Guest blogged by David Edwards
MSNBC Photojournalist, Tony Zumbado, spent the morning filming at the New Orleans Convention Center. He assumed that some news reports had been exaggerated. Zumbado wanted to see and film the victims’ situation first hand.
Allison Stewart asked him about the experience:
TONY ZUMBADO: I’ve gotta tell you, I thought I’d seen it all, but just when you think you’ve seen it all, you go into another situation and you see something horrific. I’ve never seen anything in my life like this. … I can’t put it into words the amount of destruction that is in this city and how these people are coping. They are just left behind. There is nothing offered to them. No water, no ice, no C-rations, nothing, for the last four days.
They were told to go to the convention center. They did, they’ve been behaving. It’s unbelievable how organized they are, how supportive they are of each other. They have not started any mêlées, any riots … they just want food and support. And what I saw there I’ve never seen in this country.
…
STEWART: Are you telling me there is no police in the area, no National Guard in the area?
ZUMBADO: I don’t want to sound negative against anybody or any official, but according to them, and what they saw, they left and they’re there on their own. There’s no police there’s no authority. … You would never ever imagine what you saw in the convention center in New Orleans.
STEWART: Tell me about the sanitation.
ZUMBADO: The sanitation was unbelievable. The stench in there… was unbelievable. Dead people around the walls of the convention center, laying in the middle of the street in their dying chairs. … They were just covered up … Babies, two babies dehydrated and died. I’m telling you, I couldn’t take it.
Watch Tony Zumbado’s film of the New Orleans Convention Center in Windows media format or Real media format.
I’m speechless. I cried, and I’m speechless.
I heard about this — sure wish I could get MSNBC. It sounds like it was a very well-done spot. Dare I believe that the media is *finally* going after some truth???
Gosh, Superwoman, maybe there’s still hope! 😉
Post got away from me before I finished….. thanks so much for posting this, especially with the pictures!
WTF…
The goverment was designed to support the people.
It is the purpose of government to protect and assist the american people at all times.
Where the hell is the godamn support?
This is sickening.
So this is how our strutting, posturing, vacationing, exercising, "hangin’ loose" president leads the nation. I could just cry. Where in the hell has he been all week? The blood on this man’s hands is unbelievable. How he sleeps at night I will never understand. Those poor poor people…I am saddened beyond belief.
This isn’t the entire footage….The original piece has been edited removing the one dead baby lying under a tree that many of the broadcasters were stating he was asleep no movement and no signs of him breathing are visible. If you saw the original you would notice that a few feet away from the baby was also lying a man that had also passed and there were no parents near.
I am ashmed of our efforts there especially those non-existent ones near the convention center and how the head of FEMA can say they didn’t know those people were there when the Mayor told them to go there for assistance this was reported that they were to go there as early was 8/30 on Nightline. How our government is refusing aid from countries such as Russia who had two planes with necessities ready to depart and the State Department according to ABCworld said it was not needed. Reports that even poorest countries such as Honduras have asked what they can do to help us, but the media mere scroll it across the bottom of the screen rather than verbally say other outside of the US want to help.
Where are the Brad Pitt’s, Bruce Springstein’s and other celebrities now they can mount large benefits for disasters abroad but look at our own people.
Congress is on vacation and they can’t make it back to approve aid, however, one women in a coma with no possiblity of recover can have them back from within 24 hours to determine her fate. Apparently, thousand of lives aren’t worth it.
WOLF BLITZER:
MICHAEL BROWN:
So, there you go. The FEMA director is blaming the victims for this disaster and is giving this crazy idea that he couldn’t do anything at first because there was flooding!!!
Unbelievably, this RIDICULOUS notion that there was 2 or 3 disasters is a f@$king talking point now!!!
I don’t know what to say. Again, I’m speechless!! I can’t believe that this man is the director of FEMA!!! I can’t believe the United States is being run by these sociopaths — AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE DYING!!!!
Once things get somewhat under control, my American friends, PLEASE…PLEASE…RISE UP!! RISE UP AND TOPPLE THESE GIGGLING MURDERORS!!!! (and yes, I did see you smiling two days ago during that brief news conference you sick sorry excuse for a human being, George).
HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE????!!!!!
(sorry about the Mike Malloy rant, but I can assure you — it is most genuine)
Oh, and later, Michael Brown lied to the nation by saying that he did not say what he said in the transcript above.
This was transcribed from an audio recording.
Notice how they handled the hurricane disaster in Jeb Bush’s Florida, compared to this!
This is not America, it was handled this way because of the class of people affected. Our government’s response is enough to fire Bush and all the crooks in Congress.
We gave 300 Billion to Iraq, and 10 Billion to New Orleans Americans???
This is going to get worse and worse, and it’s outing our politicians who have forgotten about Americans, because they’re obsessed with Iraq.
CNN: Thanks for doing your job, which you’ve forgotten to do for about 5 years now, and this is what the internet has been saying about our politicians for quite a while. The chickens have come home to roost, unfortunately with the result of many non-affluent Americans.
