ITS ABOUT TIME WE STOP FEELING SORRY FOR THESE PEOPLE AND LET THEM TAKE CARE OF THERE HOMES AND STATE..THE GOV. HAS HELPED THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.TEXAS HAS HELPED THEM, SO NOW ITS TIME FOR THESE PEOPLE TO HELP THEM SELVES.. THERE ARE PLENTY OF JOBS FOR THEM SO GUESS WHAT LET THEM GO TO WORK AND LET THEM FIX THERE PROBLEMS..

It's nice to see that MSNBC still cares enough to keep this site running.

Thank you MSNBC for allowing a voice for South Mississippi. Your devotion to this site has been comforting despite some of the ignorant comments about the progress on the coast.

As a lifelong resident of Pascagoula, MS it is so uplifting to witness the response of countless volunteers and workers. Unfortunately those who do not understand the extent of the damage also do not understand our experience after the hurricane. I would like to make it clear that we are no longer looking for sympathy. We have picked ourselves up by the bootstraps, and we are moving on with our lives. Many things are as normal as they can be here on the Coast, and we are optimistic about the future. People are getting new jobs and we are fixing our problems. We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of help in our area. We are aware of the many things others have done.

As each day goes by we count our small victories and look ahead to tomorrow. I would hate for the Gulf Coast to get a reputation of anything but a welcoming, loving community. That is the reason so many are choosing to stay. The people on the coast are unlike any other. We are resilient. We have survived, and we are moving ahead.

I can't even believe you wrote something that lame Mr.Texas man.FEELING SORRY? I think that's the last thing people that have been devistated from this hurricane are doing! I for one lost my mother and by the grace of God my sister was spared. She has had nothing but a long road after loosing her home,belongings,job, her life she was living there in Bay St. Louis. I went there to get her and I will tell you the road to have anything close to normal for these people is a long way to come,and unless you are one of these people trying to get help....don't praise what the wonderful goverment is doing for them because it's sad......

I would like to say that I appreciate the fact that there are still people out here in america that actually have a heart and can feel what others feel just like it were their own situation. Regardless if it takes help from people in other states for years, it's worth it to help another person. If there are some who do not like the way we help people here in America, move! That's what we do. Get use to it!

BERNIE - Please take a ride down to Bay St Louis and Waveland. Sit with a family in a FEMA trailer who are fighting with their insurance company because they refuse to pay. See the men who lost their business and again no insurance settlement yet so they can get back to work.
Yes, there are many on the road to recovery BUT there are many tied up in the system. There are more people NOT getting help than ones who are.
You know nothing of what is going on down here. Every family has their own story. As Mayor Longo of Waveland said it we have many elderly residents with little or no insurance sitting in their FEMA trailer just waiting, who might end up dying that way, waiting.
Do you want that for yourself or your family.
You need to shut up and come down here and spend one weekend helping these people so you can educate yourself on what has been lost in this two cities.
(Lets not forget the schools and the children. Trust me the money is not pouring in for them. They too need help and support.)

I have just returned from Pass Christan for the first time. I meat some of the pople and they are great. I work with a chruch group to help where we could . I must tell you that it will be a long time for those that live there, but I seen why they love the coastly area so much. There is alot of work to be done and those I spoke to said that most is beening done by indivuals not goverment. The out pooring of help and goods was amazing.Those that are there want the rest of the world to know that things are still very harsh and there help is still needed.

