Anne Rice's comments...

[Laurabearz]

Anne Rice Comments.

Powerful words.

 

[DisneyLovingMama]

Sorry, but I take offense to her and others like her (and I've seen plenty on the news) that generalize "America" as failing NOLA. Perhaps the government did, but not the American citizens. Not me. And, generalizations to America at large will only hurt their cause in the long run.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Well she does have a point--many people wanted to go help personally--and the Red Cross wanted cash.

America is doing wonderful things for them--but when a sitting is drowning--they just want manpower.

Thankfully we heeded and did cash and not run on in b/c it proved to be precarious and deadly for some who were there b/c of all the idiots running around having a "war" while rescues were trying to happen.

And there are insensitive people out there who are worried about not getting to do their trips and enjoy stuff.

So again--the actions/sentiments of a few morons speak for the masses.

Just as we all focused on the looting instead of the refugees that were stuck. Those looters did not represent accurately those left behind.

I don't see the American population as failing New Orleans--but I could see how a resident could interpret that.

We're all frustrated and upset--can we even begin to imagine what those who have been touched so personallyby disaster are feeling?

 

[pixieprincessmom]

I think this whole country has come together to support victims. We saw utility trucks here by Tuesday from several other state who are sleeping in there trucks to restore power. Doctors and nurses from across the country are now in Baton Rouge shelters. The monetary donations have been overwhelming.
Life for most Americans cannot stop because of this tragegy. We need to look at the possitives and realize that most who can help are helping as we speak by any mean possible.

 

[Disney Cakers]

Well, I agreed with Anne up until the "country failed us" and I'm sure at the moment, she does feel that way. I have just as much frustration as she does, about help getting there as late as it did... I don't think there is a US citizen out there who disagrees. But Anne Rice DOES love New Orleans. I was a great fan of hers and read her books. In fact after reading Interview With the Vampire and the Mayfair Witches, my mom and I decided to go to this great city and see it for our own eyes. It truly was special. The people, the history.

Now we wish we could see it once more.

And we have cried and cried for the city. So I can feel Anne's pain, but probably only an 1/8 of it. Because she loves her city more than anything and that is probably why she has so much to say right now. So try to understand, if it was your home, you'd feel that way too. At least right now, with all these emotions.

 

[halestrm]

While I don't agree with Anne Rice's politics, I can appreciate her view.

BUT to criticize me is amazing. I sent her website an email when all was going down asking her for help. What was the best local charity to donate to? No answer. Maybe if she cared, those of us on her "new book" mailing list could get an email telling us what we could do to help.

 

[JennaTX]

Thanks for the link, I thought it was a great article and she said it eloquently.

 

[N.Bailey]

I did respect her till I read this nonsense. There is enough blame to go around, but she failed to hold many accountable that are equally as responsible. The city & the state also failed the citizens, the people failed themselves (not all, but the thugs certainly did) and the rest of America did NOT turn their backs on NO.

She wants to play the blame game, but only wants to hold certain ones accountable? Gimmie a break already!

 

[Planogirl]

She is likely VERY frustrated and rightfully so. She may be lashing out based on what she has seen and heard and will learn more as time goes by. We all will in fact.

 

[catherine]

I know that I and many people in the UK feel that the people in NO and the surrounding areas were let down by the US government. We find it hard to believe that a superpower, the richest nation on the earth could leave these people people, mostly the underclass to suffer and endure the horrific conditions for as long as they did! However I also know that the American public as a whole will go to great lengths to support and help those people in any way, shape or form that they can

 

[totalia]

I found the article very.. touching. It made me cry.

Someone said they emailed her to ask where to donate.

Let me ask you this... Say YOUR city has just been destroyed. YOU have watched as the people you grew up with and the city you loved and have since childhood devastated. You just spent the last week in a hell on earth as people died on the streets of your home. Not from the bullets of some idiotic sniper. But from disease, dehydration, and starvation. You have watched as suffering occurred in your home that you never thought possible.

Now tell me...

THROUGH ALL OF THAT, YOU CHECKED YOUR EMAIL.

Why don't you try putting yourself in her shoes instead of looking at it from the perspective of an outsider. Lets see how well you'd handle all of this when there are reports of people losing their memories of the past 5 days due to the seriously traumatic events that have been happening.

Tell me, would you give one crap about checking your email? Or about running your little empire? Or about directing the people that are running it to do something?

