Thursday, August 17, 2006

THE LOST SOULS AND THE SOULESS THAT REMAIN IN POWER


****[ It is now almost the One Year Anniverary of KATRINA and over the next two weeks I am going to post some Anniversay Posts regarding KATRINA, because while we have Criminals in the White House that let People Die, we need to Honor What was Lost Last August. This is Followup to the Story of Ethel Freeman- the lady that died sitting in front of the Convention Center, she died waiting for Aid, food , water, and shelter. Her son was forced by the Authorities to leave her, and it took monthes for him to find her. I originally posted this in November 16th,2005 and then again February 11,2006. This week her son filed Suits against the Federal Government. This is the Story of Ethel and her son , Junior. ]*****

V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V**V*V*V**V*V*V*V


IN HONOR OF MS. ETHEL FREEMAN WHO DIED ON SEPTEMBER 1ST DURING THE KATRINA DISASTER.
( This piece is to also honor the other Lost Souls of the Disaster that are gone, but not forgotten)

*** This Piece was originally posted on November 16th,2005. I am Reposting it since I am honoring Women this week.
and Since Brownie appreared before the Katrina Hearings, and maybe some people need to remember ALL that was lost.
And yes, this post is about the Woman who died sitting in her Wheelchair by the Convention Center and was seen by millions.

Ethel Freeman was finally laid to rest this week,Today. It is now seven weeks since Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. She was a strong woman with a frail body , she survived the Hurricane with the aid of her capable son, but she did not survive the Abandonment of the Aftermath. She was a fine woman and mother of Herbert Jr. "Junior" was known for taking beautiful care of his mother with love and attention to details. Matter of fact he had taken care of her for many years. She lost her Herbert Senior in 1976, so he has been the man of the house for many years. She was a grandmother and a great-grandmother. She had lived in New Orleans for many years, many of her neighbors knew her for 30-49 years. She was a humble quiet woman that was a part of the neighborhood in an gentle unassuming way. She worked for many years at the Tulane Medical Center, so she definently understood the importance of people recieving good medical care. In 2000 she broke her hip and within monthes her health slipped rapidly with heart problems that needed correction with a pacemaker,and also a feeding tube for her nutritional and hydration needs.

Katrina barreled into New Orleans and people battled it out at the Superdome, on roofs and in the Streets. They took care of their granbabies and their granmommies. We should hold these people with the greatest respect and admiration , and as I posted earlier in October there are STILL more than 12,000 MISSING OR DEAD ADULTS AND 2661 CHILDREN. ( please see post dated 10-10-05, and it lists PDF that is issued by the government). The Government' Silence and Lies is not honoring of these dead families.

Junior rode out the storm, the worst storm in America's History with his mother. And then the flood waters rose, and after 30 hours he and his mother were rescued by boat and taken to the streets leading to the overpass. Junior pushed her in her black wheelchair to the overpass, through streets of flood slime and garbage and rising fetid waters to the Convention Center as they had been instructed by local officials. He pushed her there consoling her and telling her that there would be medical people to help take care of her and help rescue her and take her to safety. He pushed her with care as she was 91 years old and fragile. He worried about the effects of the stress and heat on her already weakened heart. And they arrived at the Convention Center to find 1000s of people languishing in the Heat with no food and no water, and no rescue imminent. They waited together there for FOUR days. He thought that she would be rescued first and instead he was ORDERED on a bus to places unknown. There was never any medical care at the Convention Center, never any food or water, or any one offering Comfort or Answers.

And he knew that Thursday morning that she was alone and frail, and that yelling for food, or water, or medical care was fruitless, there was no one and nothing. He could hear helicopters flying over, but he knew that they were not coming for her. He carefully placed a note in her pocket with all the needed information about how to best contact him. He wrapped a plaid shaw around her shoulders with tenderness and made sure that her soft pink terry slippers were still on her feet. He knelt with her and prayed.