Mr. Bryant, I suggest it is appropriate for you to criticize only after the next F6 tornado trashes north Texas from Weatherford to Beaumont and then ONLY after you have spent the following five months trying to rebuild your life in Fort Worth without clean water, power, sanitation, a home or a job.

i can't believe there would be anyone out there that thinks the people of that area has gotten to much help. what would be to much food,& shelter, i think that's about all most of them has gotten. i visited new orleans last feb. it was a wonderful trip we met many wonderful people ate fantastic food enjoyed the scenes on burbeon st. visited all the places that is of intrest to visitors, i can't imagine what those areas look like today, i'm glad i have the memories from 1 year ago and not what i see on t.v. today. i hope if you want in that area you get you will rise and shine again & i can't wait to get back there for a visit

To all including Bernie,
Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy. Like many tragedies before her, we have learned that life does progress. No one disputes this. The problem is that we live in a world where daily we are innudated by the media regarding death and destruction. Not only in the US but in other countries as well. I know I cannot turn on the T.V without hearing that someone or many people have passed away due to war, violence, natural disasters etc. I am not suggesting that we not be informed but I am saying that because of this, our ability to absorb the enormity of what happened is diminished, not only by ignorance , but by our minds protective denial of our world as it exists today. We become immune, so to speak. To comprehend and sympathize and pray for the enormous amt of lives lost daily and for their families is a full time job. (and we are all at fault, many people are still displaced by the Tsunami, and countless other tragedies world wide) This task can be extremely sad and depressing and for most people it is easier to turn away and deny their feelings regarding such loss. With the advance in technologies, our lives are moving at such a fast pace that we hardly have a moment to reflect on what has actually happened, unless we experience it ourselves. Globally, thousands of souls are lost due to disease, destruction, violence and natural disasters. Be steadfast in Christ. Be deligent in awaiting His return. For that day will come like a theif in the night and He will deliver this world from the destruction happening all around us. He calls out to you in such times to humble yourselves before him. Call upon him and he will answer. Turn your hearts to Christ and his blessings will pour out; like a cup runneth over. Our Faith. our souls, our world rests in Him.

It is apparent that you have no compassion Bernie. The people of this state have done more to help themselves than those in surrounding states. Have you been here? Have you seen the devastation first hand? Mississippi has had to do for themselves because the whole world seems focused on New Orleans. Before you run your mouth about what you do not know perhaps you should visit. Or perhaps you should come and help with the rebuilding. On second thought the people of Mississippi don't need people like you. We can and will take care of our own.

Mr.Bryant has the right idea, just maybe the wrong wording. You should not rely on the gov. Believe
me I know. Iam from Pensacola, Fl. And we will
feel bad for any person
that has to go threw something like this.

I disagree with Mr. Bryant from Ft. Worth, TX. The survivors of Hurricane Katrina have been through a devestating ordeal. I believe the majority of the "affected", including all those at local and state government positions, have some level of "Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder". I cannot fathom anyone who has lost so much and been through this amount of pain and anguish, not have mental and emotional scars barring them from moving from the "before-and- after-Katrina-life", so soon. At least give them time to heal a little more and move gradually into a more "normal" and functioning presence in society.

I believe the government, especially the Homeland Security Administration, owes the survivors MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Mr. Bryant, I say this on behalf of all the Texans, like myself, whom you just maligned with your ill informed tirade. YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! I spent 7 days in Waveland rebuilding a playground at their elementary school in early January and I can tell you that these people have more dignity and grit than any I have ever encountered in my life. I can also tell you that despite the fact that many of their jobs are gone, their homes are gone, they have lost loved ones, friends, pets, and anything recognizable in their hometown, they still get up every single day and do what they can to make a difference wherever they can. They are genuinely appreciative of the efforts made on their behalf by those both near and far.
When you hear someone say, "you can't believe it unless you see it". That is the God's honest truth. Even the word devastated does not begin to describe what Katrina did to Waveland. Leveled, wiped clean, decimated are more appropriate. Imagine standing in one spot where you can turn 360 degrees and not see anything that remotely resembles what was once a structure... nothing. That would be Waveland. FEMA - never saw them. Red Cross - never saw them. Salvation Army - never saw them either. They may have been there, but what I did see is a lot of good hearted people who had taken the time out of their lives to help their fellow American in need. Not because they were paid for it, not because the government sent them, just because they cared enough to reach out.
Furthermore, I never saw even one person while I was there just sitting around doing nothing. NOT ONE! Everybody is working their tails off to help return to some level of normalcy. Many are working their jobs during the day and returning home to work on their homes at night and on the weekends. The level of effort is staggering and the logistics are more than most people have ever encountered in a lifetime much less the last 4 months.
Well Mr. Tin Man, I hope that others do not see your sad commentary as an endorsement of the citizens from Great State of Texas but rather the pathetic rantings of one single insensitive individual. I find your level of compassion completely underwhelming! Texans have and will continue to have a heart. I am living proof!

For the last 2 summers, my husband and some of our friends vacationed with my sister, in Ocean Springs MS. We have come to love the coast and were horrified at what we saw on the news shortly after the hurricane. My sister kept saying "you really can't appreciate the full scope of the devastation until you see it in person". We surprised her with a visit over Christmas and she was right. It is hard to put into words what we saw - FEMA trailers next to empty lots, people's belongings (5 months after the disaster!) still hanging in trees or along the road, whole communities just GONE!! But everywhere we went, we saw clear evidence of people struggling to get back to any semblance of "normal". Bernie should get off his high Texan horse and credit these people with the courage and sheer grit it has taken to get them where they are today - all, I might add, in the face of slow-moving government "assistance" and down-right piracy of the insurance companies. Shame on you, Bernie for being so short-sighted and hard-hearted!

Bernie, I think I know the people you are referring to. I agree, If you only had a minimm wage paying job, rented a one bedroom apt. and used the transit system to get around, get out of there and get on with your life. You only see TV the people who want hand-outs, not the people who NEED them.

Are you kidding me? How bleeding ignorant and ill-informed can one person be? I can only hope that all your fellow Texans are not so lacking in compassion Mr. Bryant. One day you may need some relief from a tragedy and let's just see how your ignorant opinion will be changed.

I was in Bay Port Miss. two weeks after the storm with a church group and I can tell you that even with Government help these people have a long way to go.The distruction was worse than bombing runs I saw in Viet Nam.I plan to go back shortly to see what I can do again and I encourage any one who thinks differently to go see for your self,don't forget to take a picture of your undamaged home with you to compare.

Mr Bryant, How dare you come here and make such comments. You should be ashamed my friend.
I live in a little town that was devistated.
Bayou la Batre Alabama. I have lived on the Gulf Coast all my life and these hurricanes are a fact of life that goes with living here. People come together and help each other out, and if other people feel compelled to help, they will.
Its cold hearted people like you, sir that you should beg the lord for forgiveness.
Be ashamed sir, be ashamed.

Mr. Bryant,
I live in Gulfport, MS. The day after Labor Day I was at work. I am a widow,dealing with all this has been mind boggling!FEMA gave me nothing, the Red Cross gave me nothing, I did get food stamps. I still have debris in my yard that is supposed to be picked up. But you know, I'm blessed-I have my home and have not had as much trouble with my insurance as some. DO NOT lump the people of MS with the whiners from New Orleans. We have persevered and will rebuild. We are not asking for sympathy. How would you like to ride out 200 MPH winds with your wife and 3 children in a boat? One family I met did-they were happy they were here still and trying to put their lives back--no home, no FEMA trailer, just trying to rebuild their home and lives. As they say in the south- come on down--we'll give you humble pie to eat!

Bernie, you have absolutely NO idea what you are babbling about! I have many friends in Bay St. Louis and I have been there 3 times since the hurricane. I would like to know what are these plentiful jobs that you speak of? You don't comprehend that there is nothing there but piles of rubble. The people of that area are dealing with something that very few in this country have ever had to deal with.
I'm from Texas and I have to say that I'm a lot prouder of the Bay St. Louis & Waveland residents than I am of anyone in Texas that feels the way you do. Those people don't deserve what you said. Bert is correct sir, you should be very ashamed!!

I feel truly saddened by the plight of the hurricane survivors. I also feel a tinge of compassion with Bernie, especially after seeing the diet of dispair fed to us daily from the media and hearing the whine from the folks that have been fed hand to mouth all of their lives. I do become infuriated at the lack of gumption these folks have - that is my human nature. HOWEVER, as part of a giving group from a Southern Baptist Church, I have been witness to the outpouring of hands on help from the Christian community. Many hours have been spent in shoveling debris, sawing trees, and cleaning up the trash in many areas of the destroyed communities. Fortunately, this is done out of love and not for money from any branch of government. What I have seen is a genuine gratitude from those whose lives have been impacted by the volunteers' willingness to give freely of themselves. They have sacrificed their time and money to make a difference and it is appreciated. What I have also seen is the lack of leadership at the local and state government levels. Why is no one taking charge of this mess? Dollars are flowing like the flood waters into black holes of greed. If someone with authority does not make a stand and take over, the money will be gone and the destruction will remain. Let us pray that the Lord will raise up someone to stand in the gap and finish (begin)this task. Let us also pray that someone will find a way to encourage those who are unwilling to make an effort to begin to pull themselves out of this mess. The addage "God helps those who help themselves" is untrue. God helps us all - especially the weak - he helps us to be strong..

Wowsers... just lemme say one thing... I'm 17... i go to school in Missouri... and in my school flooded many many hurricane victims and seeing the lifeless faces that were in front of me... the children who basically had no say of where they went and what they do is horrifying... I for one do feel the deepest of sympathy...the closet thing i have lost to mother nature is almost my house..but my horse barn...due to a stupid tornado that ripped thru my small village.. honestly... Mr.Fort Worth Dude... you need to look at the big picture... would you want the government to help you if fort worth was totally demolished by a tornado... or a fire...or idk.. something big... i know i would... i couldn't do it on my own... and i know that people are tired of the government using their money to fix their fault..but that still is no reason to say don't give these people sympathy...cuz they need all the love and support they can get.. and if thats a smile..then give em a smile... and if thats a job..by Golly...give em a job...it's not easy rebuilding your whole life...especially in a town where there's nothing left to rebuild... so before you go on blabbering about how we need to let people loose... thing about what foundation they have to stand on...and right now thats nothing...

There has been a lot of money miss handled during the wake of katrina. People continue to place blame on the victim of this storm. It is being said that the money is dwindling fast. The goverment should have given these people hypotically hundreds of thousands a piece and allowed the people to held responsible, governed and screened carefully, before giving out the money. They should have been allowed to manage their own cleanup and relocation if they had wanted. They could have rebuilded their own home. Instead, they put alot of money grubbers in the wrong place and now the money is in the hands and homes of the caregivers that is suppose to be finning for the victims. They should have allowed the people to think for themselves and be held accountable if the money was not put to good use. Now the money is just about gone and who should we blame, certainly not the REFUGEES!!!!!!!

BERNIE IS FROM TEXAS! what else is there to say. I once lived in the great city of New Orleans and frequented Bay St.Louis and Waveland on weekend rides with my wife. It was a lovely place to watch the sea and enjoy the gulf way of life. To see what has happened is impossible to imagine..I often run through my old slides and can only remember. I can only say not being there after the hurricane that the memories I have of those wonderful people and the exquisite architecture of the verandas and porches facing the gulf can never be replaced. Bernie belongs to a mean spirited league of what these "United" States have become. From what I see posted here there still is hope for a united community of folks helping folks. Is this the America I know? I hope so.

Bernie you are a loner in a lone star state. Perhaps you can take back the "compassionate" conservative who cares so little about what is going on.

God bless us all in these trying times. my prayers are for all of the people on this earth. we well prevail but only if we belive.
Mr.M.Quick 3-11-06
11:30pm

I live in Fort Worth Texas too and I am ashamed to live in the same town as this Bernie guy. My family lives in Gulfport Ms and I'm glad they are ok. I went down there for Mardi Gras this year and was shocked at the distruction I saw there. I took pictures while I was there if anyone wants to see them I will be happy to share. I even took pictures of the new wall dedicated to hurricane katrina. Everything I have ever known on that coast was just gone! You cant say turn right at the walmart cause there is no walmart anymore! Its gone! People arent feeling sorry for themselves they are all working hard to build it back. If a tornado leveled Fort Worth then I bet Bernie would be the first one to pick up and move to another town or state. He wouldnt be one of the people to rebuild. People of Mississippi are tough as nails and will over come this disaster! With or Without anyones help! Pictures online can not even begin to show you how bad off this state is! I am still in shock from what I saw and I went from Biloxi to Pass Christian all along highway 90 till they stopped us from going further! All those beautiful homes are all just gone. Bernie try losing something that massive in one day and see how you feel. I bet your sorry butt would take time to feel sorry for yourself. Mississippi will rise again!

I was born & raised in Houston,Texas and we never had much use for folks from Dallas/Ft. Worth. But I remember a time when Ft. Worth was hit with a monster tornado. It destroyed, when it sat down, a populated mall. with people in it. Then they were gone. In a blink of an eye. GONE.
Now, you may expect me to say that Bernie should have been one of those GONE people. But I won't. You see Bernie and people like him are what make the rest of us human. They show us & give us the impetus to change. To grow away from our insensitive, uncompassionate, hateful attitudes. without folks like Bernie, I would see no reason to change into the person the God of my understanding wants me to change into. So, much like the cockroach, Bernie does serve the purpose of a higher authority.
And even if a person of his sort doesn't motivate you to change, blow him off. He doesnt count in your daily struggle nor in the long run of things.
I moved to the Gulf Coast in 1979. To the Kiln to be exact. I hated it. A city kid from Houston now stuck in the Kiln (before Brett)(no offense to Mr. Farve). It wasnt til about 20 years later that it dawned on mw with the clarity of a quasar. The very thing that I had hated the most had provided me with what little character, values and education I have. It wasnt til I moved away that I found out how much I had learned. Work ethic, a sense of responsibility, pride in community, appreciation of family.And of God. For that I will never be ashamed and always grateful. I hope I can teach my son the same things those folks taught me.
People give us such a crappy reputation of hate & violence. I lived there fro over 20 years & never saw any of it. People helped others. People care. People will say hello whether they know you or not.
So, dont sweat the Bernie's of this world. They are the exception to the rule. they are basically superflous. Thats mean, but at least I know that it is.

Plus, the government (mainly in the form of USAF personnel) were right there to lend a hand.
Interesting fact. Before the tornado in Ft. Worth, there were homes that had signs for "Airmen & Dogs keep off the grass". But that attitude vanished the minute they needed people to pull dead & mangled bodies from that shopping mall. United States Air Force (fed. govt.) personnel.

to bernie from ft worth, i wish u knew the truth about the whole situation. people cant get jobs from a business that no longer exists or that doesnt make money to pay them to work. those that were displaced have to compete for jobs in their new city. those left in new orleans have to make it the only way they know how. the cost of living is way higher now since new orleans is only half a city now if that. get educated before you make untrue statements about something you dont know about!

you go kim from ft worth..i was just in biloxi last week and i saw all the devestation too. i took pics. i remember the president casino and its gone! all the houses along 90 in biloxi beach and long beach are gone!!!!! i was so sad!! long live mississippi

ok lets NOT slam texans because we DID take in a vast majority of new orleans people joseph from boston. thats just ONE idiot out there. the rest of us did what we could to welcome everyone.

It really makes me sick to the stomach hearing different people criticizing the survivors of Katrina. Until you have walked in their shoes, lived their lives and suffered their pain, you'll never understand the devastated affect of the storm. Stress killed my friend, some committed suicide, many are homeless, women, men and children. Some were placed without their children, husbands, and other family members. Many elderly suffered the worse, some being all alone without any resourses due to miscommunicaton or simply not having anyone to advocate for them. "FEMA representatives aren't all of that to many". They are rude, ignorant to the fact, short patience, and most of all, not helpful. Members of my own family from New Orleans are still trying to get FEMA's assistance today. Before you are quick to judge, live without electricity for one week, do a #2 into a bucket instead of a toilet, eat cold food or scrapes, live without your babies, husbands, moms or dads; better yet sleep outside with all the insects and lose your privacy for a while. Are you still quick to judge? Those were a few highlighted situations among many more untold stories.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE VISTIED THE CASINOS IN BAY ST LOUIS MANY TIMES AND HAD DROVE THUR GULF PORT & BILOXI AREAS. THE LAST TIME WAS 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE STORM HIT.

I actually agree with the person below. It is going to be a year soon and its time for everyone to move on. Hurricanes happen. Its one of the risks of living in the southern states. Lets move past this and prepare for yet anyother Hurricane season. Florida goes through hurricanes all the time, we still aren't talking about them. I think its about time you take down this site and let everyone move on.

I am from the gulf coast and I too lost during katrina. my family had to leave and the feeling that you leave and do not know if you are coming back to anything is the most horrible feeling in the world. True enough some people abused FEMA and the red cross and it is THOSE poeple who should be taking offense to such derrogotory comments that some people leave.

My mom just got back from a week long trip to the coast where she helped a church group from N.C.that has been there helping since after the storm. She is a doctor so she spent most of her time in a clinic treating patients who no longer have health care. The stories she told were unimaginable.. One family she saw said that they climbed up in a tree to escape the storm where they sat for nearly two days while they watched everything they owned wash away underneath them.. they got boards that were floating by to make a place for the children to lie down..all the families down there have similar stories like this.. she said that in waveland only about 30 homes were not completely destroyed!!! Imagine if a place like New York city were wiped off the map with only 30 homes left standing? Would we still have the same reaction? i grew up vacationing on the coast and seeing all the beautiful homes as you drive along the coast of biloxi.. such a beautiful sight.. and i cried when my mom told me that none of those homes were still standing.. I will admit that over the past few months i have wondered why it is taking so long to rebuild? In our fast paced society we think that we can just snap our fingers and things be done.. but in all reality it has taken years for these cities to be develpoed to what they were before katrina.. you just cant rebuild that overnight..

I must say that the news DID NOT portray the accuracy of the devestation that Katrina brought to them. I went down for a week to help out in June. I was awestruck at the level of devestation to this day, one year later. These people have lost everything, they cant go out and find jobs, they need to have their homes back for security. I dont understand what happened to all the donated money, these people lost loved ones, pets, friends, homes, all there belongings. They need HELP and bad. I respect each and every person down there. May God help them to find forgiveness from nasty people all over the world. It only takes one to help and convey the message for rebuilding New Orleans. It was so sad to see where residents USED to live and what is left of it. And the compassion the residents have for US as strangers coming in to help. It was very moving for me, an event I will never forget as long as I live. I cant wait to come back and help more.

BERNIE,
HONEY THE OUGHT TO PROP YOU UP IN THE CORNER FOR A MONTH AND IGNORE YOU AND YOUR NASTY COMMENTS! PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE THE ONES WHO DONT HELP OUT AND DONT VOLUNTEER, SO PLEASE MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND GO SIT WITH THE REST OF THE LOSERS!

I am originally from pascagoula ms. My sister and brother in law live in vancleve. I also have other relatives in pascagoula and moss point as well as other dear friends. These people as well as the other people in the surrounding states have suffered a terrible tragedy in their lives.
Some have lost everything some were spared the loss of everything. I went to the coast twice on vacation to help . I saw a lot of destruction and loss as I traveled from louisiana to the alabama border on my trip across the coast.
mr bryant until you suffer thru a 30 ft high surge of water that washes away your home , job, and leaves you with absolutely nothing you should
SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE

Mr Bernie i hope you understand what it is we survivors are going through.I was living on hwy 90 in Biloxi during the hurricaine .I have nothing now.I lost my home ,my car,my job,my school(i was attending college at tulane)and i have yet to get ahold of most of my friends.I was given no help after the hurricaine nor did i ask for any i have worked my butt off in the past year to get some kind of normalcy back in my life as are most people in this community.I hope one day your pea brain can comprhend this.As for my fellow Biloxians i pray for you daily .We will survive!!!!!

