Eleven Months
Having spent 11 months in Louisiana as a photographer and videographer after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I have accumulated thousands of images and hours of footage that have not been seen by anyone other than myself. My friend Tony originally set up this blog for me to provide a vehicle to share some of those experiences. He recently admitted to reading "I Got Things To Say" and being amused by my musings, the joke being that I really don't have much to say at all, but requested I start showing some of what I saw during the aftermath of the storms.
I don't know if there is any interest left in this story since it has been beaten to death in the media for over a year. You know it is worn out if Spike Lee got on the documentary bandwagon and put his slanty spin on the profit train from other people's misery. I've been to video documentary festivals flooded with pieces on Katrina and New Orleans and they have consistently blamed the government, showed only the negative, provided distorted views and opinions based on something other than fact and have mostly manufactured stories to support their personal agendas and assumptions.
I have interviewed many residents that had nothing but thanks for FEMA and the many organizations that joined in the relief efforts throughout Louisiana. I have also seen these same people on the news and in various other outlets bad mouthing FEMA and George Bush claiming they got no help from them at all while they conduct the interview sitting in their FEMA trailer free of charge, eating their free meals provided by FEMA, using the electricity and water set up and paid for by FEMA, with FEMA paid security patroling outside at no cost to them, where transportation is provided to residents (free) for job training (free) or to their actual jobs (if they had one) while FEMA pays for debris clean up, demolition of unrepairable homes, medical clinics, modular classrooms and many types of temporary housing options. This is just a small sampling of services provided for the victims by countless government, private, and faith based organizations.
Of course when I say free, I mean at the expense of tax paying citizens throughout the country, sharing the burden, making this devastating experience for one region a common experience to all.
I guess it's too late to say, "Don't get me started."
I suppose the one photo that says a great deal to me personally demonstrates the pain, confusion and hopelessness of the whole situation. An innocent victim abadonned by family, not understanding or knowing what comes next, left to fend on his own without any help from the very ones responsible for his care and well being. It breaks my heart every time I look at this photo and makes me feel just as helpless.
Perhaps I do have things to say. Thanks Tony.
I don't know if there is any interest left in this story since it has been beaten to death in the media for over a year. You know it is worn out if Spike Lee got on the documentary bandwagon and put his slanty spin on the profit train from other people's misery. I've been to video documentary festivals flooded with pieces on Katrina and New Orleans and they have consistently blamed the government, showed only the negative, provided distorted views and opinions based on something other than fact and have mostly manufactured stories to support their personal agendas and assumptions.
I have interviewed many residents that had nothing but thanks for FEMA and the many organizations that joined in the relief efforts throughout Louisiana. I have also seen these same people on the news and in various other outlets bad mouthing FEMA and George Bush claiming they got no help from them at all while they conduct the interview sitting in their FEMA trailer free of charge, eating their free meals provided by FEMA, using the electricity and water set up and paid for by FEMA, with FEMA paid security patroling outside at no cost to them, where transportation is provided to residents (free) for job training (free) or to their actual jobs (if they had one) while FEMA pays for debris clean up, demolition of unrepairable homes, medical clinics, modular classrooms and many types of temporary housing options. This is just a small sampling of services provided for the victims by countless government, private, and faith based organizations.
Of course when I say free, I mean at the expense of tax paying citizens throughout the country, sharing the burden, making this devastating experience for one region a common experience to all.
I guess it's too late to say, "Don't get me started."
I suppose the one photo that says a great deal to me personally demonstrates the pain, confusion and hopelessness of the whole situation. An innocent victim abadonned by family, not understanding or knowing what comes next, left to fend on his own without any help from the very ones responsible for his care and well being. It breaks my heart every time I look at this photo and makes me feel just as helpless.
Perhaps I do have things to say. Thanks Tony.
posted by RJK at
2:51 AM
2 Comments:
You DO have things to say, and I'm listenin'.
That is a very sad picture. I don't know how you did it all those months, witnessing constant devastation on so many levels.
That poor guy in the picture. I hope he was either reunited with his family or adopted by a kind soul.
Some may criticize me, but I chose to donate my post-Katrina dollars to animal aide/rescue charities.
Thanks for posting on this topic; it was refreshing to get a first-person point of view.
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