The aftermath of Katrina has had some far reaching and long lasting effects on not only metro NO area but in its surrounding parishes and throughout the state. And you add the impact of Rita not even one month later. Perhaps one day the full understanding of what happened here will be realized..

Myrna

God help those people who are still suffering; this should NOT be! Powerful cry for action; may we never see another Katrina again!

(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :( >tears, tears, tears! <

Eileen,

And a powerful point of view it is. Keep writing, keep praying, maybe things will change for the better. Well done!

(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.

Today, i read in the Times Picayune, A New Orleans newspaper, A story of a seven year old boy laid to rest. He was swept from his mothers arms as they huddled on a roof, were they found no quarter from the storm.

The City was battered and bashed, the waters lapped and crashed, the housed to the ground. Over night, it became a city without form.

The child drowned, he was washed away, hidden in murky debris. His mom, with two children in tow, struggled to survive, besieging God with pleas.

This lost child, he went unfound, at least untill November. His body uncovered, his limbs exposed, a sight that no-one knows. He was carted away to a makeshift morgue, a thousand John and Jane Doe's.

His mom, she was like a leaf in the wind, cast into the air, she was powerless as to where she would go. she ended up in Milwaukee Not knowing if she would ever see her lost little boy again.

This lost little boy was finally identified, just this past week. His Mother had left a tell tale clue, a sample of his DNA. Well this sad story has but yet, another sad refrain.

He was buried today, along side his Mom, with little brother in tow. They lost their lives in a fiery blaze, December, long ago.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1156138615301680.xml&coll=1

The pain is still as real today, as it was a year ago. I can remember being so close to tears. I had evacuated, and soon found myself with almost nothing, little more than the clothes on my back. I was feeling sorry for myself, that i had so little to wear. When i awoke the next day, i saw that the Lord had blessed myself and 300 other evacuees with a ton of clothes, donated by good caring Americans.

God has been good to me, I have been doing somewhat well, even though i still live in a motel. None the less, i am grateful for all that the Lord has done for me.

But i can say this, Katrina was unprecidented. When, in the history of this country, have a Million people had their lives torn apart in a days time? Aside from the 500,00 in New Orleans, there were just as many more in all directions North East and South of here that suffered as well. Our local State and Federal Government was hit with the hardest blow this country has ever seen. Although the death toll wasn't as high as some natural disasters from the past around the globe, the Financial count was unprecidented. The loss of homes, hospitals, retail, roads... The toll it took on public emplyees alone is staggering. What do you do with 5000 teachers when you have no schools, no students? How do you keep a force of 1000 police when they have no homes? I do not cast stones at our Government. At least not as far as Katrina is concerned. But yes Eileen, you are so right, in times like this, every voice counts.

Local residents must hold their leaders to account. <----- I do believe this! but, I also very much believe this also: EVERything Happens for a REason - Maybe this situation is to bring MUch Needed Ppl together! I hear ya' and I know where your comin' from, reading it like a story, just reminds me Eileen how WE Must all bring it 2Gether, and say and do what we mean to do! WArmly Taken, HuGs, *She* *BE POsiTiVe! - Be happy a life still exist, and To look at Change in a Good way is very Important! WE don't know why things happen TO US! Only the creator! Warm HuGs, *She*oxo

I'm having trouble finding the actual poem in this. Regardless of whether or not I liked the content, the entire thing felt very lacluster and monotonous. I didn't feel your words, or any form of authenticity. It seemed like you kind of strayed away from emotive technique with this, maybe because you wanted to play the roll of unbiased opinion possibly? not sure. With the topic at hand though, I was really looking for something that truly pulled at the heart strings and made me, as a non New Orleans resident who doesn't entirely understand the situation, just what kind of hell these people when through and the emotional struggles they're now enduring. So, rather than an introspective glance into the lives of these broken and yet strong individuals you sat and critisized government efforts in such a manner that actually very much so reminded me of a speech the president or something of political status had written for him and then read aloud to maintane an illusion of simpathy. I don't mean to entirely rip this apart, it's just again, this piece was really designed to scream of emotion and heart and since I didn't quite get that the piece just didn't have a very connective effect for me, sorry.

the best we can do is resolve to do better

We can moan like some obviously like to do, or we can follow your fine example and resolve to do more, each and every day, and to do it better. I think I like your solution better, too, Tiger Lily.

Do we ever learn in the long run to do things differently. Or does it just go back to doing business as usual. It's up to the voters to make sure this doesn't happen.

Oh hell, I am weary of Katrina and what it has become. Just last week Nagin made the statement that is was the reason New Orleans isn't able to get back to where it was pre-Katrina was because of racist America. It is time to laugh that man out of the city . . .

Dearest precious Eileen, thank you for this powerful and stirring write.. I am very connected to the prophet Kim Clement. He prophesied Katrina three weeks before it happened. The suffering was something I had never seen on such a massive scale.There were and still is major intercessors combing the area with prayer and healing, KNOWING it will revive, that major spiritual revival will break out and has. God’s not done there. He is raising up His prophets, intercessors and apostles to keep raising it up..When I saw the images I could not stop the flow of tears. It could happen anywhere and we must have OPEN HEARTS to the TRUE COMPASSION deeply needed…Your an angel for posting this..It is my celestial sign to pray deliverance there..

Peace & Love, Dove