Murder and rape - fact or fiction?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story ... 32,00.html

Gary Younge in Baton Rouge
Tuesday September 6, 2005
The Guardian

There were two babies who had their throats slit. The seven-year-old
girl who was raped and murdered in the Superdome. And the corpses laid
out amid the excrement in the convention centre.
In a week filled with dreadful scenes of desperation and anger from New
Orleans following Hurricane Katrina some stories stood out.

But as time goes on many remain unsubstantiated and may yet prove to be
apocryphal.

New Orleans police have been unable to confirm the tale of the raped
child, or indeed any of the reports of rapes, in the Superdome and
convention centre.


New Orleans police chief Eddie Compass said last night: "We don't have
any substantiated rapes. We will investigate if the individuals come
forward."

And while many claim they happened, no witnesses, survivors or
survivors' relatives have come forward.
Nor has the source for the story of the murdered babies, or indeed
their bodies, been found. And while the floor of the convention centre
toilets were indeed covered in excrement, the Guardian found no
corpses.

During a week when communications were difficult, rumours have acquired
a particular currency. They acquired through repetition the status of
established facts.

One French journalist from the daily newspaper Libération was given
precise information that 1,200 people had drowned at Marion Abramson
school on 5552 Read Boulevard. Nobody at the Federal Emergency
Management Agency or the New Orleans police force has been able to
verify that.

But then Fema could not confirm there were thousands of people at the
convention centre until they were told by the press for the simple
reason that they did not know.

"Katrina's winds have left behind an information vacuum. And that
vacuum has been filled by rumour.

"There is nothing to correct wild reports that armed gangs have taken
over the convention centre," wrote Associated Press writer, Allen
Breed.

"You can report them but you at least have to say they are
unsubstantiated and not pass them off as fact," said one
Baltimore-based journalist.

"But nobody is doing that."

Either way these rumours have had an effect.

Reports of the complete degradation and violent criminals running
rampant in the Superdome suggested a crisis that both hastened the
relief effort and demonised those who were stranded.

By the end of last week the media in Baton Rouge reported that evacuees
from New Orleans were carjacking and that guns and knives were being
seized in local shelters where riots were erupting.

The local mayor responded accordingly.

"We do not want to inherit the looting and all the other foolishness
that went on in New Orleans," Kip Holden was told the Baton Rouge
Advocate.

"We do not want to inherit that breed that seeks to prey on other
people."

The trouble, wrote Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune is that "scarcely
any of it was true - the police confiscated a single knife from a
refugee in one Baton Rouge shelter".

"There were no riots in Baton Rouge. There were no armed hordes."

Similarly when the first convoy of national guardsmen went into New
Orleans approached the convention centre they were ordered to "lock and
load".

But when they arrived they were confronted not by armed mobs but a
nurse wearing a T-shirt that read "I love New Orleans".

"She ran down a broken escalator, then held her hands in the air when
she saw the guns," wrote the LA Times.

"We have sick kids up here!" she shouted.

"We have dehydrated kids! One kid with sickle cell!"

So what they are saying is no one knows anything.

The Guardian sucks as a newspaper and I would be loath to wipe my ass with it. It is the left's version of Fox news. The truth is prob somewhere in the middle but then people got to write their stories eh?

Rich

I think the Guardian's level of journalistic integrity is quite high, in terms of editorial content, however, it is decidedly left-leaning. The UK broadsheet newspapers all show a high degree of reporting accuracy and integrity in my view, so I wouldn't be so disparaging of it. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's a tome that I would have a lot of faith in, in terms of getting the FACTS straight.

The Guardian, Observer and Independent are probably the three "best" UK newspapers. I think the Telegraph is up there too. The rest are all fairly moronic. Thankfully, news is nowhere near as politicised as it is in the US and there's not SUCH a scenario of all the heads of TV/newspaper companies being in the commercial pocket of government, although I guess in time it could go that way. For me, the BBC are about the most unpoliticised news body in the country, although I agree that of late the company has become slightly more left-leaning; Channel 4 is another excellent station for news and comment which has recently become much more even-handed and apolitical.

The Guardian is nowhere NEAR as politicised as Fox News, that's just plain wrong really. As someone who's experienced both the UK and US media from within both countries, there really isn't a media body I'm aware of in the UK that is as polarised in its opinion as Fox is, left or right.

While I do agree that Rather's report source was completely fake, no one was able to prove that W did not shirk his guard duties.

This message will self-destruct in ten seconds.

I know for a fact that there was more than 1 rape inside the Astrodome (well I know there is more than 1 alleged victim). I didnt see it happen so I cant say I know it happened.

There has also already been one evacuee that came to Dallas arrested for aggravated sexual assualt of a 13 years old. This animal raped a relative of his while he was staying at their house.

I am neither a Donkey or Elephant

but often am disgruntled about the way things are (not throwing blame here)

but you really have to question the state of both education and healthcare in this country? I mean is there anything more important than mind and body??

I do have issues with the war but rather than go on and on, lets just simplify (although war is never simple yada yada yada!)

-No wmds
No more saddam

lets get the f out!

Our resources could be better used elsewhere....