Depression

I started writing this blog post several times last week, only to find myself hitting delete because I couldn't find the words needed to convey my feelings. But all through the week I kept hearing the topic mentioned in different ways, so I'll give it a try one more time.

Last Tuesday, while driving to the dentist, I had WWL on the radio. They were talking about the free tent-style medical clinic that had been set up in New Orleans east the previous weekend and was continuing through last week. People started lining up at 3 a.m. for a chance to visit a doctor or dentist. Hearing about all the people in so much need was heartbreaking to me. But I also learned some other important facts that really need to be made known.

We keep hearing that what happened to New Orleans was a disaster, and that's true, but somehow saying it was a disaster isn't enough. As ridiculous as it may sound, New Orleans is in situation akin to Europe's after WWll. NOLA state of affairs needs much, much more than any state government can handle -- especially the corrupt, inept government of such a poor state as Louisiana. I know we'd scream bloody hell if the feds or military stepped in, but it's more than we can handle.

Here are some of the things I heard on the WWL interview with one of the doctors working with the free clinic in NOLA:

The storm created a group of people he called the new-poor. These are people who had homes, jobs and insurance before Katrina. Now they have none of these. No hospital has been reopened in New Orleans east. No hospital will open in New Orleans east becase of the reduced population and the fact that the people living there now are mostly uninsured.

The population in post-Katrina New Orleans is less than half pre-Katrina numbers, yet the death rate in New Orleans has increased by 48%.

The amount of water pouring out of broken pipes, valves and hydrants in New Orleans is down by about half what it was immediately after Hurricane Katrina, but still adds up to 40 million to 50 million gallons a day.

After the interview, the hosts of the radio program were talking about problems they and the city were facing. One of the guys said in a bemused tone of voice that people were dying of depression. The other host murmured in agreement. This reminded me of something a friend told me. He goes to NOLA regularly on business. Last month we were talking and he mentioned that when he's in coffee shops and cafes, he still notices people burst into tears for no apparent reason.

And then, this weekend, this story comes out.
Click Here
It's about depression in children displaced by Katrina. Tens of thousands of children. Following is the first paragraph:

"NEW ORLEANS — As many as 35,000 children — one-third of those across the Gulf Coast still displaced by Hurricane Katrina — are having major problems with mental health, behavior or school, a new study indicates."

People, something needs to be done. Pardon my French, but....America lost an entire fuckin' city. There needs to be a concerted effort to rebuild it and get its citizens back home. NOLA's local government can't do it alone. Louisiana's state government can't do it alone. We need more than money from the federal government. We need some get-er-done attitudes like the military. It scares me to say we need the military itself, but we need some kind of WPA-ish program down here.

We need a leader to take charge, devise a plan, and implement the plan. We need focus. Does NOLA need to be federalized? Can it be federalized? Would federalization just result in carpetbagging? I don't know. But for the sake of so many children, something needs to be done.