I am listening to "This American Life" right now on my local NPR affiliate. Interviews with people who were in New Orleans when the hurricane hit, and people who were trying to get out. And people who were prevented from leaving.   One person said that it was as if the authorities were prison guards and they (the people trying to get out) were prisoners trying to escape. Groups of people gathering at police stations, fire stations, etc., and being lied to, just to get rid of them—told that there were buses "across the bridge." When they tried to cross the bridge, were stopped and sometimes even shot at. Then, they learned there were no buses. "Looters" who, risking being shot, raided stores for food and bottled water to take to children and elderly people in improvised shelters.

Harrowing. Un-bloody-believable!

This is not spin or "liberal media." These are eye-witness accounts by people who were there. What do you call them? Not "refugees," because that implies that they had or have a refuge to go to.

According to the "This American Life" web site, the audio is not available yet, but will be soon, on RealAudio. Listen to it!

After the Flood.

Don Firth