Our crooked government that isn’t in touch with Americans, only in touch with the elites, is being exposed for failing when needed most. Unfortunately, it took a natural disaster to expose this, because the MSM has been silent about these crooks. Our crooked government was not prepared for this disaster, despite plenty of warnings and plenty of time.
Again, thanks CNN, for doing your job, but we shouldn’t have to thank you for doing what you’re supposed to do. See how powerful the MSM can be, when they’re doing their job? It’s in the best interest of all Americans, when the MSM does their job. (and MSNBC)
American government for Americans first!!! Get out of the f***ing Middle East!!!
The first thing the oil barons did, instead of helping these disaster victims, was to figure out a way to raise gas 60 cents a gallon in 2 days, by trying to spin in the media that somehow we get our gas from New Orleans, and not the Middle East!!!
GOVERNMENT OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOT HELPING AMERICANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Out of gas here,
drove by four stations, none
Landrieu was back slapping Bill Frheist on Cooper
He reamed her ass out
The sociopaths are in charge of the asylum.
I do hope Condi picked out some cool shoes. She’s going to need them in Hell.
Harry Connick Jr..NBC..said this morning..trucks could get through with water to the convention center.. in one hour ! But babies are dying from dehydration. But no Aid coming in?? Harry said, at this time there was no danger.
Trucks are arriving half full with water??? Trucks were turned away coming from Florida saying "not needed?" Who is saying that?
Doctors and Nurses at Charity Hospital left without, elect, water, food.
BUT HELP IS ON THE WAY????? STILL MINIMAL MILITARY ON THE GROUND.
TV crews are getting in…14 hours before any help even began to arrive then only minimal.
SALVATION ARMY STARTED FEEDING PEOPLE ON TUESDAY…but no federal help on FRIDAY.
Thank God the media is finally getting off their butts and doing some coverage.
Don’t which stations you all are watching, I am trying them all, and I am seeing very FEW white people in need. They interviewed a handful, don’t know where they were, and they all said we are fine and definitely did not look dehydrated.
God forgive us, if we turned our backs on the black and poor.
Just heard Bush is making his "FIRST " look today at the Gulf Coast. Excuse me but I thought he flew over for 11 minutes on Wed on his way back from, his stressful day on Tues eating cake and strumming a guitar with a band.
You mean, he couldn’t decide that New Orleans needed help on Wed with EVERYTHING under water?
I keep hearing on another post "well you can’t blame Bush for a hurricane." NO, BUT HE SURE AS HELL COULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME HELP IN BY TUESDAY, OR WED OR THURS OR FRIDAY !
This morning we are still hearing, minimal help is on the ground, mostly it is civilians helping.
IS HE JUST STUPID OR DOESN’T CARE ?
#12 Big Dan….exactly right..when it was Florida Bush was down there doing a photo-op handing out water on the SECOND DAY.
Heard that yes, 10.5 billion being voted to FEMA but heard that part of that or additional amount voted in the same bill to go to the Pentagon.
Could someone inform me on that? Thanks
Dear TexasLady,
in response to your final question in #17;
The answer is YES.
What many of you abroad must realize is this is some of the poorest people in America. Frankly, the Bush Administration just doesn’t care if they survive. He speaks more of the pipelines for oil than he does of the humanitarian efforts.
Another fact is that what happened in New Orleans was not unexpected. The goverment new that the levies would not hold in such a storm and have known about it since 2000. The Administration and Congress cut funding to make repairs shortly after 9/11 and the designers The Army Corps of Engineers have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to repair what was destroyed prior to us and from us.
Remember when we heard " who would think planes would be used as bomb flying into buildings?"
Now Bush said "never thought levees would be breeched." Yet he was informed over and over of the possibility by the Army Corp of Engineers.
I was taught that CEO’,s leaders were supposed to think ahead to AVOID and PREPARE for disasters.
Bush on the ground, well sort of a very clean, a/c hangar and THEY ARE ALL SUGAR COATING WHAT THEY ARE TELLING HIM !
I notice the one person with balls The Mayor of New Orleans Ralph Nagin is not being included.
Waiting to see if Bush goes to the Convention center and sees the carnage.
Oh yeah, I am so sad that this supposedly great country has no compassion for the people in New Orleans. I wonder why George Bush went to Florida and handed out water last year and is just now showing up on the edges of this disaster. Maybe Jeb should accompany him so he would not be scared, or his Dad that he runs to for help when things get to hard. Five days later he shows up and says he is there to comfort people, I think people there want food, water, shelter and to hell with his comfort. I for one do not want his comfort. Everytime I gas up my car I hate him more and more. RED STATES are you happy :crazy:!!!!!!!!!!!
Bush isn’t going into New Orleans, he’s going to the airport outside to hold his photo-op. He doesn’t have enough balls to go near the true desperation, and the surrounding death of the Convention Center.
To comment on Big Dan’s #12 ……That 10 billion is for all four states Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. So really it is barely going to put a dent in the need in any of the exteme need we are seeing.