I have first hand experience in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina having spent siand a half months working form Biloxi into Waveland while camping out in Pearlington. No area was more devastated than Bay St. Louis and Waveland. It is still the singlemost area in need of all the help it can get. I applaud the N.Carolina Baptist Men's Assoc for a gallant showing in the region as well as the many other volunteers from around the country. I wish to return to the area to further assist those in need in the near future. May God be with and comfort the citizens of the Gulf Coast.

Bernie, Bernie, Bernie; you post smacks of a total lack of comprehension of what happened to my coastline. For your information I'm a lifelong resident of Pascagoula, MS.

You seem to be running with this woefully misguided notion that we all just sat around and waited for folks like you to rebuild our lives. That is so far away from fact, but please don't let that get in your way.

I was here in my home during the storm. We were being told to expect a tidal surge of around 12'. Because our home was located 2 miles from the beachfront and at a elevation of 16'; we decided to stay.

I've been through one storm after another. My home is built to withstand wind speeds of 150mph so given all of that information we decided to stay instead of running the risk of sitting that storm out on some highway in our car. (You would be stunned to know how many endured that fate.)

I'll admit I've seen much worse in the way of winds. But the water! The water! My God, it just kept coming. There was a point that we easily had 5' outside and 3' inside of the house. We just knew the windows would implode but they held.

The water left with as much force as it came in with. Stunned and a bit more than dazed we watched the water receede to see what was left of our lives. Three cars gone, and our home devasted. We had a roof and walls around us but you can not imagine what 3' of water filled with sewage will do for you home.

By the end of Tuesday, we had ripped the carpet and flooring out of the home. The remainder of that day was spent trying to clean the concrete that was now our floor so that it would be safe to walk on...we had no shoes...they too washed away.

Wed. was spent with us ripping out walls so the home could dry and be somewhat mold free. Yep, we dragged all that debris to the road to be picked up...one day.

We were some of the lucky ones, no one in my family died. Everyone in my family had the right kinds of insurance to cover the disaster.

I was back at work just 8 days after that monster of a storm came ashore.

Sitting around on my butt?! Now way! I was too damn busy trying to get started on my home, dealing with insurance adjusters more concerned with how little they could get by with paying out than what was needed to restore our home, helping my mother deal with the lose of her home, attending funerals for people who were not fortunate enough to survive, working in my community to help get it back to as close to normal as was possible to be concerned with what the government was going to give me. BTW, I didn't recieve a damn dime of your precious tax dollars.

The truth is I probably donated more in time, money, and sheer effort than you could even imagine.

Do you think I'm one in a million...do you think I'm special? If you do it's only because you have never had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know someone from the beautiful Mississippi Coast.

We maybe down sir. But we will rebuild, better, stronger, and more beautiful than ever. I'm ever so grateful I will not have to issue a single thank you to a selfish, self-serving, egotistical, twit like you.

For those that have given their help, their prayers, their support, or just a shoulder to cry on...thank you, thank you, thank you!

Your generousity has not been wasted and is more appreciated than words can ever express.

I'm a resident of Baton Rouge, LA and i have to say i agree with the guy from Texas it has been 2yrs now and still all you hear is the complaining from the New Orleans citizens now i'm not saying all of them aren't trying to do something for themselves but a huge majority of them just want to keep getting handouts, it comes a point in time when you have to say o.k since it's not coming to me i have to go out and get it myself and i mean the legal way since they have come here it's been so much crime and from what i hear in Texas and Atlanta also, if your not pleased with where you are go back to N.O. and rebuild your own city and make a positive contribution instead of complaining and telling the same stories and get on with your lives the world hasn't stop turning because of what has happened 2years ago, pick up the pieces and and move on.