This coming Tuesday, January 6th, on PBS, Frontline will air a documentary called " The Old Man and the Storm".
Background:
Six months after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, producer June Cross came across 82-year-old Herbert Gettridge working alone on his home in the lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood devastated when the levees broke in August 2005. Over the next two years, Cross would document the story of the extended Gettridge clan--an African-American family with deep roots in New Orleans--as they struggled to rebuild their homes and their lives. Their efforts would be deeply impacted by larger decisions about urban planning, public health, and the insurance industry, by the decisions of policymakers about federal funding for rebuilding the Gulf, and state and city plans for dispersing those monies. The moving personal story of Mr. Gettridge and his family reveals the human cost of this tragedy, the continued inadequacies of government’s response in the aftermath of Katrina, and how race, class, and politics have affected the attempts to rebuild this American city.
Here is the link to the PBS site for more information.
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2 comments:
Thanks for this info.
I am a PBS addict...especially when it comes to Frontline. I'm a Documentary Geek, and they do some of the best stories.
I just watched the video online. Wow! Another good one from PBS. It was tough to watch though. That Great Grandfather showed a lot of strength and determination.
As for the "official" recovery effort...talk about a debacle! Private companies contracted to handle the recovery program...lining the pockets of their CEO's. And from the Government standpoint... the Feds all but abandoned that city.
The U.S. has been in Iraq for almost 6 years at a cost of $8-$10 billion per month. But they couldn't find the few billion dollars needed to take care of New Orleans?
I hope Obama is paying attention. However, considering his Cabinet choices.... and his stepping back from his own "Change" rhetoric in the Campaign, I don't think he's going to be able to do much better than the current phony President.
The Country is flat broke. Has been for years.
I would rank this one close to the Documentary called "The Storm". Another great one. I actually did one of my Masters projects on the failings of the Federal Government during and after Katrina... showing all the management failures...from the top down to the departmental level.
How long can a Government neglect its own, while squandering its blood and treasure in foreign territory? I ask this all the time... And we are now seeing some of the results of the misguided priorities in this Country. This Country is teetering near a cliff.
I will try to put a link to this documentary in the sidebar.
Good stuff.
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