And that same day Kyra Phillips on CCN around noontime got in a heated argument with Mr.Browne from FEMA, you all might remember it . he refused to acknowledege that people were trapped at the Convention Center.He even said things are going "Relatively Well". He claimed he wasn't aware that 1000s were dying and starving at the Convention Center, he also said that "These people had Refused to Evacuate, they did not heed the Advance Warnings" implying they deserved their fate. He was interviewed with Ted Koppel in the same 24 hour period, and Mr.Koppel came right out and yelled ' Don't you all watch TV ??" And now we all know thanks to his own self-righteous pompous emails that he did have access to TV and was mostly worried about his grooming, and his resturante meals, and his appearence of being "hardworking". He had to make decisions about how to roll up the Norstrom sleeves to send the right Image. And the same morning the Flyover President went on morning talk shows and said speaking for his own arrogant self that NO ONE Expected the Levees to fail. And all watched the Lies continue. ( And the lies have persisted in the past two monthes with the Criminal Mr.Browne even getting paid for two extra monthes as a "consultant".) And millions of Americans emailed, made phone calls and tried to get help for the Abandoned Folks of the Katrina Hellzone.
And we yelled WHAT is Wrong with these "Leaders" ? Are they Incompetent ? Are they Ignorant? Are they Rascist ? Is this Genocide ? Is Our Country being run by the Klan?!!

Are these Men in fresh pressed shirts Souless? Clueless ? How can they be so utterly detached and heartless ?Do they have a Conscience ? Don't they have grandparents and children ? Wrapped in yet another ill conceived illusion they keep saying they are doing a Good Job, and are Hardworking....

And meanwhile sitting in her black wheelchair with her weak heart and her empty feeding tube, and with 1000's of other distressed folks, all trying as best they could to look out for each other. Ethel got weaker and weaker, but she sat as tall as she could and hoped and prayed for rescue, just like Junior had said. She wondered where that bus took him. And she got tired in the heat. And she died.

And sometime that day some well intentioned soul pushed her over by the Employees entrance and hoped and prayed that someone would come back for her. And by later that day there was another soul placed with her wrapped in a white blanket. And photographers were horrified, and furious and they took the pictures of the fragile souls by the Entrance to Hell. And Anderson Cooper even showed her on LIVE TV, and you knew he did it because he was worried that she was alone, someone's grandmother, that was loved and deserved better. There was nothing exploitive in the footage. We all felt his agony and his pain. His outright grief-stricken Horror. The Outrage Knew no Bounds.

But our agony does not compare to that which Junior would experience in Alabama worried only to see pictures of her fate across TV screens and newpapers. And then his continued angst as it took SEVEN weeks to get her body back from the Government run Morgue in St.Gabriels. And finally today Junior was able to bury his beloved mother with love and care , as he had cared for her in life. And the Reverand said "It took Courage for Herbert to do what he has done and experienced".

But I have to say that we all know that Herbert Jr. is not going to picture her cared for , and loved and well tended this loving son will be haunted forever by the image of his mama sitting in the Katrina Hellzone, sweltering and abandoned by her own government. Was she abandoned by Arrogance ? By Greed ? Was She abandoned because she was Black? Because she was Poor ? Was she abandoned because she was Elderly ? Was she abandoned because she was frail and in poor health ?

We hear so much from this so called Christian Right To Life Compassionate Conservative Regime that teaches and preaches Intelligent design , yet what we see is that it is coming down to the Survival of the Elitist, the Richest , and the Arrogant.
And Ironically Mr.Bush has placed many Lawyers in positions of Power, thinking that even if they are incompetent, that any situation can be Lawyered. Even if people have died, he has rationalized. He is Incorrect and it is about to be proven as Junior has hired some very fine lawyers to sue the FEMA and the Federal Government, because Ms.Ethel "was an Incredible Symbol of Neglect".( The Government failed Ms.Ethel and dishonored all the fine years of care that Junior provided).

Mr.Bush , I have a messege for you, when you have come home from your Imperial Road Trip you need to sit down and write Mr.Herbert Freeman Jr. an Apology. And before you ever set foot in New Orleans again to have another Dramatic Well Lit Disney Moment, maybe you should go to Miss Ethel's grave and lay some white roses to show honor and respect. And Bow your head in Shame.

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The story above was compiled from over 40 newspaper articles. I had spent weeks attempting to research the Bodies by the Convention Center as well as the 1000s still Missing, like many other concerned bloggers. Please do read the Previous article on Oct10th regarding the Missing and Dead, this issue will haunt this country for many years to come. Whole families Gone.lost and dead, More than 12,000 adults and 2661 children.

Junior was evacuated to Alabama and he also met a lovely woman named Veronica that has been his support through much of this wretched ordeal. I like to think that Ms.Ethel in way had a hand in in helping her son find Love, a caring soul in this Disaster. Junior is engaged to marry this other brave tempest tossed survivor.

