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Trapped in an Arena of Suffering
LA Times ^ | 9/1/05 | Scott Gold

Posted on 09/01/2005 6:56:22 AM PDT by Brian Mosely

NEW ORLEANS — A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers.

The Louisiana Superdome, once a mighty testament to architecture and ingenuity, became the biggest storm shelter in New Orleans the day before Katrina's arrival Monday. About 16,000 people eventually settled in.

By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. A few hundred people were evacuated from the arena Wednesday, and buses will take away the vast majority of refugees today.

"We pee on the floor. We are like animals," said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. In her right hand she carried a half-full bottle of formula provided by rescuers. Baby supplies are running low; one mother said she was given two diapers and told to scrape them off when they got dirty and use them again.

At least two people, including a child, have been raped. At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: katrina; superdome
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To: Brian Mosely

This is the most horrific story I've read so far.


241 posted on 09/01/2005 11:51:19 AM PDT by beeler ("When you’re running down my country, Hoss you’re walking on the fighting side of me.")
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To: carton253

It was a "last resort" shelter. Only for those who couldn't get anywhere else and/or had second thoughts about staying after it was too late to get out. It was not a "full service" shelter, and was expected only to be used for a few days. People were warned to bring food & water for 3 days.

Kind of hard if you were plucked off your roof or evacuated from some other shelter.


242 posted on 09/01/2005 12:01:48 PM PDT by YankeeGirl (Certa bonum certamen)
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To: woofie

First of all, your post didn't mention anything about "feces on the wall". Secondly, yes it's disgusting, but that doesn't mean ALL of the refugees are responsible. Once, I went into a store a saw crap on the floor...that doesn't mean everyone at the store did that.


243 posted on 09/01/2005 12:05:07 PM PDT by Born in a Rage
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To: Brian Mosely

Just wondering. If 2 rapes did occur how the hell could so many people have not noticed? You'd think with that many crowded in SOMEONE would have seen/heard something going on.


244 posted on 09/01/2005 1:21:06 PM PDT by Chi-Town Lady
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To: rave123

Of course not. No rational person would have wanted that. I meant a poll Jim Robinson can put up here on FR. It is someone's contention here that the majority of people on FreeRepublic think that the looters should have been shot yesterday. I don't agree.


245 posted on 09/01/2005 1:25:41 PM PDT by Hildy (a fact to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.)
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To: Dawgreg

Uhmmm.. No. I think I"ll stick around and show you for who you are.


246 posted on 09/01/2005 1:27:17 PM PDT by Hildy (a fact to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.)
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To: SoothingDave; flashbunny

Sounds reasonable and eloquently said as well. Take note, Flashbunny.


247 posted on 09/01/2005 1:32:20 PM PDT by Hildy (a fact to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.)
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To: finnman69

These people remind me of little kids that need to be lead by the hand from dawn till dusk!


248 posted on 09/01/2005 1:38:09 PM PDT by Die_Hard Conservative Lady (Close the borders.....)
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To: HamiltonJay

No offense taken. : )


249 posted on 09/01/2005 2:05:26 PM PDT by Die_Hard Conservative Lady (Close the borders.....)
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To: YankeeGirl

Thanks... I understand that... the purpose of my post was to say that those people were told to go to the Superdome for shelter... they just didnt' wander there after the hurricane hit. No one expected the levees to break. No one expected NO to be ravaged this way. It is not the fault of the people in the Superdome that they are in these dire straits... and it seems to me that some on this thread are blaming them...


250 posted on 09/01/2005 6:53:24 PM PDT by carton253 (It's better to have a gun and not need it than not have a gun and need it.)
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To: Hildy

Take note of what?

That you wanting to sing kumbaya with roving gangs of looters doesn't work?

Sheesh.


251 posted on 09/01/2005 7:14:47 PM PDT by flashbunny (Defending the free market on free republic is like having to defend the flag at a VFW convention.)
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To: Buffalo Bob

Superdome today...Astrodome tomorrow.

A bunch of sad sacks!


252 posted on 09/01/2005 7:23:52 PM PDT by maineman
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To: Hildy

Bring it on


253 posted on 09/01/2005 7:30:26 PM PDT by Dawgreg (Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.)
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Lets think here. We are poor but we have crack cocaine. We are adults but we smear feces on the wall. We dont have $ or the will to leave New Orleans anyway we can but we have guns and we rape. We can pee somewhere else but lets do it where people are sleeping. Yeah its Bush's fault they say huh? God help this society.


254 posted on 09/02/2005 12:52:54 AM PDT by Cougar66 (The only liberal movement is what's in their diapers. .)
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To: carton253

but they remembered to take their crack vials? I am not buying it. The poor kids are the ones who need support and sympathy.


255 posted on 09/02/2005 12:55:16 AM PDT by Cougar66 (The only liberal movement is what's in their diapers. .)
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To: Cougar66

That has nothing to do with it. People were told to come to the Superdome to ride out the hurricane.


256 posted on 09/02/2005 6:40:56 AM PDT by carton253 (It's better to have a gun and not need it than not have a gun and need it.)
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To: Cougar66

This is not everyones story. And no, it is not Bush's fault.


257 posted on 09/02/2005 8:13:56 AM PDT by rave123
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To: Muzzle_em; Brian Mosely; Howlin
I saw a photo of about 30 school busses partially submerged. They looked like brand new busses!

From the LA Times 9/1 -

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said Wednesday that more than 100 buses were staged outside the city for today's evacuation. He had asked officials in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La., to send all of their school buses — about 500 — to New Orleans. If all of the buses make it into the city, Nagin said, the Superdome could be cleared out by nightfall today.

258 posted on 09/08/2005 9:22:33 PM PDT by Libloather (Hillary, be a doll and give me back my FBI file...)
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