Thought some of you would like to read this. Don't know what to think about it, but interesting to see folk's points of veiw about things.



HOUSTON'S NEW RESIDENTS
>
> Here is the real truth. I went to volunteer on Saturday, September
> 10, to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Houston for two reasons.
>
> 1. I wanted to help people.
> 2. I was curious.
>
> I have been watching the news lately, like everyone else, and I have
> seen some scenes that have made me physically ill. No, it was not
> the death and
>
> the destruction that made me ill. It was PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR that
> bothered me the most.
>
> So many of the displaced people were DEMANDING help. They were not
> asking nicely, but were demanding it - as if society owed them
> something. Well, the honest truth is society does NOT owe them
> anything! Help should be asked for in a kind manner and then
> appreciated after received, but this is definitely not what the
> different news organizations were witnessing and reporting.
>
> What most of us have seen, on television and in the print media, have
> been individuals/groups who are yelling, demanding, looting, killing,
> raping, and
>
> even SHOOTING back at those who have arrived to help. MSNBC even
> showed one
>
> news report of several New Orleans policewomen looting a Wal-Mart!
>
> I am thinking to myself, This cannot possibly be true - or can it?
> Truthfully, I did not want to believe this could be true of the
> people who so desperately need help during this crisis. I now tell
> my story, and you can decide.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I arrived at the Astrodome only to find out there were too many
> volunteers at that location. Volunteers were needed elsewhere -
> especially at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
>
> As I walked up to the Convention Center, I noticed a line of vehicles
> that wrapped around for blocks. These were "ordinary" Houstonians
> coming with water, diapers, clothes, blankets, food, every type of
> needed item; lots of
>
> it was NEW. As I helped to unload these vehicles, I felt such great
> pride that the wonderful residents of Houston would be so generous.
>
> I then went inside the building and noticed approximately 100,000
> square feet of clothing, toys, all types of needed items, that were
> organized and ready for the people in need. I signed in as a
> volunteer, received a name badge, and was on my way, eager to be
useful.
>
> I toured the place to become familiar with my surroundings. The
> entire Center is probably about 2 million square feet. I noticed
> rows, as far as the eye could see, of mattresses - not cots - but
> blown-up mattresses, that had nice pillows and plenty of blankets.
> There were also two or three bottles of water resting on each bed.
> These full-size to queen-size mattresses, by the way, were
> comfortable. I briefly rested on one of them, just to see for myself!
>
> Next I went to look at the medical area, and I could not believe what
> I was seeing. A makeshift hospital had been created in 24 hours!
> They even had a
>
> pharmacy.
>
> As my tour continued, I also noticed that other volunteers had worked

> hard to create showers...with hot water! Then upstairs, on the third
> floor, I found a huge cafeteria that had also been established in
> 24 hours. There were rows and rows of tables and chairs and food
> everywhere! There was enough food to feed an army, and I am not
> talking about crappy food either! They had Jason's Deli food, fresh
> fruit, snack foods, sandwiches and lots of beverages. By the way, the
> beverages were put on ice and chilled!! All of this "mini-city" -
> including a library and a theater room - had been created in about 24
> hours by volunteers, so the evacuees would have a comfortable shelter.
>
> Here is what further happened during my time there. I started by
> handing bottles of COLD water to evacuees, as they exited their bus.
> Many took the water, but only 20% or less even said, "Thank you."
> Lots of the evacuees would shake their heads and ask for sodas! This
> went on for about 20-30 minutes, until I was weary of being an
> unappreciated servant. I then decided that certainly these folks
> would appreciate some food! So, I went upstairs to serve these
> evacuees with some GOOD food. (Food that I wished I
>
> could have had at the moment!)
>
> Evacuees came slowly to receive this mountain of food, worthy of a
> king, that was being served. I explained to them that we had two
> types of great deli sandwiches to choose from: ham and turkey. Many
> looked at the food in disgust and DEMANDED burgers, pizza, and even
> McDonalds! (Let me tell all of you folks who may read this, that
> Jason's Deli is better
>
> than McDonalds any day!!) Even many of the children were demanding
> and rude! Only one out of ten people who took something would say,
"Thank you."
>
> The remainder took items, as if it were their God-given right to be
> served, without a shred of appreciation. Some even asked for beer and

> liquor! Many
>
> complained that we did not have "good-enough" food. Some went so far
> as to refuse the offers of food and laughed at and/or cursed at the
volunteers.
> This was not true of all of them, but at least 70% of the evacuees
> treated us volunteers with total disrespect. Maybe 20% were
> appreciative, 10% took the food without any comment, and the remainder

> had some disgusting comment to say.
>
> We volunteers then began to observe that many of the people would eat
> their food and leave their mess on the table. Oh sure, a few would
> clear their tables, but the majority left their tables for the
> volunteers to clear and clean. Needless to say, I was in utter shock
at their behavior.
>
> From the food area, I went down to help set up some additional
mattresses.
> That is when I observed something else! I saw many young ladies
> carrying mattresses, but WHERE were the hundreds of able-bodied young
> men evacuees who could help?! When I asked a group of young evacuees

> in their teens and
>
> early twenties to help, they cursed at me!! One said, "We just lost
> our ***ing homes and you want us to work? The next one said,
> "Cracker, you got a home...we don't."
>
> I looked at them in total disbelief. Here were women carrying THEIR
> beds and these young men would not lift a finger to help themselves!!
> I started to wonder, WHY SHOULD I HELP PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO HELP

> THEMSELVES? As I turned away, they laughed at me and made obscene and

> distasteful comments. This is when I began realize that I did not
> need to waste my time
>
> on a bunch of pitiful losers in this area of the shelter.
>
> Next, I went to a nearby restroom where I noticed a man shaving. I
> used the
>
> restroom, washed my hands, and then saw this same man throw his razor

> towards the trash can. He missed. He also walked out, leaving his
> dirty razor on the floor for someone else to pick up!
>
> I could call these people ignorant ("lacking knowledge"), but they
> were not ignorant. They were arrogant ("proud and overbearing through

> an exaggerated
>
> feeling of one's superiority")! To put it bluntly, the majority of
> them are
>
> thugs...and lazy!
>
> We are inviting the lowest-of-the-low to Houston and, like idiots, we
> are serving the people who will most likely soon steal, rape, murder,
> and attempt to destroy our beloved city. We are funding our own
destruction!
>
> Please note, I am absolutely NOT referring to a specific race of
people!!
> People who WANT to help themselves should be helped in every possible
way.
> Those who do not want to help themselves should be left to destroy
> themselves, but they should not be allowed to destroy Houston at the
> same time.
>
> I do not believe in being poor for life. My family immigrated here.
> We came
>
> here very poor and now, thank God and due to HARD WORK, we are doing
well.
> If immigrants who come here - and do not even initially know the
> language - can work and become successful, why can't the majority of
> the other poor "home-grown" citizens do the same thing?!
>
> I have personally just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative
> behavior by the very people who needed the help the most. These same
> people cursed me and other volunteers. They refused my city's
> generosity. They refused to help themselves. They pranced around as

> if they deserved to be waited on. When they did receive something,
> they said it was not good enough. As far as I am concerned, from now
on, these people can fend for themselves!