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Sunday, September 04, 2005

Why Didn't the Bus Drivers Say?

I am not a conspiracy theorist. I think that the human race is often too ready to look for exciting, interesting reasons for things that happen when reality is just too mundane.

However, CNN just reported that the city of New Orleans is now virtually a ghost town, due to the mass of evacuations that occurred yesterday. Many of the evacuees went by bus. But when they, or the CNN reporter, asked where they were going, the bus drivers wouldn't say. That's right, wouldn't - not couldn't.

Not much was made of that by CNN. But, it is creepy.

It is reminiscent of the Nazi evacuations of the Jewish people during WWII. Normally, in America, there is always accountability due to the press, if nothing else. But who was following those buses? They admitted that there were no logs of the people leaving, so we also have no record of who was in those buses. If one of those buses 'disappeared', would we know of it?

I'm pretty sure that everything was above board. I mean, why would the government want to dispose of a busful of people anyway? But, if nothing else, a little courtesy would have been welcome by these survivors. They, at least, deserved to know where they were going.

P.S. Please read Michelle's story at the end of my 'Devastation' blog. It's a positive story that gives me hope.

12 comments:

michelle said...

I know it sounds scary, but I really believe it is about either safety, or they just don't know which direction they are going.

Please look on your original "Devistaion" blog, I posted a wonderful story.

Fred said...

That is quite odd. I wonder where they were going?

BarbaraFromCalifornia said...

Let us hope everyone was driven to safety.

In the case of the Holocaust, those who were taken away, were put to death.

But I know what you mean, Saur.

A surreal state the world is in today.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Excellent thought, Barbara. It IS surreal. My Other Half pointed out that the government is stretched beyond capacity now, and probably felt it was much safer to not tell anyone where they were ending up initially. But I'm not sure just HOW it would make it safer to not tell anyone in advance. It's not like people are going to be lying in wait for them!

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

ALERT! The US has accepted EU help!

And in belated recognition of the depth of the crisis, Washington swallowed its pride and asked for blankets, food and water trucks from the EU and Nato, and beds and medical supplies from Canada.

Laugh or cry?

Saur♥Kraut said...

Daniel, Both? Poignant, isn't it... Don't get me wrong; I've learned something from all this, too. I've despised NATO all this time (and still do for the most part) but at least they've come through for us for once instead of simply taking from us and complaining about as while they do it.

The Lazy Iguana said...

I have a theory. They did not want the people in the busses to know that they are NOT all going to Huston. I said this before, I will say it again.

The people will be scattered over several states. One bus will end up in North Dakota, another in Idaho, and so on.

I have my doubts that all the flooded areas will be pumped out. By now the land is mud. And it will sink lower and lower as the years go by. Where do you draw the line? At 50 feet below sea level? 100 feet? How high can you build a seawall?

Seems to me this is a good time to draw the line. The floods have done their worst. The dry areas will come back. The areas with only a little standing water will get pumped out. But not the areas under 20 feet of water.

Honestly, I think it is wrong to rebuild most of the city. Who will live on land that known to be 20 or more feet below sea level? Who will live in buildings that can not get insurance of any kind? The poor. That is who. Putting them back just to die later is wrong.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

ALERT! Australia has had supplies waiting in Sydney for 1 week to be flown over. US still not accepting the help from the Aussies.

*roll eyes*

michelle said...

http://www.sptimes.com/
2005/09/05/Southpinellas/
Special_delivery_from.shtml

Here is a story about a baby born in N.O. after Katrina hit. Family is at All Children's.

Anonymous said...

I wish Daniel would stage direct himself out of here. As and American who is trying to cope with the horror of the hurricane, I don't appreciate his feeble attempts at political satire.*exit stage left*

Anonymous said...

Thank you Michelle for posting the positive stories. In the midst of all the horrible stories and finger pointing, it's nice to see/read/hear the good things.

Anonymous said...

always questioning & Michelle:

I agree. Michelle it is good to hear the stories about the good things. God knows, we are being exposed to very little of that in the media. Thank you.