One Volunteer's story

Marinerhodes

Active member
Hey folks, this is an e-mail my Dad sent me. Make of it what you will.

Doris Martella sent me this in an email--thought you might want to read it--Doris

Ron,

This was sent to me by a retired Lutheran pastor friend. I checked the doctor out on the AMA web site and he is legit.

Jack




Dear Friends:

Thought I might inform the few friends I have on my recent traumatic experience. I am going to tell it straight, blunt, raw, and I don't give a damn. Long read, I know but please do read!!!

I went to volunteer on Saturday at the George R. Brown convention for two reasons.

A: I wanted to help people to get a warm fuzzy.

B: Curiosity.

I've been watching the news lately and have seen scenes that have made me want to vomit. And no it wasn't dead bodies, the city under water, or the sludge everywhere. It was PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR. The people on T.V., (99% being Black) were DEMANDING help. They were not asking nicely but demanding as if society owed these people something. Well the honest truth is WE DON'T. Help should be asked for in a kind manner and then appreciated. This is not what the press (FOX in particular) was showing, what I was seeing was a group of people who are yelling, demanding, looting, killing, raping, and SHOOTING back at the demanded help!!!!! So I'm thinking this can't possibly be true can it???? So I decide to submit to the DEMAND for help out of SHOCK. I couldn't believe this to be true of the majority of the people who are the weakest of society. So I went to volunteer and help folks out and see the truth. So I will tell the following story and you decide:

I arrived at the astrodome only to find out that there were too many volunteers and that volunteers were needed at the George R. Brown Convention Center. As I was walking up to the Convention Center I noticed a line of cars that wrapped around blocks filled with donations. These were ordinary Houstonians coming with truckloads and trunks full of water, diapers, clothes, blankets, food, all types of good stuff. And lots of it was NEW. I felt that warm fuzzy while helping unload these vehicles of these wonderful human beings. I then went inside the building and noticed approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of clothes, shoes, jackets, toys and all types of goodies all organized and ready for the people in need. I signed up, received a name badge and was on my merry way excited to be useful.

I toured the place to get familiar with my surroundings; the entire place is probably around 2 million sq. ft. I noticed rows as far as the eye can see of mattresses, not cots, BLOW UP MATTRESSES!!! All of which had nice pillows and plenty of blankets. 2 to 3 bottles of water lay on every bed. These full size to queen size beds by the way were comfortable, I laid in one to see for myself. I went to look at the medical area. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing!!! A makeshift hospital created in 24 hours!!! It was unbelievable, they even had a pharmacy. I also noticed that they created showers, which would also have hot water. I went upstairs to the third floor to find a HUGE cafeteria created in under 24 hours! Rows of tables, chairs and food everywhere - enough to feed an army! I'm not talking about crap food either. They had Jason's deli food, apples, oranges, coke, diet coke, lemonade, orange juice, cookies, all types of chips and sandwiches. All the beverages by the way were put on ice and chilled!!!! In a matter of about 24 hours or less an entire mini-city was erected by volunteers for the poor evacuees. This was not your rundown crap shelter, it was BUM HEAVEN.

So that was the layout: great food, comfy beds, clean showers, free medical help, by the way there was a library, and a theatre room that I forgot to mention. Great stuff right????

Well here is what happened on my journey -

I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said thank you. Lots of them would shake their heads and ask for sodas! So this went on for about 20-30 minutes until I was sick of being an unappreciated servant. I figured
certainly these folks would appreciate some food!!! So I went upstairs to serve these beloved evacuees some GOOD food that I wish I could have at the moment!

***The following statements are graphic, truthful, and discuss UNRATIONAL
behavior***

Evacuees come slowly to receive this mountain of food that is worth serving to a king! I tell them that we have 2 types of great deli sandwiches to choose from - ham and turkey. Many look at the food in disgust and DEMAND burgers, pizza, and even McDonalds!!!! Jason's deli is better than
McDonalds!!!! Only 1 out of ten people who took something would say "thank you" the rest took items as if it was their God give right to be served without a shred of appreciation!!! They would ask for Beer and liquor. They complained that we didn't have good enough food. They refused food and
laughed at us. They treated us volunteers as if we where SLAVES. No not all of them of course, but 70% did!!!!!! 20% were appreciative, 10% took the food without any comment and the other 70% had some disgusting comment to say. Some had the nerve to laugh at us. And when I snapped back at them for being mean, they would curse at me!!! Needless to say I was in utter shock. They would eat their food and leave their mess on the table. Some would pick up their stuff, many would leave it for the volunteers to pick up. I left that real quick to go down and help set up some more beds. I saw many young ladies carrying mattresses and I helped for a while. Then I realized something. There were hundreds of able bodied young men who could help!! I asked a group of young evacuees in their teens and early twenties to help. I got cursed at for asking them to help!!! One said "We just lost our ****ing homes and you want us to work!!" The next said "Ya Cracker, you got a home we don't" I looked at them in disbelief. Here are women walking by carrying THEIR BEDS and they can't lift a finger and help themselves!!

WHY SHOULD I HELP PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO HELP THEMESELVES!!!!

