing i can't even watch tv anymore. what has the US come to? The richest, most powerful nation in the world...someone expain this to me?

it devastating..abosoutely devastating...

editing to add: where was/is FEMA..not an american but i was under the impression that this federal agency was trained/paid to look after situations such as this.

i dont' understand how america is not livid for tha lack of response? i am ...and i'm not american.

[sarafina]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

I live in the Houston area and not only is the Astrodome housing refugees, but the Arena next door, the GR Brown Convention Center downtown, 2 large shelters in Texas City and numerous church shelters around town. I am not going to get into what the Red Cross is doing or not doing, but it is the other private organizations who are stepping up to the plate here in Houston to take care of our neighbors. The Salvation Army is providing clothes and the Interfaith Ministries (a collection of churches) is providing the food at the Astrodome. The mayor here just authorized 10 million from the city budget to defray some of the costs. Whether any of the aforementioned will be reimbursed from the donations pouring in is anybody’s guess.

I will say that this town has turned out for our Louisiana friends and it makes me proud. The local news stations are telling people that they are turning away people and medical personnel showing up to help – they have enough help. I guess since we also live on the coast, we understand their plight and know it could have been us and not them.