The Lost & Scattered Dolls of Big Easy

 
 

Robert Davis

 
 

In 1991, we had Rodney King; in 2005, we have Robert Davis: Are they cases of police brutality?

The police officers delivered on their threats, "I will kick your ass." What they ended up doing to beat, knee and push the hell out of Robert Davis, a retired Elementary school teacher. Ah! this Black senior citizen had some credentials. He is most likely a College graduate. He came back to town to check on his property in the 9th Ward. He approaced a police officer to inquire about the curfew. Another officer intervened and stopped his conversation with horse-mounted officer. "This is rude to interrupt an on-going conversation. You should not stop us." In fact, the three police officers got down to kicking his ass, head, eyes and stomach.

It appears that if one is from a minority group in this group, he/she may be scheduled to get a beating or some type of mistreatment. But this case is different. The victim did not get up from his pool of blood to start saying this is a racial beating or race-motivated incident. Maybe Mr. Davis knows better than that. He does not want to incite any reactions to his beating. Since he is not a hot-headed man, he chooses to fight his case in a court of law. The only common denominator between the two cases was the presence of video cameras. The beating of Mr. Robert Davis was captured on two sets of video. What a brave new world! This may be a good thing for minority people and specially African-Americans or Black people. What if there was a camera capturing every single blow and the use of the plunger in the rectum of the Haitian immigrant in New York? Sometimes, there are no cameras. The police officers can make up reasons.

In Mr. Robert Davis's case, there was no resistance. He was not drunk either. In fact, he has not drunk for 25 years. He could not fight three police officers. Now even the new New Orleans police chief is saying that excessive force may have been used. Now, the officers had to drum up some charges against Mr. Davis. By then, he was vegetating in his own blood. His shirt was already soaked. In this hell, he only heard the voice of a woman crying, "He did not do anything. Leave him alone."

In this destroyed city, the voice of reason was heard. It belonged to a woman. She had to stand up for the man she may have not known before. With courage, she stood up. So did the camera crew who were filming the whole altercation. When the journalist did not want to stop capturing these images, one of the officers went to the journalist and gave a taste of some medicine. He shoved him against the hood of a car.

Retired school teacher, Robert Davis, displayed some wisdom. He also talked about his love for the Big Easy that was also called Big Sleazy depending on the mindset.

The Floodings of New Orleans

List of Organizations Accepting Contributions and Donations for Katrina Relief

Catholic Charities USA, 1-800-919-9338, Hurricane Katrina, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788. You can donate at www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

Christian Contractors Association, 1-800-278-7703, 2009 S Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34604. You can donate at www.ccaministry.org.

Church World Service, 1-800-297-1516, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. You can donate at www.churchworldservice.org.

Convoy of Hope, 1-417-823-8998, 330 S Patterson, Springfield, MO 65802. You can donate at www.convoyofhope.org.

Episcopal Relief and Development/U.S. Hurricane Relief Fund, 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129, P.O. Box 12043, Newark, NJ, 07101-5043. You can donate at www.er-d.org.

Florida Baptist Convention, 1-800-226-8584, Attention: Baptist Men's Department, Hurricane Disaster Relief, 1230 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32207.

Florida Conference United Church of Christ, 407-835-7501, 924 N. Magnolia Ave., Suite 250, Orlando, FL 32803.

Islamic Circle of North America, 718-658-7028, 166-26, 89th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432. You can donate at www.icna.org.

Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Inc., 225-342-7000, 1201 North Third St., Suite 7-240, P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095. You can donate at www.louisiana.gov.

Lutheran Disaster Response, 1-800-638-3522, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. You can donate at www.elca.org.

Mennonite Disaster Service, 717-859-2210, 1018 Main St., Akron, PA 17501. You can donate at www.mds.mennonite.net.

Presbyterian Church, 1-800-872-3283, Attention: PCUSA, Individual Remittance Processing, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15624-3700. Write on check: #000169. You can donate at www.pcusa.org.

Salvation Army, 1-800-725-2769, Salvation Army Headquarters, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313. If you send a check, note "Katrina Disaster relief." You can donate at www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, 770-410-6133, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. If you send a check, make it payable to North American Mission Board. You can donate at www.namb.net/dr.

United Way, Tampa Bay 813-274-0900 or 727-535-3545, 1000 N. Ashley Drive Suite 800, Tampa, FL, 33602. You can donate at www.uwtb.org.

United Jewish Communities, 877-277-2477 or P.O. Box 30, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113. Mark donations "Attention: Hurricane Katrina." You can donate at www.ujc.org.

Faces of Compassion: Former Presidents Bush and Clinton

Both former presidents did a good job drumming up support for the victims of the Asian tsunami. Now they are being called up to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

They'll suit up to help their fellow men and women. They know how to get the job done.

New Orleans Memories will live on: Floods and Heartache Can't Take Them Away

The music is not silent.
It lives in our hearts.
The light may be off
The good 'ol days lived at New Orleans
Are still vivid in my mind
I remember the late stroll
in the French quarter now deserted

The jazz music may be gone for now
The musicians may be flooded out
The artists may have lost their cherised works
The compositions may be wet
The tap shoes may be carried away by waves of despair
But the music will go on.
Long after the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
The memories of these August days may last.
But they will not take away the fun of living

New Orleans's Heritage, Fun, Culture, Jazz Must Be Preserved: How You Can Help

Donations are the first step in aid. Here's a list of the organizations you can send cash to. Turn to the Internet to do so. Please give to web sites of legitimate organizations and beware of e-mails soliciting your credit card information. If you can't leave your job and family to help with the rescue, build schools and homes or run an orphanage, you can send in your monetary donations. Anything will help. Many of these organizations need volunteers. If you happen to have time and the means, put them to good use in the region.

Red Cross: Give to Red Cross

Baptist World Aid: Online Donations

Catholic Relief: Donate online

Christian Children's Fund: Give here

Concern Worldwide, US: Give to Concern Worldwide

Direct Relief International: Donate Online

Food for the Hungry, Inc: Feed the hungry

Habitat for Humanity International: Provide Shelter with your donation

International Aid: Give to International Aid

International Relief Teams: Donate Now

World Vision: Donate to World Vision Now

OxFam America: OxFam can use your donations

Mercy Corps: Donate

Save the Children: Donate to Save the Children