Ubuntu Wiki

Delivering donated computers February 2006

(originally from http://www.rogueimc.org/en/2006/02/6096.shtml includes pictures)

I arrive on Thursday, both myself and my 17-year-old truck, in pretty good shape considering we'd just driven 2,500 miles. There is no visible effect from Katrina until about 10 miles north of the city where one can see downed trees and roofs clad with blue tarps. The freeway is elevated throughout most of the city and I don't really get a sense of the devastation until my exit on to Franklin Avenue.

Exiting the freeway I am immediately struck by the aftermath of Katrina: curbside trash covers sidewalks, and piles up against buildings, stop lights at most intersections don't work. Lines of filth, marking where the extraordinary height of the floodwaters had been, are visible on every building, that is, the ones that are still standing. Some intersections have temporary stop signs at each corner; most do not. One really takes their life lightly driving on this side of town. Not only are the intersections uncontrolled, but there seems to be a wild-west mentality when it comes to driving-the scofflaws rule the day, as many people zoom about at 40~50mph with little regard for the consequences.

I drop off the computers at the "House of Excellence"-a place where a dozen computers and a satellite system are set up for folks to have free internet access-and head for the volunteer sign-in table at the Common Ground Distribution Center. Orientation isn't until 5:30, so I busy myself taking pictures (see 'Photo Essay of Day One'). Later that evening I'm assigned my bunk and directed to show up at the 'morning meeting' the next day. My place of rest is in an old Catholic School cafeteria. Driving through the pitch black, litter strewn narrow streets, I see row after row of empty dark houses, finally ending with a single light bulb (from a generator) which leads the way to a sea of cots.

Right now there are about 500 volunteers (mostly college students) in various locations, many of them preparing space for the 2,000 more expected to arrive during the spring break season. All the houses for miles were filled 3 to 8 feet of standing water for many weeks. This has created a huge mold infestation and the only remedy is to 'gut' the house-removing all belongings, shoveling out buckets of mud, all the carpet, padding and other flooring, all appliances (all ruined) and then bashing out the drywall until all that is left is the sub-floor and bare studs. Almost all the volunteers are asked to do this task. Each day exhausted volunteers return to the center where their Tyvek suits are tossed in the trash and tools, gloves and boots are de-contaminated and hung on racks to go back out the next day.

Rather than join a house gutting crew, I land a sweet gig setting up a new office for the Common Ground co-founder, former Black Panther Malik Rahim. So back to the first place I go to retrieve my computers and over the river to Algiers. My work is rewarding and appreciated, and the stories of the sixties and of what happened here just six months ago are riveting.

Saturday I take a tour of the Lower Ninth ward. Here a massive barge blasted through a levee holding back a canal that bisects the city connecting Lake Pontchartrain to the north all the way to the Mississippi River. I expect to see only traces of the devastation that occurred here six month ago, but other than streets being cleared of debris, no significant clean up has occurred. The scene of destruction in the Lower Ninth is apocalyptic, macabre. Overturned cars litter abandon lots where houses once stood, crushed houses contain their owner's precious belongings which have been untouched since the water was finally pumped back over the levee five months ago.

The devastation in the Lower Ninth is complete. It's ground zero of atomic proportions. But perhaps more disheartening is the political shenanigans at work keeping these people from their homes. While the former residents here certainly are poor, 80% own these homes. It will be interesting to visit the Lower Ninth ward five years from now and see if it's filled with luxury condos and white faces. To borrow from Buffalo Springfield: Looks like there's a 'land grab' happening here, and what we should do ain't exactly clear.

Later - Jon

(From Wednesday 3/1/06) My final day is Tuesday and there are heartfelt goodbyes to new and deep friends. Not the least of these is an adorable puppy named 'Roscoe'. I have stayed at Malik Rahim's house for four days, sleeping in the garage on a cot with three or four other volunteers. The garage is now setup as a new office complete with the donated computers I brought from Oregon. This garage is the first distribution center of Common Ground Relief. CGR was started by Malik

• http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:srAYPPZyUWwJ:www.endsound.com/nopf/socialcomment/desireshootout.htm )

and two white guys who were stranded in New Orleans, Scott Crow and Brandon Darby,

• http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2006021717595192 ) both of

whom slept on Malik's front porch, armed and prepared to defend Malik from the gangs of vigilantes who were roaming the city carrying out the Governor's 'Shoot to Kill' order of suspected looters. Scott and Brandon were able to prove (at least to themselves) that the dusk to dawn curfew was actually aimed at African Americans; they were able to travel at will-24 hours a day-to scrounge up whatever supplies they needed. Within two days, Malik's garage and front yard were packed with water bottles and canned food for neighbors who were stranded in their homes, unable to pass the barricades setup by law enforcement and vigilante groups.

As I leave, I reflect upon my newfound knowledge that between 17 and 19 known 'looters' were shot to death and left where they died for days and days. There is also an unsubstantiated rumor that 400 bodies-suspected victims of vigilantes or law enforcement-are stored in the morgue for fear that the murders will become publicly known.

The local TV news ran a story while I was there about a City Council man trying to pass a measure that residents of the New Orleans housing projects not be allowed to return to unless they prove they have continuing employment or willingness to engage in job training. Houston, Texas city representatives are livid, pointing out that they made no stipulations about whom they would take in during the evacuation and now that it's time to send residents back, they want New Orleans to honor its commitment. I videotaped a 60 minute interview myself and some students from Vermont conducted with Malik and, hopefully, I can get some help to produce a mini-documentary for RVTV.

Maybe the political and racial stories I was immersed in were exaggerated or made up, but the fact remains there is a tremendous amount of work left to be done in New Orleans. There remains a need for more computers and a need for more volunteers to gut houses and, who knows, maybe direct some traffic. Let's all encourage our friends to take the 'vacation of a lifetime' that I had and keep up the good work.

I want to express my deepest thanks to all who made this trip possible for me - together we did a great thing and our efforts will be remembered in New Orleans for a long time to come.

Thank you all, Jon.