Reconstruction Trip Report From Leslie
11/15/2007 10:46
The
most moving thing happened when I was
chauffeuring...so I wrote a little about it. It's
also a thank-you to you WONDERFUL people who do so
much...so, use whatever you can, and toss the rest,
spell-check at will...but make sure everyone who
works so hard there on a regular basis knows how much
we admire and appreciate them! This is hard to write,
'cause I cry just thinking about it. So much happened
during our trip to New Orleans, but this part moved
me the most.
On Monday, we packed up the stuff in the house in the 7th Ward to move it so the electrical around the baseboards could be repaired. I had met a man named Bruce in the elevator at our hotel earlier (he had struck up a conversation over my "Arrest Bush" t-shirt) and he and his friend said they'd like to help, so I brought them along. On their way back to the hotel after working, they asked if I could take them to the Lower 9th. As we crossed over the canal, we looked down to our left, and saw a big, virtually empty, field with poles sticking up everywhere. It was the neighborhood situated right behind the levees that broke. Most of the houses had just been, literally, washed away, or had been bulldozed afterwards. Only a handful of houses were left, all devastated, but the telephone poles were still there...as were the driveways, house pads, and cement stairs leading up to...thin air. We drove up & down a few streets, feeling as if we were in the "Twilight Zone," and incredulous that it looked not much different from how it must have looked shortly after Katrina...except that there were weeds everywhere, and a couple of white trailers. In front of one was an upturned table, where a survivor named Robert Green had written the names of loved ones he'd lost and some heartfelt suggestions. His wife and granddaughter had died on the same day, August 29th, '05, and he had a headstone for them right there, in front of his trailer...a pole coming up out of the middle of it with, ironically and heartbreakingly, an American flag. The flag, and his message, brought us to tears.
The message on Robert's table says:
ROBERT LYN GREEN, SR.
(504) 201-8860 email GGROB1207@aol.com
JOYCE HILDA GREEN - US CITIZEN
11/08/31 to 08/29/05 1:00 pm
US AIR FORCE (25 YEARS 8/12/1980)
SHANAI "Nai Nai" GREEN
04/11/02 to 08/29/05 4:00 am
WE WANT OUR COUNTRY TO LOVE US AS MUCH AS WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY
THE STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY BELONGS TO US
MR BUSH: REBUILD NEW ORLEANS - THE LOWER 9TH WARD - CROSS THE CANAL - TENNESSEE STREET
NOT IRAQ
Tourists: TELL YOUR SENATORS, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES and OUR PRESIDENT
(signed) Robert L. Green, Sr.
On the day we left New Orleans, my daughter, Jackie, and my friends Nel and Harriet, who'd driven from Dallas with me (Carol E. was still off scraping paint at Mr. Washington's) wanted to see the 9th Ward before we left. I took them back to Tennessee Street to see Mr. Green's message...and he was out in front of his trailer, being interviewed by a journalist or film-maker/photographer. We were cruising by slowly, trying to stay as far to the other side of the road as we could so as not to get in the way. Mr. Green saw us, and saw the writing all across the side of our van windows, which said, "FUNDING THE WAR IS KILLING THE TROOPS. MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE, VA BENEFITS, REBUILDING N.O. - NOT WAR!!", and crossed the road to talk with us, followed by the film-maker. What a nice man! He said, "I like the message on your car," then asked us where we were from, and we talked for a while. He asked if we were here doing some relief work and we said that we were. He whole-heartedly thanked us, and asked us to tell all the relief workers we know how very much the people of New Orleans appreciate them! He said that if it weren't for the grassroots effort, there would be no one helping. Our government has forgotten them.
What a sobering time! But how inspirational to see survivors so determined to see it through, and to see people who traveled there from near and far to help. We were only able to stay for a few days, but so many of you devote so much time and energy to helping the people of New Orleans rebuild their homes and their lives ~ it's amazing. I'm sure I speak for all my Dallas/Ft. Worth travel-buddies when I send you our utmost admiration and applause! We're honored to have been included in a small part of what you do!
Peace and love ~
Leslie
On Monday, we packed up the stuff in the house in the 7th Ward to move it so the electrical around the baseboards could be repaired. I had met a man named Bruce in the elevator at our hotel earlier (he had struck up a conversation over my "Arrest Bush" t-shirt) and he and his friend said they'd like to help, so I brought them along. On their way back to the hotel after working, they asked if I could take them to the Lower 9th. As we crossed over the canal, we looked down to our left, and saw a big, virtually empty, field with poles sticking up everywhere. It was the neighborhood situated right behind the levees that broke. Most of the houses had just been, literally, washed away, or had been bulldozed afterwards. Only a handful of houses were left, all devastated, but the telephone poles were still there...as were the driveways, house pads, and cement stairs leading up to...thin air. We drove up & down a few streets, feeling as if we were in the "Twilight Zone," and incredulous that it looked not much different from how it must have looked shortly after Katrina...except that there were weeds everywhere, and a couple of white trailers. In front of one was an upturned table, where a survivor named Robert Green had written the names of loved ones he'd lost and some heartfelt suggestions. His wife and granddaughter had died on the same day, August 29th, '05, and he had a headstone for them right there, in front of his trailer...a pole coming up out of the middle of it with, ironically and heartbreakingly, an American flag. The flag, and his message, brought us to tears.
The message on Robert's table says:
ROBERT LYN GREEN, SR.
(504) 201-8860 email GGROB1207@aol.com
JOYCE HILDA GREEN - US CITIZEN
11/08/31 to 08/29/05 1:00 pm
US AIR FORCE (25 YEARS 8/12/1980)
SHANAI "Nai Nai" GREEN
04/11/02 to 08/29/05 4:00 am
WE WANT OUR COUNTRY TO LOVE US AS MUCH AS WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY
THE STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY BELONGS TO US
MR BUSH: REBUILD NEW ORLEANS - THE LOWER 9TH WARD - CROSS THE CANAL - TENNESSEE STREET
NOT IRAQ
Tourists: TELL YOUR SENATORS, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES and OUR PRESIDENT
(signed) Robert L. Green, Sr.
On the day we left New Orleans, my daughter, Jackie, and my friends Nel and Harriet, who'd driven from Dallas with me (Carol E. was still off scraping paint at Mr. Washington's) wanted to see the 9th Ward before we left. I took them back to Tennessee Street to see Mr. Green's message...and he was out in front of his trailer, being interviewed by a journalist or film-maker/photographer. We were cruising by slowly, trying to stay as far to the other side of the road as we could so as not to get in the way. Mr. Green saw us, and saw the writing all across the side of our van windows, which said, "FUNDING THE WAR IS KILLING THE TROOPS. MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE, VA BENEFITS, REBUILDING N.O. - NOT WAR!!", and crossed the road to talk with us, followed by the film-maker. What a nice man! He said, "I like the message on your car," then asked us where we were from, and we talked for a while. He asked if we were here doing some relief work and we said that we were. He whole-heartedly thanked us, and asked us to tell all the relief workers we know how very much the people of New Orleans appreciate them! He said that if it weren't for the grassroots effort, there would be no one helping. Our government has forgotten them.
What a sobering time! But how inspirational to see survivors so determined to see it through, and to see people who traveled there from near and far to help. We were only able to stay for a few days, but so many of you devote so much time and energy to helping the people of New Orleans rebuild their homes and their lives ~ it's amazing. I'm sure I speak for all my Dallas/Ft. Worth travel-buddies when I send you our utmost admiration and applause! We're honored to have been included in a small part of what you do!
Peace and love ~
Leslie