I saw this footage – totally horrifying. Babies dying on their mothers’ shoulders, bodies covered and shoved against walls within inches of other suffering humans – AND BUS DRIVERS REFUSING TO COME TO THEIR AID BECAUSE THEY’D BEEN TOLD OF LAWLESSNESS ELSEWHERE. These people came to the Convention Center lawfully, because the city government had told them to. Now they can’t even get drops of drinking water.
My God, WHERE is the humanity in all of this? Non-existent, every-man-for-himself DEAD.
The news here in New Zealand is saying "where is the government support for the people", being that the USA is touted as the richest nation on the planet and why are the reports from the people "on the ground" so different from the reports from the "government officials".How is it that this has taken people by surprise etc…
ya need a precision food bomb and a cruise water fountain.
As horrific as they are, MSNBC decided the American people will not be allowed to see the truth, cannot see the facts as they are "on the ground", to use the words of the broadcaster in her NY studio. Why? Will that change anything?
It won’t work. Trust me, there will be miles of footage of the terrible things that have been done to these Americans and they will surface in days to come.
My heart is broken. And if yours is not, I pity you. Spend your time watching the travesty that calls himself the president, and the misbegotten misanthropes he has selected to conduct war on t he American people. I have to stop ……. sorry, I am getting sick.
I can host a small family at my home.
Call me at 281-647-0231
I have 3 kids so a small family please.
Hey..you guys from other countries reading this thread..Now you know the U.S. is an occupied country. Now the govt. is doing operation genocide against it’s own people. Not just Iraq for the oil. We are going to be systematically wiped out unless we are the very few filthy rich. Which, I can assure you the people on this website are not.
Why is there only news coverage of Katrina on cable and not channels 2,4, and 7 ? Thousands of people are dead and this isn’t important enough to expect full coverage 24 hours! I am disgusted how some people are trying to make this disaster seem unimportant. More people have died in Katrina and because of our slacking higher ups than from terrorist on 9/11. Where is our governments heart. Why don’t they care?
Because "compassionate conservatism" is an oxymoron. Or they are pretty conservative with their compassion, one of the two. We can’t really expect a government that cares infinitely more about the well-being of a few at the pinnacle of wealth and lets the rest of us fight it out over the scraps to suddenly develop a conscience or a heart. Sadly, what heart they have is shaped like a big oily dollar sign and it means much more to them than any bunch of stranded people, certainly not when they’re poor, black and mostly voted for Kerry and it sucks money away from Operation: Rape Iraq. I can’t help thinking that if it were a mostly affluent, white, Bush-voting city that was threatened with a predictable flood because of a levee that would only withstand a Category 3 hurricane and they knew it was going to be a Cat.4 or 5, I can’t help but think they would’ve pulled out all the stops to evacuate those who couldn’t move themselves. Can you imagine them letting thousands of white Busheep swelter in a filthy, wretched, dung-covered stadium for four days without food or water or anything? I can’t. Look, they’re conniving, coldhearted bastards and see everything in terms of their profit margin, it would be unrealistic to think they’d change now.
To Vanessa Greene:
The "terrorists" from 9/11 you refer to had nothing to do with "hijacking" airliners or plastic knives. At least seven "9/11 hijackers" turned up alive and well days after 9/11. See:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/worl...st/1559151.stm
http://www.worldmessenger.20m.com/alive.html
The entire "official" 9/11 story is an outrageous, far-fetched fable that is easily disproven, and believe me, the truth is far creepier than "nineteen Middle Eastern hijackers with plastic knives".
#10 MMIIXX….I have relatives in NZ….Please let your friends know what is happening here (#28). I am so ashamed. This is now Fascist America.
I am ashamed too but it has been Fascist America for quite a while now. This is simply its latest manifestation.
It seems to me it really took a turn for the worse with the coup in Dallas on 22 November 1963 and has been headed downhill in fits and starts ever since then…
The images that Tony captured at the Superdome are horrific, but Americans need to know what’s going on. It is very very sad…devastating that we let these people waste away. It was poor planning on the Governments part. I don’t think I ever cried so hard in my life, and these images don’t want to escape…I haven’t been able to move on from them. I have always been proud to be an American citizen…but now I feel such shame that when help did finally arrive it was too late for a lot of people. The picture of the woman with the baby haunts me, because there has been no update on if she made it or not…her image hit home with me because I have a baby boy about the age of her son. Does anyone know her name…I’ve looked on NBC & MSNB websites, but can’t find the footage where Katie Couric gave her name. If anyone knows and can let me know, I’d greatly appreciate it. Want to find out if she and her baby made it.
Lee Ann is staying in a shelter close by my home. Her and Jahon are doing well. They are still alittle shaken but they are alive and getting better as the days go by. Jahon spent a few days in the hospital to get rehydrated and and IV for antibiotics. He is a beautiful child. Very Very loving.
Lee Ann came to my house yesterday it was her first time to look on the computer. She cried when she seen the amount of people that were concerned about the two of them.
Hi Is Tony Zumbado… Thanks for all your wonderful responds to the sad katrina dissaster… thanks to all of you I have started my own Blog.. I will inform all of you of what qoes on behind the scence of a mayor news story..Please check out http://CREWPOV.spaces.msn.com Thanks to all the reader for your suport.. Peace and God Bless.