Guest guest Posted September 19, 2005 Report Share Posted September 19, 2005 ---------- 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 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.