Posted On: March 28, 2006, 2:11 am CST

Posted By: Mrs. LB

Your veiled slur on my knowledge is ok.
We are used to it. And I am not bitter, just angry. And believe if one does not speak out against wrongdoings, one condones it with one's silence.
I DO NOT want someone to stand on the corner handing me a check and then complain about the amount. (You are confusing me with the system-sucking 4th generation public housing dwellers in New Orleans).
I only want that for which I paid.
Some more facts: Once we escaped (a long and very heroic son-in-law story) we called my carrier's main castastrophic phone number for 6 days and nights before getting through to a recording. Took THREE WEEKS to get a RESPONSE. Meanwhile, stuff sat in the back yard rotting because we were told to not throw anything out until the adjuster could see it. Adjuster came Oct. 17, SIX+ weeks after the storm.
First piddling little check arrived in late November.
I could go on and on telling my story (or complaining as you call it) but again, we are begging that you try to look at it from our standpoint. And again, come see for yourself. It is so easy to judge or state opinion from your comfortable armchair. It's a lot tougher to look the other way when you see and smell it for real.
As for living here, well, I've lived here about 85% of my life. It's what we know. Been through some pretty bad storms dating all the way back to Betsy in '65 and Camille in '69. Dead center in the eye of the storms. And handled them just fine. You see, in the past there were the usual low-lying areas that did get water in hurricanes. It was a given. Those of us who did not get wet immediately went to assist those who did becasue that's just the way we South Mississippians are. But this time was different. 95% of our town got tidal surge, and in the town next to us, 99.5% did, including over 50% of the homes being totally destroyed. So no one could help anyone because no one had anything with which to help each other.
Heck, we think people who live in places that get regular winters full of snow and ice are crazy. And that folks in California are just one more earthquake away from falling off into the ocean.
So, read or not read. That, too, is your choice. As it is mine to continue writing.
God Bless!