The Truth About Katrina: The Government Doesn't Like Black People

I know, I know... I've been M.I.A. for a while. But I've been distracted and overcome by writer's block. Plus I just haven't felt compelled to write.

But recently, a funk has come over me, so naturally, I turn to the pen -- or keyboard in this case.

I recently read an article about recent 'discoveries' regarding events following Hurricane Katrina and while it didn't inform me of anything I did not already know, I was no less shocked and appalled.

I'm beginning to think my mood and spirit may be directly aligned with 'the struggle' but that's a topic for future discussion.

For now, I will tell about what I've recently read...



An ex New Orleans police officer, Jeffrey Lehrmann, has recently come forward and confessed to shady dealings in connection with police shootings of civilians on a Louisiana bridge in the days shortly following the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.

Jeffrey Lehrmann -- the ex-officer with the new found conscience -- is a former police detective who now works as a special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.



Lehrmann has plead guilty in federal court admitting that he failed to report a cover-up in the investigation of the Danziger Bridge shootings in New Orleans.

If you are not familiar with this incident, allow me to brief you:

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans police officers stepped in in order to 'control the chaos' and 'help' Katrina victims. In the midst of this 'help' and 'support' they provided, however, Six people were shot on Danziger Bridge in east New Orleans. One of the men who was killed is Ronald Madison, a mentally retarded 40 year old; the other, James Brissette, was only 19. Ronald Madison was shot in the back while James Brissette was maimed.


Ronald Madison, age 40

The police claimed they fired in self-defense, yet the men who were shot were all UNARMED.

Furthermore, here is a picture of the autopsy report:



How does shooting a man in the BACK translate to SELF-defense?

I can't help but be reminded of the Latasha Harlins tragedy - the incident that sparked the L.A. Riots:



But I digress (or do I?) So back to the lecture at hand...


The claim that these men on the Danziger Bridge were armed is somewhat odd since shortly after Hurricane Katrina, National Guard units illegally and unconstitutionally seized fire arms held by private citizens who had done nothing wrong -- often at gunpoint.

According to new testimony and confessions, when another police investigator told Lieutenant Lehrmann that he was going to plant a gun under the bridge to bolster the story that the officers were being fired at, Lieutenant Lehrmann went along, and even asked if the gun was traceable, authorities said.

According to federal authorities, however, Lieutenant Lehrmann initially concluded in his reports shortly after arriving on the scene of the shooting that the shooting was "legally unjustified."

But the report was CLEARLY finagled!

Here is a copy of the report:



The last three lines, which read:

"THE PERPETRATOR FLED AND THREW HIS HANDGUN INTO THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL WAS APPREHENDED A SHORT TIME LATER"

are CLEARLY in TOTALLY different handwriting!!!!!!! SMH

When I initially saw this my face immediately squinted in disgust! How is this the slightest bit acceptable?

And how often are things like this done????

I would say that this information suggests a very strong lack of systemic integrity but that statement would be FAR too euphemistic.

What this really is: BACKDOOR GENOCIDE.

We do not hear about incidents such as this where White people are gunned down and shot in cold blood. Why not? Because they aren't the people who were and ARE targeted.

The Danziger Bridge masacre was not an isolated incident either. There are several other cases that are under investigation by federal authorities as well as countless other incidents that have been simply swept under the rug.

One other incident is the shooting death of 31-year-old Henry Glover, whose remains were eventually discovered in a burned car parked behind a police station in the Algiers section of New Orleans.



REALLY?!



Has the belief that the lives of Black people are disposable and worthless become so commonplace and nonchalant that police officers now believe they don't even need to attempt a cover up, but rather simply put a person in an abandoned car and light a match -- without a care of who may find it?

If they feel comfortable enough to be this sloppy and uncalculated, that suggests that these officers have gotten so comfortable because they now believe that there won't be any consequences for their actions.

And the unfortunate truth is that that belief is NOT far-fetched or unreasonable.

People were appalled by the statement "George Bush doesn't like Black people"... But i'll be bold enough to take it one further and say that:

THE GOVERNMENT/SYSTEM DOESN'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE.

And the incidents reported in this blog entry corroborate that statement.

So what do we do about this?

We hold the people responsible for these injustices and ones like them ACCOUNTABLE!

When you are pulled over for no reason and illegally searched, you WRITE LETTERS of complaints about the officers.

When you see someone being harassed or brutalized by any type of official, you report it.

You call, write or email your CONGRESSMEN/WOMEN and leave messages explaining you want these people held accountable for their actions.

We can NOT take these injustices sitting down.

I will include the information on how to contact your congressman/woman in the following post so that I can make it easier for you all by taking out some of the footwork.

Here are the faces who are accountable for the murder of Ronald Madison and James Brissette and injuring four other Black people:



They should look quite familiar because we see people who look JUST like them every single day.

Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE note that another way to combat these injustices is to NOT FORGET about them once the media attention (if any) blows over.

REMEMBER.

and feel disappointed.

feel saddened.

feel disenfranchised.

feel angry.

then feel COMPELLED!

and ACT!

I write this blog in the the memory of James Brissette, Ronald Madison, the four other individuals injured on that bridge that day, Henry Glover, Latasha Harlins and the countless other Black lives that were taken by people who believe we are disposable.



Latasha Harlins 15 years old (1976 - March 16, 1991)