St. Bernard Parish--One Year Later
If I'd driven through St. Bernard Parish before Katrina I'd probably have yawned because it was so typically average American. But to see it now leaves one angered and mystified that this is happening in America.
I think St. Bernard Parish unfortunately is often overlooked in the Post Katrina narrative. Most are aware of the Lower 9th Ward yet many other areas in and around New Orleans were devastated. Lives, homes, businesses, neighborhoods and whole communities were lost directly affecting people of all races and incomes. All their stories of survival and the struggle to reclaim their lives deserve telling.
I admit to having a soft spot for St. Bernard Parish and I'm not really sure why. Perhaps because it is was so quintessentially American and now, since often forgotten, it is also a story of a classic American underdog. Do forgive me for invoking the one movie guaranteed to make men cry but I feel like the Gayle Sayers character in "Brian Song" who says..."I love Brian Piccolo St. Bernard Parish. And I'd like all of you to love him them too.
Or perhaps it is because I hate incomplete stories.
If we are to have an understanding of the complete picture of Katrina and the federal flood we must remember places like Chalmette, Arabi, St. Bernard, Lakeview, New Orleans East, Gentilly and on and on.
This has been a tragedy of unbelievable proportion. Telling the story of St. Bernard Parish is one way to make people aware of that and the fact that it is not over. I do hope you'll watch this video taken August 30, 2006 of scenes from the Parish, much of which is truly a ghost town. I also narrate to tell you the before and after of the people of St. Bernard Parish.
Video and Narration: scout (again shot while driving a shift)
Music: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11...NY Philharmonic
Length: 4:40
The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. ---Thomas Jefferson
Thank you so much for trying to keep St. Bernard Parish in the news. A lot of people haven't even heard of it and it's very important that they know what's going on (or not going on) down there. I was born and raised in St. Bernard, my parents lost everything: their home, car and her place of employment in Katrina. I could go on listing all the people I know that lost everything, but if people watched your video they know every house (67,000) was flooded in this parish. My brother-in-law had a Shrimp boat in front of what was left of his house (it was just moved in the last 2 weeks!)for a year.
The loss of everything (homes, hospitals, school, churches-whole communities) is frustrating enough on it's own, but being forgotten is unforgivable. The people of St. Bernard Parish are fighting to save their way of life, their culture and what's left of their history, much of, if not all already was lost in the muddy, oil slick waters of Katrina that sat for over 2 weeks. It's going to take a long time and a little help for the government (when ever they decide to jump in!) to try and bring it back from the brink. Please help if you can, if not, pray they have the strength to go the distance.
Thank you for all you help.
Lisa Geeck
Formerly from Chalmette, LA
September 14, 2006 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you also for keeping St. Bernard Parish on the radar screen, although you should keep your "love" of it tempered to some extent. The folks in St. Bernard are just as deserving of the attention and assistance the other parts of New Orleans is getting. It was horribly crippled by the flooding. It also had its own share of folks stuck on roof tops and in buildings, folks killed in the flooding, life and death trauma--the primary difference being that in the immediate aftermath of the storm St. Bernard was inaccessible to the media while the Lower 9th, Central City and Superdome/Convention Center areas were all accessible. Entire generations of families in St. Bernard have lost everything. It truly is a tragedy that does not get enough attention.
As for the temperment of your feelings, do not forget that a large majority of St Bernard residents were (maybe still are? Remember Rockey who visited the White House?) huge supporters of today's incompetent GOP. And at least prior to the storm they were of the anti-tax, anti-government involvement crowd who would claim that they could take care of themselves and that their money is their money and the government should not be taking their money in taxes. Funny how a natural disaster can change folks views overnight, especially when they are on the receiving end of the tragedy.
Regardless, these are tough folk who need our country's assistance. And I can only hope that we as a country do not forget their plight, as well as the plight of all others in the region affected by last season's hurricanes. Failure really is not an option in and to restoring this area of our country.
September 15, 2006 6:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
September 15, 2006 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
A bit off topic, but I was wondering --
As most know under the post-1927 CoE statutes, the government is immune from suits in negligence in the design, building, or maintenance of levees or other flood control projects.
But I've heard that MRGO was not designed, built, and maintained pursuant to that statutory authority. And if not, that the government might be liable in negligence.
Anybody hear anything about this theory?
September 15, 2006 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just wanted to say that, as a listener to NPR news programs, I noticed that people from St. Bernard's have been interviewed -- around the time of the anniversary of Katrina. They stood out, were memorable. They impressed me as tough and courageous. The NPR features gave the impression of a pretty united, self-reliant community. It's hard to put together the images and text of the video with what I heard then... The quote from Jefferson --- could someone please slip a copy of that under Bush's door?
September 16, 2006 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would say the NPR report on the people of St. Bernard is accurate as you describe it. The video shows what life is like there and what the residents lost and are up against now.
September 16, 2006 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink