or Immediate Release Friday, September 2, 2005
Press Statement Event: Camp Casey Detroit Condemns Lack of Relief in the Gulf Gather Friday at 5:00 p.m., Woodward at Adams Contact: Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice http://www.mecawi.org <http://www.mecawi.org/> http://www.campcaseydetroit.blogspot.com <http://www.campcaseydetroit.blogspot.com/> Tel. (313) 680-5508 Lack of Planning and Massive War Spending Creates Humanitarian Disaster in New Orleans, Gulf States There is an enormous humanitarian disaster in the city of New Orleans where thousands of refugees are suffering immensely from the almost total absence of relief from the federal government. While people die from the lack of health care, water, food and the spread of infectious diseases, the Bush administration has demonstrated its total inability to respond to a crisis. In fact for several years scientists have warned that there was a pressing need for investment in New Orleans and in the Gulf region to prevent such a disaster when a hurricane would strike. Yet the Bush administration, with Congressional approval, made massive cuts to such projects last year in order to take billions of taxpayer dollars to finance the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Other enormous tax cuts were given to the rich over the last four years while urban areas in the United States have become virtually inhabitable. The response to this crisis in New Orleans has been draconian. Governor Kathleen Blanco has ordered police to halt disaster relief and to patrol the streets with "shoot-to- kill-orders" directed at poor and destitute people who are seeking water, food, clothing and assistance for the sick and dying. Local authorities in New Orleans are predicting thousands of deaths as a result of the neglect from the Federal Emergency Manangement Agency (FEMA). Bush in response to offers of international assistance stated Thursday on ABC News that America was capable of handling the crisis. However, the people in the streets of New Orleans, who are largely African-American, are calling for immediate help. This crisis illustrates the dramatic decline of American infrastructure and organizaitonal capacity. The myth of the United States as a technologically advanced nation capable of solving societal problems is evaporating. This is why Camp Casey Detroit has raised the slogan: "Money for Our Cities, Not for War." We are calling on people in the Detroit area to join us tonight after 5:00 p.m. at Camp Casey Detroit, located at Woodward and Adams downtown, for a gathering to reaffirm our commitment to end the war in Iraq and to bring the troops home now. Please come out and bring food, water and other forms of support to the people who have sustained the Camp for 12 days. In addition, we are still mobilizing people for the historic September 24 demonstration in Washington, D.C. For more information contact MECAWI which has buses going to the march outside the White House.
