Miskis, eine Künstlerin auf deviantart.com, hat eine Mutter - und diese hat sich Anfang April diesen Jahres dazu entschlossen, ihre Sachen zu packen und nach New Orleans zu gehen, um den Menschen zu helfen. Miskis lässt uns nun einen Einblick in die dortige Situation gewähren, indem sie die Briefe ihrer Mutter veröffentlicht.
Der erste Brief:
"I%27m here. it is overwhelming -devastation, tragic stories, hope and amazing people - survivors, volunteers, organizers
anybody who can should come here - to know the criminal neglect that caused/ is still causing this - to see the disaster that is still everywhere - to feel the bravery of survivors - to experience the power of grassroots organizing and volunteers from all over to make a difference.
it is urban primitive, challenging - amenities are totally lacking, no place to buy stuff, but everyone is taking care of each other
Almost anything you can think of is needed - besides people power.
i am well and going to divide my time between community kitchen and women%27s shelter. Being here is going to be a personal challenge, but there are unimaginable examples of overcoming nightmare problems.
guess i%27ll see what i%27m really made of.
please pass this on to other folks. i%27m about a mile from the computers, so will only stop in occasionally
please help - NOLA is a national disgrace and i cannot begin to tell what peoples lives here are like
in the school where the volunteers are housed, two hundred people went to escape flood. they called for help and were ignored. finally - out of food and water - were airlifted off the roof. one person left a message on the blackboard -%27they left us here to die%27
in the halls of the school there are kid%27s lockers with the padlocks still on and assignments on the board. they plan to re-open the school - when the children come back
XOX
martha"
Der zweite Brief:
"It%27s sweaty, blistery hot - stinks like garbage - working so hard it takes an hour to unkink the muscles enough to fall asleep -
but it%27s amazing to be here.
Every hour seems to have a new story, both good ones and bad
A baby was born this week to a woman living at the Common Ground Women%27s Center.
St. Mary%27s whose school is the volunteer housing center held the first service today since Katrina.
The School District voted to sell off all schools not in use on or before August 29.
Evacuees return one by one.
In two weeks time, I can see baby stepsof recovery.
Newspaper story headline says, "Levee repair will be complete by 2010."
There is a rash of spider bites becoming serious medical problem.
Flies are everywhere and mosquitoes are hatching.
Project ACORN ran buses to bring back evacuees from Atlanta to Houston and in between to vote, but nobody seems happy with any of the candidates.
A group of students from the Bronx were here, mostly 16 year olds. They had to compete to get here - points for scholarship, civic service, good behavior - the top twelve won the trip to NOLA and the chance to work harder than ever in their lives. They were beautiful!
One oven in the kitchen is now working, six sinks are working, five indoor toilets (four porta-potties) now work. The generator flakes out at regular intervals and the six showers are still only cold water. This is for about 200 people.
FEMA is the new F*&%25 word.
One of Common Grounds Distribution Centers is being turned over to the community to run. A second Womens Center is almost ready to open. The focus of home repair assistance is shifting from house gutting to rebuilding (drywall,carpentry, etc)
It is only seven weeks until hurricane season begins.
We talk often of what it will be like to reintegrate into the other life after NOLA - Returning from a war zone -
one woman had a phone call from her husband telling her a business meeting went well. When she hung up, she had to say, "I just didn%27t care." I hope I don%27t have to hear people talking about watching Survivor on TV - I will have to say, "I%27ve talked to survivors and the TV shit is bogus."
A volunteer was asked what he did in real life. He looked down, up, around - and responded, "It doesn%27t get any more real than this."
There is something momentous, history in the making here. Awesome collective, grassroots power vs. greedy, callous,murderous system.
Like saving Tinkerbell, y%27all better clap and say, I believe."
Hope all is well with you. Kate sez it was a good visit. Next time I have a free phone call I%27ll dial up your number
XOXOX
Mom"