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My Great Grandmother was a Strong Southern Woman from Kentucky , she was widowed young and raised two headstrong willful boys in a small apartment. Her name also was Ethel. We called her Granny Ethel. She took in knitting, sewing and taught piano to make ends meet. She taught me that there are times to play the piano, knit socks for soldiers, and take care of neighbors, and also that Elders are to be respected. She taught me how to Set-a-table, cut Fresh Mint with scissors for the SunTea, and how to put lemon and basil and cilantro in Egg Salad and sprinkle with paprika. She also taught me how to call a Bluff. She also taught me that Evil Men can be and should be openly Cursed. During Watergate Summer, as I cleaned her tiny apartment, because by then she was blind , she was listening to the News, and she said , " Have they arrested that Evil Son-of-a-Bitch yet ?" And I said No. She said in her toughest not so lady like drawl, " Well, they Better, he's getting those boys in Vietnam killed."

And I knew by that time that part of her savings had been used to send my one compassionate cousin ( with the low lottery number) to Med School in Canada. Our family had conscientious objectors and soldiers, it was an interesting tense time.

{{ And for those who have read of my Palmolive moment a few posts back for calling Tricky Dick a" Dickhead "one Thanksgiving when I was eight, she had heard about the event and the next time I went to see her she taught me how to make Angel Food Cake to compensate for the Palmolive moment.}}

My Granny Ethel tried to teach me how to knit, and how to play the piano, all without success. But she did teach me poetry. Below is her favorite.
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Another Note to Mr.Bush:
The Next time you are in New York, maybe you need to go back to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, if it is open to the Public yet. It has a poem called "The Collusus" that is honoring the Great Lady, but also is honoring the Plight of ALL Refugees. And at this point we have 1000's of Refugees that need to be remembered , sheltered, tended and loved.

"....Give me your tired,
Give me your poor,
your huddled masses,
yearning to breathe free,
the wretched refuse of your teaming shore.
Send these the Homeless, the Tempest tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door."

Emma Lazurus 1883
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34 comments:

enigma4ever said...

My apologies that I started to post this in Wed, nite but I wanted to fact check a couple of references, and make sure it was all in order- hence it did not get completed until late Friday nite. ( I will be sending a copy to the UN and also to Junior in the future)

Anonymous said...

Truly an American tragedy. In "normal" times, we'd say the storm horror was "an act of God." But God had nothing to do with the horrific aftermath these people faced as government neglect, followed by ineptitude and incompetence, brought to bear on their lives.
Now, with the news that FEMA turned down 1,500 homes that Fanny Mae had offered as 18 moth long shelters for the victims, we see that the planned "resettlement" of the poor, and mostly Black, New Orleans population is going ahead at full force.
If the Christian beliefs in God and the afterlife are proven true, the real "Act of God" that might come out of this mess would be God's wrath when the Bushies get judged!

Richard said...

Enigma,

The time and trouble you've so painstakingly undertaken to chronicle and publish this piece, is a credit to you. Oh that there were many more like you.

Perhaps there's one thing that may help us all, more easily be able to accept such heartbreaking stories, without becoming too disheartned.

I'm not a religious man [in the organised churches, sense] but I do believe in 'something'. Something 'good'. And whether that thing would be better described by dropping on of the two "o"s - I genuinely and sincerely cannot decide.

But I do believe this.

That dear old lady has gone to a better place, where she'll rest in perfect peace - for all eternity. Her pain and suffering has ended - period.

The filth responsible for this have yet to meet their own ends. If there's any justice at all, either in or beyond this world - they WILL pay an awful price. And they will spend eternity in a truly awful place; in never ending, excrutiating agony.

Organised religions or no organised, churches or no churches -- of the things I have written - I am certain.

enigma4ever said...

A warm thanks to the commenters above.....your thoughts are heard....

Today on CNN - On The Story Sandy Dornam covered the NOLA "Missing and Unrecovered Body Issue", it was welldone.
(Please support the Proper Journalistic Crew of this new show- Tom Forman( previously of Nat.Geographic, and Kelly Arena, and Ali, CNN management tried a few weeks back to take it apart and stick Torry Clark on the show- ugh)

( and yes, above blog post was also sent to a variety of people at CNN , Truthout, and MSNBC....)

No Blood for Hubris said...

Good for you. Time to get rid of them.

Stephen McArthur said...

