Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Saturday, August 20, 2016

From a Friend of a Friend in Baton Rouge

Fitz Dearmore at Baton Rouge River Center. 
August 15 at 11:16am · Baton Rouge, LA · 

 *updated* 

I am seeing some noise on the interwebs about how "Obumer isn't taking care of the flooding down in Baton Rouge" So I have a few moments sitting on my refuge cot down here, let me tell you some stuff. 

National Guard don't think about race and religion when they go house to house rescueing people. And when they do skip a black man to go get a white one; it's because he's 80 and alone. The able bodied come next. The District6 East Baton Rouge Fire/Rescue worked 41 straight hours. There was no relief shift until the National Guard was activated at Belle Chase. Because it was all hands on deck. Their pilot lost his retirement when his 80+ head of cattle drowned while he worked. 

Now those firemen get a shower and sleep. Some are making calls to refuge centers to find their wives and kids. As 4 of the 11 I met last night had lost thier homes, their families displaced, while they cared for others. Those centers are staffed and secured by men and women in fatigues that say US Army. Which means their Boss is a guy named Obama, President Obama to sad internet meme warriors. 

The highwater vehicles the media talks about are Army vehicles, trucks, humvees and boats. District6 had already lost 2 boats to damage when the Army brought them more. When people lineup outside this convention center, they are in and registered in 30 minutes. 

The restrooms are clean, water is stacked neatly around the hall if you want an extra blanket, you just ask. Toiletries and clothing are being distributed. 

2000 beds set up and 3 meals a day have gone off without a hitch. 

 This is no Katrina.2, and if you think the Whitehouse was silent because they didn't hold a presser, or didn't call you? That would be because they called people that mattered. 

 *3 shelters currently house 7k people. Over 30k people have been rescued across 7 parishes in 91 hours.  ‪

#‎BatonDeluge16‬

10 comments:

Clearwater, Florida said...

Donald Trump visited Baton Rouge for 49 seconds after the governor said Trump was not needed and his photo-op political stunt was not wanted. The Obama administration made everything the state needed available.

Trump's crass visit to make his tanking campaign look "presidential" ended up making him look like an egotistical maniac trying to hog the headlines during a terrible tragedy.

What an enormous asshat.

Norman said...


No Trump didn’t just show up for a “photo-op,” or to spend a few seconds “helping out.” Instead, the man actually brought an 18-wheeler transfer truck full of supplies to help people in need, right where they are.
Setting up in a parking lot in St Amant, a hard hit area between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Trump’s convoy handed out water bottles, diapers, and other supplies to people in need. The Republican nominee’s three-hour visit also included a stop at a Baptist church in East Baton Rouge Parish, where he met with volunteers providing food and construction help.
One woman screamed, “Thank you for coming, Mr. Trump” as the candidate was interacting with the crowd, The New York Post reported. And another shouted, “We knew you would be here for us!”
Trump couldn’t resist taking a jab at Obama after one woman mentioned how happy she was that Trump wasn’t off playing golf, to which he answer, “Somebody is. Somebody is who shouldn’t be.”
It was so much more than a photo-op, it was a person showing people in need that he genuinely cares about them.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Norman:

"Trump couldn’t resist taking a jab at Obama after one woman mentioned how happy she was that Trump wasn’t off playing golf, to which he answer, “Somebody is. Somebody is who shouldn’t be.”

It was so much more than a photo-op, it was a person showing people in need that he genuinely cares about them.

Norman, you just made my point! Trump politicized his fake humanitarian photo-op!

And if you had any knowledge about how FEMA works, you'd know that President Obama showed people in need he cares by sending the supplies and relief needed in that area days before Trump and his political circus showed up.

Read this post from a friend's friend in Baton Rouge.

And if you really think Trump "cares about people" I have a book of Famous Insults and Smears" by Donald Trump I'd like to sell you. A majority of Americans and the world knows Trump is a disgusting opportunist who never did a freakin' thing for this country in his life unless he could make a profit from it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

And here's more of Trump's photo-op and politicizing a tragedy to make himself look like a hero:

"Trump himself also attacked the President during a campaign rally in Michigan.

‘Honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there. I just got back from a tour of the suffering and devastation in Louisiana. Perhaps you can tell by the way I’m dressed, just got off the plane. It was actually incredible. The spirit of the people is incredible. The devastation, likewise, they’ve never seen anything like it.’


