Mormon Mardi Gras

I have been working out at Camp Williams part of the time.  For those of you in the dark, this is the evacuee site for Utah.  About 300 or so remain, which is a far cry from our expected 2000.  These poor individuals have been plucked off of roofs, rescued from the convention center, or survived the Superdome.  There is no rhyme or reason to who was brought here.  This is the poorest of the poor, mostly African American, Baptist, single, disabled, from East New Orleans.  They have witnessed atrocities of people getting their throats slit, bullet-ridden bodies, rotting corpses, babies dehydrated, and the elderly raped.  I have heard a lot. 

In my opinion, the media has treated these individuals like zoo animals.  Everywhere you turn a camera is being stuck in their faces.  African Americans are a novelty here in Utah.  Which is unfortunate.  However, they should remember they are people not the newest attraction.

I have been to East New Orleans once.  We were warned not to go there because of the crime and because I was White.  A group of students went to a nightclub and I was invited because I was the girlfriend of an African American.  I stuck out like a sore thumb.  Our night ended because there was a violent fight on the dance floor.

It boggles me how people are opening up their homes to others.  I realize everyone is assuming good intent, but really what we really need is some caution.  For one, you don't know if these individuals are the perpetrators or the victims at the convention center.  You don't know if they are the looters or the rapists. 

I spent all day Sunday trying to procure things like eyeglasses, dentures, shower chairs, hearing aids, etc. I also helped set up a mental health clinic, a triage group to go out to the dorms, and some group debriefings.  When we presented our plan to the State, we were told we needed buy off.  From who?  They really didn't know.  The problem is they didn't know who was in charge.  Was it FEMA? Health and Human Services? Red Cross? Governor’s office?  Dept of Homeland Security?  No one knew.  It was the same disorganization that the Nation is seeing on a smaller scale.  Too many good intentions, not enough leaders.

Efforts were concentrated the past few days on playing concierge.  How do we get people outta here if they have ANY connection outside of Utah.  You can imagine quite a few do and they were pretty baffled by the mountains.  However, some I spoke with told me they were staying here.  It was clean, pretty, and we were nice to them.  They liked the mountains (although didn't believe they were real at first) but they didn't exactly know where they were on the map.  No one told them they were coming to Utah.  One guy remarked he thought it was a really long plane ride to get to Houston.

I wonder when will the novelty wear off?  I wonder when Utah will realize we have just inherited a lot of poor, homeless, disabled people...I mean, we really didn't take care of the ones we have already.  When will the LDS church realize these individuals are strong in their faith base and they don't have a bunch of new converts?  When will the evacuees discover our liquor laws and find out that Fat Tuesday is not a National holiday?  What will happen then?

Mormon Mardi Gras.  They throw Books of Mormon everytime someone yells, "Preiate C'ya." and shows off their garments.  Everyone is hyped up on caffeine free coke and kool aid vs. alcohol.  They could have Harry Connick, Jr. do a special number jazz style of "I am a Child of God."  And instead of parade floats, they could do hand carts!!!  Oh wait, that already happens...Days of 47.