[Peace-discuss] Correction to Chuck Minne's post about obnoxious Hurricane Katrina worker

[Phil Stinard]

Hello,

Since the article that Chuck posted seemed so outrageous, I decided to do 
some fact-checking on it, and I emailed the person whose name appears at the 
bottom of the post.  Here is what I heard back.  Please do NOT forward this 
post any further--it's ruining the poor guy's career:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>From : 	Ricky Johnston <rickyj7 at bellsouth.net>
Sent : 	Tuesday, November 1, 2005 5:22 PM
To : 	"Phil Stinard" <pstinard at hotmail.com>
Subject : Re: Clarification on an "article" circulating on the internet.


I did not write the story but I found it on an internet message board where 
it had been posted anonymously.  Although I did not agree with the tone, 
vulgarity, or insensitive commentary, I did regrettably copy it from this 
message board and forward it on to some friends.  When I did so, my email 
block signature (w/ all of my contact info) was inadvertently attached to 
the bottom of it, causing people to mistakenly attribute the authorship to 
me. My original message even contained a comment from me at the top stating 
that I hoped that this wasn’t representative of actual events.  I made a 
very bad error in judgment in deciding to forward this on, and I deeply 
apologize for any hurt or discomfort I've caused others by doing so.  I’m 
asking everyone who contacts me to please delete the message.  If, however, 
you decide to forward it on, please delete my name and contact info from the 
bottom of it.  I have also asked those courteous enough to check with me to 
"reply all" to the person who sent it stating that you confirmed that I am 
not the author and do not wish to have my name associated with it.  I can't 
confirm the validity of the statement as I did not witness it or speak to 
anyone who did.  I have not even been to Houston in 10 years.  I currently 
am working at the VA medical center here in Jackson and in the days after 
the hurricane, I spent nearly 4 days straight at the hospital caring for 
many displaced veterans who had nowhere else to turn.

If you wish to read more, see below for several links related to this 
subject: (the one on urban legends reports to have communicated w/ the 
original author)

Thanks,
Ricky Johnston

1. Snopes article on the subject -

http://www.snopes.com/katrina/personal/volunteer.asp



2. Urban Legends article on the subject –



http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_so_i_volunteered.htm



3. What appears to be the original posting of the story (but I found it a 
different site where it had been copied from this one).



http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=22714973&blogID=45938031&Mytoken=20050903210145



4. A link to the profile of the guy who is appears was the original author –



http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=22714973&Mytoken=3E3AD5F8-D705-4A4E-9425917684FF6135639632828



    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Phil Stinard
    To: rickyj7 at bellsouth.net
    Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 6:10 AM
    Subject: Clarification on an "article" circulating on the internet.

    Hello,

    This is circulating on the internet, and I was wondering whether you 
wrote
    it, or whether you were the person who forwarded it, of whether you have
    nothing to do with it.  If you reply, I'll send a clarification to the 
email
    list I saw this in.  The way this is presented, with your name and 
address
    immediately after the rantings of some poor lost soul, makes it look 
like
    you wrote it...