A stunning piece, Allie. Soulless is the word that captures them best, I think. It's their soulessness that precludes them from doing the right thing. These are pseudo-Christian, small-minded frat boys who have the reins of our government and are wreaking havoc with our country. The Ethel Freemans of this world simply don't count.

Unknown said...

Enigma,

This is a well researched and thoughtful piece. Too bad our president doesn't read. However, perhaps one or two well placed faxes of this article could do a world of good - one to W, one to the Veep. One to the director of FEMA, one to the NYTimes, one to the post - oh, and one to a lawyer friend of yours (if you know any, if not to the ACLU) suggesting he/she file a class action wrongful death suit for all victims that died, not from Katrina, but from the gross negligence of the governments' response.

Blog on.

Oh, and PS. I'm linking up.

qrswave said...

Well written piece. Thanks.

This is the result of unfettered greed run amok for centuries.

Einstein was right. The most powerful WMD the world has ever known is interest.

NEWSGUY said...

We are living under a criminal terrorist administration. They create misery and death where there is none, and their incompetence and indiffernce allows misery and death to flourish where it can get started on its own.

Unknown said...

I am glad I came and read this post because I had been wondering about the lady,and who she was and her family and now I know,I love also your poetry and yor quote of the Liberty writing. Sometimes I wonder has America forgot these famous words,I guess sometimes I just take liberty to my heart,because it still moves me.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Enigma.

Just got back, (avoiding snow! Getting cautious in my old age!) and hope all is well with your computer!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Enigma for a powerful piece. We should never forget this moment when our own govt made a conscious decision to abandon their PRIME responsiblity ... which is (as Shrub likes to say in order to justify ALL his actions) "to defend and protect the American People".

In Ethel Freeman's specific case, I wonder WHO exactly ORDERED Junior to get on a bus & leave & WHY exactly ? D.K.

enigma4ever said...

Sat.nite 2-11-06
It is unclear WHO made him board the bus- I read and saw him on Interviews- it was either Black Water Boys( the KBR agency thugs with guns) or Guard...I think things were so cahotic there we will never know. I pray that he and his new wife have found some semblence and peace in their new lives together- I have lost rack of where he is. Anderson Cooper was tracking him for awhile.

On another note CNN is doing more coverage this week..of all the Lost and Loose Ends.

I also got an email 2 days ago from John Edwards , he and Elizabeth are supporting his efforts to help- so he is going to be helping Habitat with Humanity. I am encouraging people to go there on Vacations and also to give them money. ( I have given up on the Red Cross and I used to work with them).
Thanks for coming by DK.

Anonymous said...

I only brought it up cuz I sense there may some cause for legal action in naming WHO exactly ordered Junior on the bus. Not because that person is guilty of murder or anything, but because of where the blame goes when you follow the trail. It would be a stunning achievement if instead of an impeachment for all of this administration's mass crimes, that one forgotten person could force a legal case all the way up the chain of command to the guilty bastard at the top.

And that is good news about John Edwards. I just love him & his wife & all the hope they give me for this nation's future. D.K.

Anonymous said...

i can add nothing to these comments except that it is my fervent hope that the black-hearted thugs who chose to turn away from providing any real help in this disaster get their just rewards, in this life and the next...perhaps the creator of the universe will see fit to reincarnate them endlessly as the lowest, meanest, most struggle-filled form of life on the planet...and may all memory of their human existence be lost in the process...

Granny said...

I can't add anything except that I showed up and read this.

How much longer?

enigma4ever said...

google : Watergate Summer, this am : 1,650,000 hits, then tonight 1,290,000hmmm, this intrigues me....means that google now deletes hits..weird...

Unknown said...

There was so many stories about people dying...DAYS AFTER THE HURRICANE HIT...I posted a story about a woman that drowned in her own home waiting for help that never came..she kept calling her son who worked at FEMA..and he told her that they were "coming"..yeah right.

its all so pathetic..the needless deaths because of the Fed's inability to care about the folks that didn't have money or give to the RNC.

enigma4ever said...

DUSTY: I remember that story...and there were and are so many- and many that we don't know and should. Also suicide and PTSD sufferers now spread throughout the country...

CHertoff is on Hearings tomorrow- I can't wait to hear how he Spins it- that Brownie called him incompetent- which considering the sourse means absolutely nothing...but still might be one of the uglier nasty hearings- Bring it On....

