[From the diaries by susanhu. Great reporting, BostonJoe!] I am apoplectic. Is that a word?
I am just listening to a story by Phyllis Petrich. I emphasize the RICH part of her name. She was rescued from the Ritz-Carlton hotel. She is now safely home in Baltimore. Her story, after the flip.
She told all this to Wolf Blitzer. I have no trascript yet. But, I took notes as best I could. She had talked to Wolf yesterday, I believe it was. She was distressed at the hotel at that time. Very worried for the safety of her group in the Ritz-Carlton. Oh the fucking horrors they faced.
Well, today, she calls Blitz from Baltimore and describes her escape from New Orleans. Shortly after she talked to Wolf yesterday, they started to hear helicopters. Then they were told that they needed to evacuate the hotel. But, she didn’t trust that information, because they had been told that before.
But, this time it was for real. She had to wade through water contaminated with feces though. Horrible. Fortunately some doctors who were with the group were able to “commandeer” or “appropriate” (I can’t remember her word choice, but it was classic) some anti-biotics from a nearby Walgreens, to innoculate them from the effects of the feces. I am only reading this next part into her voice, but I think I could almost hear it. I think the feces were from (whisper here) Black People.
It got better.
They (the official government response team, I am assuming) said they were sending 8 busses to get the rich refugees out of the Ritz-Carlton. But they actually sent 18, says Phyllis, happily. Thank goodness. And they were accompanied by helicopters. With searchlights, so they could, “search the area for any snipers, that, you know, might want to shoot us.” I paraphrase here, but that is pretty close.
They made it out. I am so happy for her. The were taken to a Baton Rouge hotel, given food and drink, and assured they would be flown home soon. Which she was.
God Bless America. And FEMA, or whoever rescued Phyllis.
I know it is wrong to rag on Phyllis. I don’t even know if she is rich or white. I am only guessing from her voice, her sense of entitlement, and her choice of hotels at her vacation spot. But this makes me want to vomit.
This is so fucked. I am now thinking five or six figures of mostly black people are dead. And, that I have to hear from this sniveling person twice in a 30 hour period on national cable news — this tourist who made a privileged escape on Thursday, before those who died at the dome or the center, and everywhere else — makes me fucking sick.
