and so much of what he said moved me
moved Aaron
a surprise since we both tend to be so jaded
but it felt as if
he knew us
he knew our struggles
he understood what I had been through slinging beers at night
so I could go to U of M by day
and raise an 18 month-old son
he knew the moments of panic
when my 5 year-old is sick
and I have to work
and he can't go to school
but I have to work
or my bosses will be furious
he understood it
But there was a moment in his speech
and forgive me because I cannot find the direct quote
but he was speaking of "I am my Brother's keeper,"
and he said We as Americans have more compassion than to watch a city drown
on this horrible anniversary
it took my breath away
because that
that is exactly what we did
what our government did
and those people that were drowning
those were my people
a people
A PEOPLE
dark and sexy
music in the hot, humid breeze
a language all their own
my beautiful, beautiful people
Cafe Du Monde
dirty, dirty blues
jazz
leathered faces
and tap shoes made with bottle caps
red lipstick and heels
trannies so hot I feel threatened
children in catholic school uniforms
crazy-eyed voo doo women
candles and whispers
and paper fans fanning
my people
not my people
but a people I know
the only people in the world like it
drowning before my eyes
Today I was supposed to write something positive about the rebuilding effort
positive
I cannot write positively
because I have not gone past the horror
News people reporting
which said to me
"THEY GOT THERE AND GOT IN WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GOVERNMENT???? WHERE IS THE FOOD??? WHERE IS THE WAY OUT?????"
My God people are dying slow deaths and my government
here to serve
here to protect
here to uphold
isn't doing anything
The World Trade Center was horrible
an unspeakable act of violence
and it felt good to pick up guns
and send planes
and hunt for evil
it was proactive
it was the right Government response
a, "Oh Hell no you didn't. We're about to come and put the smack down on you."
And we all smiled because we knew even though the loss of life was horrible it would be avenged
And then this, Katrina
the Superdome
the drowning in my house
the thirsty orphaned children
and our government
well I wanted something big
huge
I wanted food drops
I wanted rescue
I wanted, "we don't take terrorism sitting down and we get up and we save our people in a natural disaster."
And I got shoulder shrugging
head scratching
while the life went out of the eyes of a city I know and love
And for me
due to my ties to the city
it was The Scream
No phones to call my family
no way to make sure everyone was okay
no plane of my own to fly and bring food
fresh water
my hands tied behind my back while I watched my own government
allow a people I know and love to slowly, painfully, and needlessly die
while reporters documented the screams for help
That is what it felt like
and like Barack said
I know we are a more compassionate people
I know we deserve a government
that feels as much love for our fellow man as we do
because you and I both know
we would jump in the ocean to save a drowning stranger
and I cannot get past the fact that we elected a government
that wouldn't
There is no forgiveness in my heart
only the same anger I felt when I watched the towers fall
that anger
toward my own government
like Hell I'm going to write something positive today
like Hell I'm going to sweep the negative under the rug
and like Hell I'm ever going to let people forget what we did to our own
8 comments:
i remember anderson cooper pretty much standing there crying, out of desperation and anger and frustration, as if he was thinking what we were: why the hell am I here with my entire crew and where's the National Guard?
And Gustav. Oh crap.
I had no idea you had family there. This is a beautiful and powerful post. Amazing, really. And I'm praying Gustav swerves somewhere else. Though, honestly, that's a hard thing to wish on anyone else either, as he seems poised to make landfall SOMEWHERE that it will be ugly. Let's hope this time the response is better organized. Is a real response. We can only hope.
But the thing is, maybe we can do better now. Maybe it's time. I feel your pain. The helplessness I think so many of us feel as we watch our country, the country we love become something we can't even understand. But maybe nows the time. All I have is hope. I hope you can find it too, because what else do we have?
Wow, just...well...Wow. Awesome post.
Just reading about Katrina 3yrs aftermath. I agree the government could do more, like the police can't be everywhere, everyone needs to be accountable for one's own selfpreservation. I hope people will listen and get the hell out now. Don't seat on your ass.
cytoworld
Sure, get the Hell out. But if you were my 75 year-old Grandmother and you were trapped because the government did not help people get out...you were basically left to rot. And then left to rot for two weeks after. The people that stayed stayed for many reasons, a lot because of poverty, illness, age and the inability to get out without help. It was disgusting and the victims of our failure should not have fingers pointed at them.
um? we are OFFICIALLY partners.
crime or otherwise.
I second jen's comment.
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