one citizen's voice

a post from Joshua Mann Pailet, owner of A Gallery for Fine Photography on Chartrest Street in the French Quarter, New Orleans:

Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Dear Friends

TRUTH and BEAUTY and LOVE are UNIVERSAL.

CHILDREN FIRST

Immediate and very direct help, go to
http://www.braf.org
http://www.habitat.org
http://www.girlscoutsaudubon.org
http://maps.google.com - Type in New Orleans address and click Katrina link

New Orleans is my home and birthplace. I remained in downtown New Orleans
during the difficult first five days. In the French Quarter, downtown, and
along the Mississippi River, I witnessed the SURVIVORS of this powerful
storm struggle to maintain dignity and life.

Along this narrow unique corridor of the original city boundaries, there
was NO FLOODING. All around us, the waters rose and the struggle roared
louder than the hurricane winds of that historic storm.

During this time, communication was non-existent. Rumors ruled the
street. The outlaws were bad, but a tiny percentage.

The community worked together to have the stamina to remain calm and
alive. NO water or food was delivered into these historic quarters until
late Friday afternoon.

NO evidence was seen of Authority or control.

We were not destroyed through looting or shooting.
In fact, I witnessed a far more remarkable scene than TV or radio was able
to report.

The other less famous, but EQUALLY IMPORTANT neighborhoods of this
remarkable City, were deluged with water, fear, anger, bullies, and HEROES.

Our policeman, fireman, and individual citizens used their wits and
struggled to rescue many thousands of stranded friends and families while
their own lives had been shattered.

The historic French Quarter and Riverfront community up St. Charles Avenue
and along the Mississippi River survived intact and can be ready for your
return soon after the electricity and running water is restored.

We are eager to see the misery calmed and life and vitality restored.
Despite the visual images you are seeing, you will be surprised in the
upcoming weeks. As we unite, together we can move forward to bring us
together again.

The Daily Challenges are being addressed in a manner that requires
everyone to remain flexible, cooperative, resourceful, inventive and
respectful. ALL displaced CITIZENS must have the Opportunity to return to
their original neighborhoods. These unique neighborhoods must be rebuilt.

The complex and multi-dimensional problems of this event are going to be
solved, step-by-step, day by day, brick by brick. THE PEOPLE who are the
heart and soul of this great city will be back. It is essential to bring
ALL home to let the magic that you love about New Orleans blossom in the
SPRING.

The great gumbo of New Orleans requires that ALL our friends and families
have a chance to return to their roots. The unique qualities that we love
will shine if we continue to act with true dignity and bring back to EVERY
NEIGHBORHOOD the artists, cooks, workers, musicians, professionals,
carpenters, and more. This is TRUTH for NEW ORLEANS and EVERY community
that surrounds it for miles and miles and miles.

Tonight, we are scattered and battered.

Each day, the outpouring of concern has kept us going forward. We will
clean it up and want everyone back to their neighborhoods and homes.
For some of us, this will be soon.

For the vast majority, it will be much longer.

WE NEED YOUR HELP and the fantastic response from around the world and
especially across the USA must continue.

THE LOVE for New Orleans is evident.
WE sincerely THANK YOU.
We know the stress is spreading and touching all of you.

EVERYONE in the entire region has been affected. I am presently in Baton
Rouge organizing and helping people find a place to live, work, and send
their children to schools. Baton Rouge has taken in over 350,00 people
and nearly doubled in size.

Some of us are in hotels, friends' homes, strangers' homes, shelters,
churches, temples, arenas, gymnasiums, vehicles, tents, and every
available resource you can imagine.

The generosity and kindness of the great people of Baton Rouge, Houston,
and every town and state for hundreds of miles is remarkable to witness.
They are nurturing my fellow CITIZENS of New Orleans, Mississippi, and
Alabama. It will continue.

Many of you have asked to HELP.
We need your resources and immediate attention to a multitude of tasks.

We must continue rescuing, protecting, housing, and restoring health all
at once. This test and challenge will require stamina and willpower,
infrastructure, money, and planning. Timing is truly critical.
Everywhere I look, the efforts and overtime are phenomenal. Imagine.

My fellow survivors continue to inspire others. No doubt major mistakes
have been made. This can be debated at a later date.

I ask all of you to continue focusing on NEW ORLEANS and the entire GULF
COAST and pushing this effort forward. Each of you have a role to play as
this situation stabilizes.

Tonight, I feel that the children need our most immediate attention. In
Baton Rouge alone, there are over 35,000 new children of kindergarten to
high school age who are in dire need of stability and EDUCATION.

This TRUTH is repeated in numerous communities all over Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Arizona, New Mexico, and many more.

Tomorrow should be a school day for these beautiful children. We must
begin to provide and prepare them for the future. NOW!

Schools, teachers, personnel, and supplies need to come together quickly.
An Education Relief Task Force is organizing this effort. I strongly urge
you to continue supporting ALL charitable efforts with your donations.

I believe that the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (www.braf.org) is the
proper place to direct your financial contributions at this very moment.
The EDUCATIONAL CRISIS is critical. The New Orleans School System is
wiped out and bankrupt.

As you think about this, if we can get our children on a positive track,
then parents will begin to rest easier and thus able to solve all the
problems we need to address. From this will spring forth all the other
great projects needed.

At times this emotional roller coaster we are all on, causes us to briefly
stop. It is paramount that we work together diligently for a very long
time to achieve this GOAL for our CHILDREN.

It can and must be done. With this will follow the jobs and the dignity we
all need to rebuild.

CHILDREN FIRST.
Send your donations to BRAC.ORG
My dear friend Marc Sternberg, a Baton Rouge native,
(marc@bronxlabschool.org) is a vital part of this effort.
Bring your energy, ideas, and donations NOW.

Throughout all of this, I have heard my mother's words echo in my sky.
"Pick up the pieces and get on with it."

Thank you for your prayers, positive thoughts, and energy. You keep me and
many others moving forward on this path to recovery. Every moment of
everyday we encounter a changing reality.

FOCUS on the FUTURE by immediately providing the resources needed to get
these NEW SCHOOLS up and running. The CHILDREN need you more than ever.
It will take more than 150 million dollars for this effort in Baton Rouge
alone. All the communities of the great Gulf Coast and Deep South region
have the same challenge.

I will continue to be here to help.

WE ARE ONE.

CHILDREN FIRST

[You may have read my] eyewitness account sent earlier to many of you.

I know it only applies to this tiny historic piece of land I was blessed
to be in at the moment this storm arrived.

I am keenly aware that other neighborhoods in New Orleans and all around
the GULF COAST experienced a nightmare of biblical proportions that seems
to grow daily.

THANK YOU
I am the luckiest man in New Orleans and this planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thanks to Chuck Taggart for the link.