Fwd: FW: A letter from a Doctor

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---------- Forwarded message ----------

Ward Reilly <wardpeace

Sep 19, 2005 12:48 PM

[NOLA_C3_Discussion] FW: A letter from a Doctor

 

 

 

 

 

This was sent to my friend Cindy Sheehan from a doctor trying to help with

our relief effort...forwarded to me via Dennis K....peace from Ward

>

>

>Dear Cindy,

>

>My name is Stuart Leeds – I'm the family practice MD that you met at the

>storage facility shortly before we all caravanned to Algiers today.

>

>It was a great honor and delight to meet you! I'm also pleased and somewhat

>relieved to have the opportunity to give you a *brief* report on the state

>of affairs visa vi the medical relief effort in the afflicted areas.

>

>In short strokes: people are not getting the help they need, because our

>government, through the agency of FEMA, has totally politicized the relief

>effort. I'm sure you've already gotten wind of the reports that the Bush

>Administration is handing out huge contracts to favored vendors, much as

>they have done in Iraq. But what is not widely known is – and I can verify

>this personally - that FEMA is *preventing* certain groups and individuals

>from participating in the relief efforts. Here's a quick synopsis of the

>experience I and my companions (my wife, and two respiratory therapists)

>had today, in our attempts to offer our services to the Red Cross operation

>in Covington, LA.

>

>We got a call from an official at the Red Cross that the Vets for Peace

>were being invited to send doctors to Abita Springs, a nearby community.

>

>

>When we got there around 9 AM, some of director Dr Rachel Murphy's

>assistants welcomed us, and started making lists of materials we would need

>

>

>Suddenly, a man wearing a Homeland Security shirt came over and rudely

>asked us to leave. He brought a local cop with him, and their body language

>was pretty threatening. We explained that we were coming at the request of

>both Dr. Murphy and the mayor of Covington, Candace Watkins. He (whose name

>was Rodney Hart) would hear none of it from us; he forced us to leave

>immediately.

>

>

>We went to Mayor Watkins, who called Dr. Murphy and arranged for us to be

>allowed into the Red Cross center. We decided that only my wife and I would

>go – realizing that the other gentlemen, who were wearing VFP T-shirts,

>would be less than welcome at the center.

>

>

>We met Dr. Murphy a little after noon, and she was very friendly. She told

>us she would find a place for us to work – I as a physician, and my wife as

>an organizational specialist. However, midway through our tour of the

>facility, she stepped into the office of Mr. Hart, the Homeland security

>rep, and there were some tense words exchanged between them. She repeatedly

>exclaimed that we were not representing VFP, and finally there was a long

>period of silence. Mr. Hart apparently made some gestures we couldn't see.

>She sighed, and turned to us, and abruptly suggested we get some lunch in

>the basement. As we ate, she started talking about how the Red Cross was

>pulling out of her parish within a week, how there were already an excess

>of docs, and that our services wouldn't be needed.

>

>

>She also explained that the reason that VFP was not welcome with the Red

>Cross (or indeed, within the entire parish) was because of a series of

>allegations that we had already heard from others in the center. We had

>heard several conflicting versions of these stories: that someone with VFP

>had stolen $15,000 worth of medical supplies, and that he turned out to be

>a child molester; that the Vets for Peace had come to one center and were

>taking over, and bringing cameras into clinics; that VFP was illegally

>collecting Red Cross donations on the Internet.

>

>We could not substantiate any of these rumors, and indeed, I think it's

>unlikely that there was truth to any of them.

>

>Clearly, FEMA and/or Homeland Security is trying to keep " political

>undesirables " from lending a hand during this catastrophe. Perhaps they are

>marching to orders from Bush's political hacks to preventing peace groups

>from upstaging the administration in the relief effort – which would hardly

>be difficult to do, on anything like a level playing field.

>

>It is so sad to think that the Bush machine would put politics in front of

>the safety and security of human beings, even in a the wake of a natural

>disaster of Katrina's magnitude. But in the eyes of this physician, I

>believe that is exactly what is happening. And it will continue, as long as

>the responsible government agencies can get away with it..

>

>We must hold them accountable. But more importantly, we must let people

>know this is happening, and thus bring such pressure to bear on these

>obstructionist agencies that they can no longer keep VFP, or indeed any

>group of caring citizens from pitching in.

>

>Thanks, Cindy. And keep up the great work.

>

>F.Stuart (Skip) Leeds, MS, MD

>

> I am ready to keep fighting for humanity. I thank you all for joining

>me in the struggle: the fight of our lives.

>

>www.denniskyne.com

>Support the Truth

>

>