A Case for Manslaughter - Literally.

(one of many who died waiting for water at the New Orleans convention center)

After thinking about this for a day, I believe, quite literally, that there is a case for manslaughter here. If the Red Cross statement below is true, FEMA and state officials knowingly, recklessly endangered the lives of those poor souls who were left in New Orleans.





Exhibit A: Broussard on Meet the Press referenced above

Let me give you just three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn't need them. This was a week ago. FEMA--we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word. "FEMA says don't give you the fuel." Yesterday--yesterday--FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting near these lines." Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be in this crisis.

Exhibit B: From a Red Cross FAQ

• Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.
• The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.

Now, let me get this straight. FEMA and the state Homeland Security Department were refusing the entry of food, water, and personnel because they were afraid the presence of the Red Cross would "keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

So, in other words, if the people had food and water, they might not evacuate, so if we cut off their food and water, their imperiled lives would drive them to seek evacuation.

I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know all the legal specifics of this form of manslaughter. But to you, doesn't this sound like reckless endangerment?

We need to find out who made that decision and that statement to the Red Cross. That person is responsible for hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths

Oh, and let's just add that the evacuees who were being driven out of New Orleans by their hunger and their thirst were given no means for evacuation. And in the case of the Superdome were kept from leaving at the point of a gun. Wanna bet the same sonofabitch issued that order?

Find them, try them, and hang them.