I waved them off and turned away and was laughed at and more "white boy jokes" were made at me. I felt no need to waste my breath on a bunch of pitiful losers. I went to a nearby restroom where I noticed a man shaving. I used the restroom, washed my hands and saw this man throw his razor
towards the trash can...he missed. he walked out leaving his disgusting razor on the floor for some other "cracker" to pick up. Even the little kids were demanding. I saw only ONE white family and only TWO Hispanic families. The rest where blacks. Sorry 20% to 30% decent blacks, and 70%
LOSERS!!!!!

I would call them N*****S, but the actual definition of a n*****r is one who is ignorant, these people were not ignorant..they were ARROGANT ASSHOLES. The majority of which are thugs and lifetime lazy ass welfare recipients. We are inviting the lowest of the low to Houston. And like idiots we are serving the people who will soon steal our cars, rape, murder, and destroy our city while stealing from our pockets on a daily basis through the welfare checks they take. We will fund our own destruction.

By "US" I don't mean a specific race, I mean the people who work hard, work smart, have values and morals. Only people who want to help themselves should be helped, the others should be allowed to destroy themselves. I do not want to work hard, give the government close to half the money I earn
so they can in turn give it to a bunch of losers.

I don't believe in being poor for life. My family immigrated here, we came here poor, and now thank God, and due to HARD WORK we are doing fine. If immigrants, who come here, don't know the language can work and become successful... WHY CAN'T THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEGROWN DO IT!!! If we continue to reward these losers then we will soon destroy our great
country. I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me, refused my cities generosity, who refuse to help themselves are DEMANDING handouts on their own terms!!!!!!! They prance around as if they are owed something, and when they do receive a handout, they say it's not good enough! Well you know what..these types of people can go to hell for all I care!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard L. Johnston, M.D.
University of Mississippi Medical Center
(It had an address and phone numbers but I did not deem it apprrpriate to list them here).
 
Indeed.

This is truly the other side of the coin they won't show on the news. I've seen it in Indiana and anywhere else I came in close contact with a ghetto. Its the end game of the selfish thinking begun with the logic of the french republican thought and fueled the US revolution and boiled over in the 60's... everyone is a victim and everyone feels they are owed something. Handouts, welfare, lawsuits its all symptomatic of this cancer.
 
OK, maybe I'm way off base here, but I went to the UMMC website and searched for Richard Johnson from their own internal google search:

http://www.google.com/u/umcsearch?q=richard+johnson&domains=umc.edu;umcnews.com&sitesearch=umc.edu

and while they had list after list of teachers, doctors, clinicians, and every possible title you could imagine, there were no Richard Johnson's listed from 2002-2006.

My dad is a Red Cross volunteer, and he went to Houston to help out. Now my dad is about as tough and hard-nosed as they come, and he grew up a white boy in the 40's & 50's on a tobacco plantation in South Carolina.

What he described from Houston was 1000's of shell-shocked, exhausted, scared people of all races (specifically Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and French) who greatly appreciated the wonderful preparations Houstonians had made for them. When folks found out my dad had come from Kansas to help, they routinely blessed him. He talked about families helping families and how everyone was pulling together to help out.

I think I'll stick with my dad's version of what he experienced in the Brown Center in Houston.
 
a slightly racist guy i know went to help with the army, and he also said the people were shocked, exhausted and grateful. i mention that first part because if he's saying this, he means it, because he is not the type to shed positive light on anyone except himself unless absolutely necessary and/or true.
 
ironhorseredleg said:
OK, maybe I'm way off base here, but I went to the UMMC website and searched for Richard Johnson from their own internal google search:

http://www.google.com/u/umcsearch?q=richard+johnson&domains=umc.edu;umcnews.com&sitesearch=umc.edu

and while they had list after list of teachers, doctors, clinicians, and every possible title you could imagine, there were no Richard Johnson's listed from 2002-2006.
You might've been searching for Richard Johnson, but I think the name listed above is Richard Johnston...
 
I too did a search for Richard L. Johnston, M.D. aT UMMC and found nothing.

The moral of the story here is don't believe everything you read in emails. A lot of it is made up. Check out what is said if possible by google, snopes.com & BreakTheChain.org. Also, if you think the claims made in the email are outrageous or unbelieveable, ask the author of the email to provide proof to back up his or her claims.

Just my take on the matter.
 
Ahh I see, well I never researched it. But it would not surprise me if it is true. Some of the people I have seen and worked with in the past DO have that same mentality that was described above. I have been told (and heard in a quote somewhere) "Never believe what you hear and only half of what you see". Either way I won't discount the points that this story makes, maybe just the actual events that transpired.
 
Well, for what its worth, I will discount the points the post makes. I've 20 years volunteering with folks who for any number of reasons are on the lower end of USA's socioeconomic chain. I've seen bad things happen when angry crowds gather (and celebrating crowds for that matter), but the refugees in Houston weren't an angry crowd. They were there because they needed and wanted help. I spoke with my dad last evening and shared the original post with him and he said he didn't experience anything like that. I'm gonna have to stick with him on this one.
 
Back
Top