Shaw Kenawe said...

Another Baton Rouge resident resents Trump's intrusive photo-op and politicizing their tragedy:



"A Louisiana woman who has been tirelessly working to assist the thousands of people who have been left homeless by the state’s catastrophic flooding posted a rant in a comment on Facebook that has quickly attracted attention from various news outlets for her passionate take down of Donald Trump’s recent visit to the troubled state.

“Alright, y’all,” wrote Neva Butkus, a Baton Rouge Resident. “I need to clear some things up.”

Originally from Chicago, where she worked alongside the City Year teaching program, Butkus said that she “has spent this entire week running donation centers, organizing volunteer efforts, and will be doing demo work on houses all this weekend.”

“Our Governor has explicitly asked Obama to NOT VISIT at this moment because our first responders are STILL saving people’s lives. YES, It has been a week and there is still standing water. Tens of thousands of people are displaced. This is a NIGHTMARE and our governor does not want to shut down interstates that are BRINGING IN SUPPLIES just to escort our President into the city.”

Butkus described how every displaced Louisiana that she has come in contact with has resented the presidential candidate’s visit, as his security detail wound up draining resources that could have been used on relief for those in need.

“He is exploiting an opportunity to look as if he is welcomed during a tragedy,” she said.

“Our Governor literally told him (as this article shows) that Trump is welcome in our state but if he’s coming he better be volunteering or writing a sizable check to assist with recovery. A 60 second video of him unloading play-doh from a truck does not count.

“Trump. Seriously. Where is the check. Like where is the fucking check. My people are drowning. My co-workers and family and friends have lost everything. My friends and co-workers that haven’t lost everything are taking off work (my boyfriend is taking PTO) to clean out people’s homes and rip out sheet rock and carpet. Give us money or GTFO. I don’t want to see you in your suit in AUGUST carrying boxes off a truck like you care about us. Louisiana is an incredible place. Baton Rouge is my home and I have watched people drop EVERYTHING to help one another during this time. The whole country seems to be floored by the generosity and love that our residents show each other during tough times, but to us this is normal. This is Louisiana. And you do not belong here.”

Shaw Kenawe said...

From Doktor Zoom at Wonkette:


"Eh, why would someone important like Donald Trump want to consult with the governor of a state that’s in the middle of an emergency? Donald Trump goes where he wants! Despite the fact that a presidential visit involves a small army of aides and security, and would divert police and other emergency resources away from search and rescue operations, the Wingnut Media had a field day pointing out that while Trump actually went to the disaster area to spread around the compassion (and autographs), Barack Obama selfishly stayed on vacation like the uncaring monster he is, and Hillary Clinton remains too frail to even wave a palsied hand at the suffering Louisianans […]

[...]the Donald manfully unload[ed] Play-Doh for nearly a full minute (just like the blue-collar hero he continually assures us he is)..."

skudrunner said...

Now on the other side of this is if a white policeman had wounded a black male, BHO would have held a press conference within a half hour and had them in for a beer.

Double standard on this topic don't ya think. The Democratic governor stated he was glad to have Trump visit because it drew attention to the area.

As a colonialist you need to take a broader view of the remainder of the colonies instead of just the elite 13..

Shaw Kenawe said...


skud, can you make a comment without using snark? Ever?

The Democratic governor said he welcomed Trump to Louisiana, but wished he'd make a donation instead of using the disaster as a photo-op. Gov. Edwards has class, unlike that woman governor of Arizona who greeted the POTUS by wagging her bony finger in his face.

I've read that Trump didn't donate anything and his 49 second visit with an armload of Play-Doh was greeted with derision by most of the people.

Trump is a publicity hound. If you think he really cares about the poor people in the flooded areas of Louisiana, then you've overdosed on the Trump Kool-Ade.

skudrunner said...

I just followed the tone of the blog owner who always has snarky things to say about the south. I may not be from the elite colonial crowd but I am proud to be a Texan.

Now on to Gov. Edwards.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, once wary of Donald Trump and Mike Pence's trip to Louisiana in the wake of a deadly storm, said on Sunday that the visit was "helpful."

Guess you had to read farther down.

Shaw Kenawe said...


"I just followed the tone of the blog owner who always has snarky things to say about the south. I may not be from the elite colonial crowd but I am proud to be a Texan."

My family -- ancestors were ALL southerners! Two grandsons born and raised in Texas.