I had speculated before that the actions of the Gretna police might be representative of their entire town, which had a reputation for racism. I find that speculation unfortunately confirmed.
Quoting the L.A. Times:
Little over a week after this mostly white suburb became a symbol of callousness for using armed officers to seal one of the last escape routes from New Orleans — trapping thousands of mostly black evacuees in the flooded city — the Gretna City Council passed a resolution supporting the police chief's move."This wasn't just one man's decision," Mayor Ronnie C. Harris said Thursday. "The whole community backs it."
I've run out of outrage, and am now just depressed. There is little chance of these people ever being brought to justice, though I can hope that wrongful death lawsuits may eventually emerge.
Hat tip to Majikthise.
Related entries:
- 2005.09.08: Trapped in New Orleans... by the police
- 2005.09.09: Confirmation: Gretna police did trap refugees in New Orleans
Trackback URL for this post:
http://www.resonant.org/trackback/1498
