Thursday, September 29, 2005

I've seen a number of very hostile e-mails about the refugees. But I've also met people who dealt with refugees in person.

The true story is that close to 100% of the refugees are kind and grateful. Over and over and over again that is the story I'm getting from people who have actually met a refugee or engaged in service or staffed a shelter or a clinic or done something else.

The sad thing is how the media fueled the disgust many Americans feel towards people who do not deserve it.

Do you know how many murders there were in the Superbowl?

None.

Not one. Not a single one.

How many gunshot wounds?

One. Bless his heart, a National Guardsman shot himself by mistake after all the refugees were out and they were doing a sweep to collect all the dead bodies.

If the media coverage had not been so hateful the evacution of the Superbowl would have taken place a day earlier, but the Guard delayed a day in order to have sufficient force to handle the anticipated violent crowd.

"I've got a report of 200 bodies in the Dome," Beron recalls the doctor saying.

The real total was six, Beron said.

...

"I think 99 percent of it is bulls---," said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Lachney, who played a key role in security and humanitarian work inside the Dome. "Don't get me wrong, bad things happened, but I didn't see any killing and raping and cutting of throats or anything. ... Ninety-nine percent of the people in the Dome were very well-behaved."

...

"These people - our people - did nothing wrong," said Sherry Watters of the state Department of Social Services, who was working with the medical unit at the Dome and noted the crowd's mounting frustration. "No human should have to live like that for even a minute."

By Brian Thevenot
and Gordon Russell
Staff writers


Thought I should say something to add to what those writers said.

The truth needs to be repeated sometimes.

5 comments:

Lisa M. said...

I agree with roastedtomatoes.

Thank you..

Anonymous said...

Hey Stephen, a thought came to me and I feel like I should recommend to you a short cycle of poems by a 16th century Polish poet named Jan Kochanowski. It's usually called "Laments" (sometimes "Threnodies" and sometimes just "Treny" as in Polish) in English translation. Kochanowski wrote these poems because he lost his young daughter. I thought of #13 in particular. I hope this suggestion isn't too bold, or offensive in any way.

sorry this is unrelated to the post but I wanted to share when it's still on my mind.

Stephen said...

Heather,

That is a wonderful thought. Never worry about being too bold, I'm 49 and pretty much over taking offense at people of good will, doing their best.

Or, as I explained to someone once, "You have to pay me extra to get me offended, I don't do that for free when I'm not at work." ;)

Funny picture:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planetlawschool/files/Aggie_Hurricane_Prep.jpg

annegb said...

yes, what RT said. I honestly only heard the bad and thought they were true.

Damn, the media.

annegb said...

yes, what RT said. I honestly only heard the bad and thought they were true.

Damn, the media.