You'd be so caught up in your own pain and suffering and the pain and suffering of the people and place that is your home that you likely wouldn't even think of something so inconsequential. Would you?

You can judge from your cushy seat at your computer from your fair distance away. While SHE had to suffer through it all

Try wearing the swamp soaked diseased, dehydrated and starving shoes of the people that have lived there and have suffered through all of this.

You will find yourself looking at this from an entirely new perspective as you finally know the heartbreak and loss these poor people... YOUR PEOPLE... have suffered the last 5 days. And it wasn't from bullets. It was from mother nature itself.

 

[janette]

I don't blame her either, do you think any of us would be happy to wait 5 days for the national guard and other organizations to make it to our city if it was as devastated? It is not comforting to know that in the case of disaster we can't gather and have troops at a location INSIDE THE US within 24 hours.

 

[bubie2.5]

We think: “I just gave $$$ to the Red Cross, so I did my share”. Give a hundred bucks to and old lady still stranded on her home or roof top, and what is she going do with them?

This is not a matter of giving money to take away the silent guilt of having a warm bed and a full stomach. We can DO instead of just give. Open our homes to a family, a couple, an elderly person… for a week, a month. Even a day out of the Hell they must be in right now it’s better than nothing. Our families will gain a whole lot, our children will be proud.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't blame her either, do you think any of us would be happy to wait 5 days for the national guard and other organizations to make it to our city if it was as devastated? It is not comforting to know that in the case of disaster we can't gather and have troops at a location INSIDE THE US within 24 hours.

Amen!

We saw NG the day we came back.

I'm sure they were in the city as well..but it is such a big city....and they didn't go to the right place--should have had a split plan.

 

[escape]

She's frustrated. She's scared for her beloved New Orleans. From what I understand, the situation is far worse than what we can see on TV.

As for America failing the victims of this horrible tragedy....in a sense yes, we did fail them....on individual, local, state and federal levels. On a national level, we responded to the tsunami crisis faster than we did for the crisis in our own backyard.

I'm sure there will be plenty of commissioned task forces to figure out what went wrong and what went right, where communication failed, etc. Many of us Americans assumed, and rightfully so, that there was already a plan in place for New Orleans in case of such disaster. Did the plan forget to account for the poor and the elderly not being able to get up and go during the evacuation process? Did the plan not include some sort of immediate mobilization of food and water for those that remained behind? Did the plan not include how people would be rescued? I'm scratching my head trying to figure out just what the plan was and why it wasn't carried out properly. However, I'll leave it up to the task forces to figure this all out. My responsibility now is to do what I can do to help those in need whether it is to open my home, buy supplies and/or donate money.

May God bless all affected by this horrible catastrophe.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Thank you for posting her article. I was looking for something from her on Thurs. but couldn't find it. I have enjoyed her books and before that the city. We might not agree with her statement regarding the country failing N.O., but I personally took the statement as the country's government failing N.O.. And I kind of agree with her.

 

[Microcell]

Sorry, but I take offense to her and others like her (and I've seen plenty on the news) that generalize "America" as failing NOLA. Perhaps the government did, but not the American citizens. Not me. And, generalizations to America at large will only hurt their cause in the long run.

Yep! Also take note of Webmaster Alex's post, that the federal government had to get control away from the governor who refused to allow them to step in quicker. President Bush was trying to declare Marshall law to begin with, but had to go through congress to "make" the state relinquish power. That is how our system works.

 

[wendy1974]

I live 50 miles outside of New Orleans...it is my second home. I have spent many a weekend walking the streets of the French Quarter...looking for great bargains in the French Market...eating Beignet's at Cafe' Du Monde...Riding the trolley cars along the river front...walking along the path the runs alongside the mighty Mississippi river and watching the boats go by. It is truly like loosing one of your best friends and I understand EXACTLY why she said what she did.
A little hop to the west...just 1 degree and this could have been me.

 

[arminnie]

You can judge from your cushy seat at your computer from your fair distance away. While SHE had to suffer through it all

Just wanted to clarify - Anne Rice moved away from New Orleans a couple of years ago. Not that she doesn't still love the city, but she's had major health problems and wanted to be nearer to family members.

I don't think she was there.

 

[Desiree]

It is truly like loosing one of your best friends and I understand EXACTLY why she said what she did.

I couldn't agree more....