LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY swisscelt)

I just had to share this, from my journal.

"This terror lasted for six days and seven nights, causing many people to take shelter in the tombs.... Nero watched the conflagration from the Tower of Maecenas, enraptured by what he called 'the beauty of the flames'; then put on his tragedian's costume and sang 'The Fall of Ilium' from beginning to end." -Suetonius



Conservatives are saying that we should keep morale up by not criticizing the government at this time. Whose morale? It's not like those in NOLA are surfing the web and watching CNN right now. It's not like those in NOLA are allowed to do much of anything: Reports are coming in of refugees being treated as prisoners of war, herded into unthinkable conditions and held there by armed guards. Rescuers are being held at bay, in both senses of the word "bay": Not only are the waters making approach difficult, but authorities are refusing to allow rescuers to go into some areas. And now the city, at this hour, is burning.

"Pretending to be disgusted by the drab old buildings and narrow, winding streets of Rome, he brazenly set fire to the City; and though a group of ex-consuls caught his attendants, armed with oakum and blazing torches, trespassing on their property, they dared not interfere." [ibid.]

The location of the fires appear to be at the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Also at this hour, an evacuation bus has overturned in Opelusas, Louisiana en route to Dallas on I-49. Tragedy is compounded by error, compounded in turn by incompetence. My fellow Americans, this is your government at work.

There's a big White House sits on a hill just up the road.
The man inside, he cried the day they brought me home.
They folded up a flag and told my Mom and Dad:
"We're proud of your son."

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property.
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done.
I can rest in peace;
I'm one of the chosen ones:
I made it to Arlington. -Trace Adkins, "Arlington"

People are dying. Saints and sinners are perishing. And the Culture of Death that IS American Christianity is rejoicing. Welcome to hell: The Anti-Christ is in power, and all the people said, "Amen."

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised. -Gil Scott-Heron

This post is not cut or filtered. This post is reality. And if it causes you to flinch, look away, or "unfriend" me, I'm fine with that. You want to bitch about Gaza? You want to clack your tongues at the foolish people who built a city in the swamp, as though New Orleans was just the latest fad? Look around you. The world depends on the United States, and the United States depends on Louisiana. The foundation of your house is under water. So go on and scorn. You won't have time to do so later.

What has happened down here is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline -Randy Newman

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'. -Bob Dylan

Think I'm wrong? Watch and learn. I've been right about a hell of a lot more this week.