Michael Homan: One of the Millions of Hurricane Katrina Stories

I'm on a self-imposed Katrina media blackout. I just can't deal with everything that I'm seeing, most of it avoidable (or at the very least, could have been better managed). I found this story, however, and literally cried over what is happening to the people in New Orleans. This isn't the sort of thing the news will cover, and it's the sort of thing politicians like to dehumanize.

What really go to me is the part where he talks about his love for his dogs, Kochise and Mosey. I'm a "dog person", too, and anyone that knows me knows that you can mess with me all you want, but you don't mess with my family, and that includes my dog.

There they packed all of us pet owners from Mid City into a cargo truck and drove us away. They promised they would take us to Baton Rouge, and from there it would be relatively easy for me to get a cab or bus and meet the family in Jackson.

But then everything went to hell. They instead locked up the truck and drove us to the refugee camp on I-10 and Causeway and dropped us off. Many refused to get out of the van but they were forced. The van drove away as quickly as it could, as the drivers appeared to be terrified, and we were suddenly in the middle of 20,000 people ...

... There was a group of officials going around and taking people’s animals away. It was then that I decided to try to escape. I knew there were armed looters outside the camp, but there were inside as well, and I had Mosey, who is a pretty big dog and can be scary when she is barking. I could not have ever told my children that I gave up the dogs to save myself.

You just can't make up these kind of horrific acts. There is no worse thing we do than that which we do to each other.