Anonymous said...

Jeez, enigma, if watergate summer is getting 1.6 (or 1.3) million hits, we better start using spell-check and syntax proofreader. Is that true? Over what period of time? Suddenly, I feel so small. D.K.

enigma4ever said...

You know I don't know about hits and counters and all- I just know that I googled Watergate Summer ( because I was trying to see if I was still "objectionable" ;-)

And it comes up as number 2- and today it says :1,290,000 ( I know isn't that shocking ????) and yesterday it was actually 1,690,000- I thought the TRIMMING was interesting....

( I have no idea what it means...but I do think maybe some people are reading this- or lurking that I don't even know and that is okay with me...)

Hey DK - why don't you have a blog- you have great comments and stories?( The Rooster thing and your comments over at Dada's about my Foul Jar....you are one sharp lady...)

Doesn't matter to me - you know you are more than welcome here at the Cafe- anytime...anytime..

Unknown said...

Hey enigma,I am always "lurking"

Anonymous said...

we'll know Google has finally caved when you search for "failure" (but not in quotes) and first result is NOT George W. Bush. D.K.

Mother Sharon Damnable said...

I have tears streaming down my face.

I am so ashamed that good people could be so treated.

I agree we should all curse the vile people that allow such degradation.

enigma4ever said...

Mother Damnable- I too am so sorry that people were treated in such a way...our people, our very own....

Mother Sharon Damnable said...

There were about 40 British children in the sports center, they all stuck together but they were very, very frightened.

It seems amazing that the consequences of such a disaster could be so unprepared for in the US, almost as if there has been a decision that people would be on their own.

Thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind words.

Very best wishes :>)

Durward Discussion said...

This is an important topic and it says a great deal for you that you are keeping it alive.

On the Google search business. You are the first nine listings as a search that "Watergate Summer" as two words next to each other with no intervening words. After that come the listings of Watergate Summer with other words in between such as: Watergate hearings are expected to begin next summer.

As you go through the listings, this will degenerate to the point where it is listing only the word "Summer" or the word "Watergate". This is the reason you are seeing millions of hits on the term.

enigma4ever said...

AUGUST 2006
JAMIE: thanks for reading this...and commenting- and it is still an important issue- esp with the Flyover King still in power....About Watergate- I am just amused that Watergate is a hotter topic than it was a year ago- and that more and more people compare Bush to Nixon...( and to be honest- bite my tongue for saying this....I do think Bush is Considerably worse than Nixon ever was...ever...)

Of note the Govt does have a division over in Commerce Deparment- and all they do is monitor blogs and internet activity that is well, worth monitoring...
out govt...and well a thing called Free Speech...hmmm

Well maybe the 43 Page Ruling yesterday about the Warrantless Wiretapping ( and remember not just emails and phone calls are INTERCEPTED and monitored ) will have an effect on the "non- heritary King" . Time will tell...Impeach and Imprison....

The Crime here is just one more on the List....

enigma4ever said...

AUGUST 2006
JAMIE: thanks for reading this...and commenting- and it is still an important issue- esp with the Flyover King still in power....About Watergate- I am just amused that Watergate is a hotter topic than it was a year ago- and that more and more people compare Bush to Nixon...( and to be honest- bite my tongue for saying this....I do think Bush is Considerably worse than Nixon ever was...ever...)

Of note the Govt does have a division over in Commerce Deparment- and all they do is monitor blogs and internet activity that is well, worth monitoring...
out govt...and well a thing called Free Speech...hmmm

Well maybe the 43 Page Ruling yesterday about the Warrantless Wiretapping ( and remember not just emails and phone calls are INTERCEPTED and monitored ) will have an effect on the "non- heritary King" . Time will tell...Impeach and Imprison....

The Crime here is just one more on the List....

PTCruiser said...

That's a beautiful tribute, Enigma.

azgoddess said...

thanks so much for sharing this...with the rain still falling in new orleans...i am concerned for people again...

enigma4ever said...

PT and AZ thanks for stopping by and reading about Ethel Freeman....and yes, this is a Tribute to a awful situation...

Peacechick Mary said...

I am stunned. I just don't have the words to speak my level of sadness coated with continued rage at the way good people, pleople who are SOMEBODY, not just a number - were treated by our criminal government.

gugon said...

Heartbreaking, shocking, amazing post. These stories bring home the reality of what happened down there. Thank you for compiling and posting this.