    --Phil Stinard




>Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 22:25:43 -0800 (PST)
>From: Chuck Minne <mincam2 at yahoo.com>
>Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Fw: Treatment of volunteers in Houston-
>	Contains Graphic Language (another one)
>To: Peace <peace-discuss at lists.groogroo.com>
>Message-ID: <20051101062543.54401.qmail at web36908.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>FWIW - What some people are saying. - I got this from a very right-wing 
>aquaintance.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Subject: Treatment of volunteers in Houston- Contains Graphic Language 
>(another one)
>
>
>Quote:
>
>I thought I might inform the few friends I have on my recent traumatic 
>experience. I am going to tell it straight, blunt, raw, and I don’t give 
>a damn. Long read, I know but please do read!!!
>
>
>I went to volunteer on Saturday at the George R. Brown convention for two 
>reasons.
>A: I wanted to help people to get a warm fuzzy.
>B: Curiosity.
>
>
>I’ve been watching the news lately and have seen scenes that have made me 
>want to vomit. And no it wasn’t dead bodies, the city under water, or the 
>sludge everywhere. It was PEOPLE”S BEHAVIOR. The people on T.V. (99% 
>being Black) where DEMANDING help. They were not asking nicely but 
>demanding as if society owed these people something. Well the honest truth 
>is WE DON’T. Help should be asked for in a kind manner and then 
>appreciated. This is not what the press (FOX in particular) was showing, 
>what I was seeing was a group of people who are yelling, demanding, 
>looting, killing, raping, and SHOOTING back at the demanded help!!!!! So 
>I’m thinking this can’t possibly be true can it???? So I decide to 
>submit to the DEMAND for help out of SHOCK. I couldn’t believe this to be 
>true of the majority of the people who are the weakest of society. So I 
>went to volunteer and help folks out and see the truth. So I will tell the 
>following story and you decide:
>
>I arrived at the astrodome only to find out that there are too many 
>volunteers and that volunteers where needed at the George R. Brown 
>Convention Center. As I was walking up to the Convention Center I noticed a 
>line of cars that wrapped around blocks filled with donations. These where 
>ordinary Houstonians coming with truckloads and trunks full of water, 
>diapers, clothes, blankets, food, all types of good stuff. And lots of it 
>was NEW. I felt that warm fuzzy while helping unload these vehicles of 
>these wonderful human beings. I then went inside the building and noticed 
>approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of clothes, shoes, jackets, toys and all 
>types of goodies all organized and ready for the people in need. I signed 
>up, received a name badge and was on my merry way excited to be useful.
>
>I toured the place to get familiar with my surrounding; the entire place is 
>probably around 2 million sq. ft. I noticed rows as far as the eye can see 
>of mattresses, not cots, BLOW UP MATTRESSES!!! All of which had nice 
>pillows and plenty of blankets. 2 to 3 bottles of water lay on every bed. 
>These full size to queen size beds by the way where comfortable, I laid in 
>one to see for myself. I went to look at the medical area. I couldn’t 
>believe what my eyes were seeing!!! A makeshift hospital created in 24 
>hours!!! It was unbelievable, they even had a pharmacy. I also noticed that 
>they created showers, which would also have hot water. I went upstairs to 
>the third floor to find a HUGE cafeteria created in under 24 hours! Rows of 
>tables, chairs and food everywhere – enough to feed an army! I’m not 
>talking about crap food either. They had Jason's deli food, apples, 
>oranges, coke, diet coke, lemonade, orange juice, cookies, all types of 
>chips and sandwiches. All the beverages by the
>  way was put on ice and chilled!!!! In a matter of about 24 hours or less 
>an entire mini-city was erected by volunteers for the poor evacuees. This 
>was not your rundown crap shelter, it was BUM HEAVEN.
>
>So that was the layout: great food, comfy beds, clean showers, free medical 
>help, by the way there was a library, and a theatre room I forgot to 
>mention. Great stuff right????
>
>Well here is what happened on my journey –
>
>I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the 
>bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said thank you. Lots of them 
>would shake their heads and ask for sodas! So this went on for about 20-30 
>minutes until I was sick of being an unappreciated servant. I figured 
>certainly these folks would appreciate some food!!! So I went upstairs to 
>serve these beloved evacuees some GOOD food that I wish I could have at the 
>moment!
>
>***The following statements are graphic, truthful, and discuss UNRATIONAL 
>behavior***
>
>Evacuees come slowly to receive this mountain of food that is worth serving 
>to a king! I tell them that we have 2 types of great deli sandwiches to 
>choose from – ham and turkey. Many look at the food in disgust and DEMAND 
>burgers, pizza, and even McDonalds!!!! Jason’s deli is better than 
>McDonalds!!!! Only 1 out of ten people who took something would say 
>“thank you” the rest took items as if it was their God give right to be 
>served without a shred of appreciation!!! They would ask for Beer and 
>liquor. They complained that we didn’t have good enough food. They 
>refused food and laughed at us. They treated us volunteers as if we where 
>SLAVES. No not all of them of course…but 70% did!!!!!! 20% where 
>appreciative, 10% took the food without any comment and the other 70% had 
>some disgusting comment to say. Some had the nerve to laugh at us. And when 
>I snapped back at them for being mean, they would curse at me!!! Needless 
>to say I was in utter shock. They would eat their food
>  and leave their mess on the table… some would pick up their stuff many 
>would leave it for the volunteers to pick up. I left that real quick to go 
>down and help set up some more beds. I saw many young ladies carrying 
>mattresses and I helped for a while. Then I realized something…their 
>where hundreds of able bodied young men who could help!! I asked a group of 
>young evacuees in their teens and early twenties to help. I got cursed at 
>for asking them to help!!! One said “We just lost our f**king homes and 
>you want us to work!!” The next said “Ya Cracker, you got a home we 
>don’t” I looked at them in disbelief. Here are women walking by 
>carrying THEIR F**KING BEDS and they can’t lift a finger and help 
>themselves!!
>
>WHY SHOULD I HELP PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO HELP THEMESELVES!!!!
>
>I waved them off and turned away and was laughed at and more “white boy 
>jokes” where made at me. I felt no need to waste my breath on a bunch of 
>pitiful losers. I went to a nearby restroom where I noticed a man shaving. 
>I used the restroom, washed my hands and saw this man throw his razor 
>towards the trash can...he missed… he walked out leaving his disgusting 
>razor on the floor for some other “cracker” to pick up. Even the little 
>kids where demanding. I saw only ONE white family and only TWO Hispanic 
>families. The rest where blacks…sorry 20% to 30% decent blacks… and 70% 
>LOSERS!!!!!
>
>they where ARROGANT ASSHOLES. The majority of which are thugs and lifetime 
>lazy ass welfare recipients. We are inviting the lowest of the low to 
>Houston. And like idiots we are serving the people who will soon steal our 
>cars, rape, murder, and destroy our city while stealing from our pockets on 
>a daily basis through the welfare checks they take. We will fund our own 
>destruction.
>
>By “US” I don’t mean a specific race, I mean the people who work 
>hard, work smart, have values and morals. Only people who want to help 
>themselves should be helped, the others should be allowed to destroy 
>themselves. I do not want to work hard, give the government close to half 
>the money I earn so they can in turn give it to a bunch of losers.
>
>I don’t believe in being poor for life. My family immigrated here, we 
>came here poor, and now thank God, and due to HARD WORK we are doing fine. 
>If immigrants, who come here, don’t know the language can work and become 
>successful... WHY  CAN’T THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEGROWN DO IT!!! If we 
>continue to reward these losers then we will soon destroy our great 
>country. I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the 
>very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me, 
>refused my cities generosity, who refuse to help themselves are DEMANDING 
>handouts on their own terms!!!!!!! They prance around as if they are owed 
>something, and when they do receive a handout, they say it’s not good 
>enough! Well you know what……these types of people can go to hell for 
>all I care!
>
>Richard L. Johnston, M.D.
>University of Mississippi Medical Center
>3805 Crane Blvd.
>Jackson, MS  39216