Alternative perspectives DO make the world go ’round.

[imood mood at time of entry: angry]

Please Note: This entry will not contain the politically correct, white washed view television presents to the nation about what is going on here in Houston. If you are overly sensitive or wish to remain ignorant, I suggest that you not read this entry. I don’t have time or any motivation to lie and be fake in my own journal.

I don’t have a drop of sympathy left for the New Orleans “refugees.” I was sort of split on how I felt about them. They were supposed to be in a bad way while Hurricane Katrina tore through their city, yet some of those people felt the need to act like criminals. I tried to reason with myself that it wasn’t all of them who were looting, raping, shooting, and killing people. I didn’t want to needlessly fall into a pattern of lumping them all together, but still I was not completely happy to see all of these people relocate here. Don’t get me wrong, I was glad that the people here survived, but something was just off.

I made a few trips to the Downtown library last week when I didn’t have Internet access. Of course, a lot of people from New Orleans were there to fill out forms online. I understood this, and didn’t complain when I couldn’t have more time online. But some of those folks had some of the nastiest attitudes ever. For guests of my city, they were acting like a computer was owed to them. I tried not to let those encounters wholly color my view of everyone from New Orleans.

But tonight at work sealed my view of these people. There was yet another benefit held for them tonight, and the first 5000 people were granted free admission. The first things out of their mouths was, “I’m from New Orleans, ain’t y’all got some kind of discount?!” or “Where’s the free food? Ain’t y’all got some free food? I’m an evacuee/refugee.” Of course, they went on to complain about where they were sitting as well.

The arena I work in is not so large that the “nosebleed” seats are extremely far away and do not allow you to see the floor. In fact, you don’t even need to look at the floor to watch the game. There are multiple big screen televisions hanging from the ceiling. In addition, the arena has numerous regular-sized television sets mounted all along the main concourse. So any whining about “not being able to see” is bunk, plain and simple. They should be happy that they got in free, for goodness’ sake.

I have worked at my job since last December, and I have never been given a free ticket to anything, let alone a benefit basketball game put together solely to aid me.

Not only were these ungrateful souls complaining about the prices of food and seat assignments, they were doing it all in name-brand clothing. I don’t even own name-brand clothing, so I don’t know why they can’t afford a $4 bucket of popcorn. That is a pretty standard price for popcorn here, no matter which of the larger/more expensive venues you go to. I actually had people who were wearing flashy jewelry and labels from head-to-toe scoff at my company’s prices.

What really makes me angry are the scammers that were walking among the crowd asking for dollar bills. I saw two girls in expensive clothing asking for “donations.” One of the girls had a Louis Vuitton purse on her shoulder and a camera phone in her back pocket. There is no way she needed “donations.”

I also saw a woman who sent a group of young girls into the crowd to ask for dollar bills. I watched her do this repeatedly. After each girl got a new dollar, they would return to her and show her the contents of their bags. At one point, one of the little girls kept bothering the customers in my line. Mr. Lonny finally told her she needed to go stand in the middle of the floor to ask for “donations.”

All night long, the entire staff had to put up with these people. Some of my friends told me about their experiences, too. They all heard the same tired lines about the attendees “being from New Orleans” and so forth. One girl even told me how her friend had to throw some woman up against a wall because she tried to push her way into the building. My friend’s brother told me about the crowd control he and his co-worker had to go through. People kept rushing the doors, all to see a basketball game.

There were supposedly some famous people walking around, and I, apparently, played with the spinning necklace of one of them. I don’t recognize these people, because I don’t listen to rap music. I just thought his necklace was pretty and darned nifty.

Sure, I want everyone to get help, but a lot of these people are being spoiled by all of the handouts they are receiving. There were plenty of homeless and poor people who needed help long before Katrina came along; however, I don’t see any “stars” coming down to take photo ops with them. I don’t see any government agencies rushing to get them affordable housing or free money or free meals. No, those “regular” people are told to get jobs and to generally fuck off. I don’t know how anyone is expected to “get a job” without an address to place on their applications.

I find this entire situation to be ridiculous. Rather than be grateful and use the money wisely, the ones who really need the funding are forced to watch these trouble-making freeloaders buy up $80+ pairs of sneakers and what have you with money that could buy them food for a month (or more). I am not saying all of the new Houston residents are not upstanding citizens, but the great majority of the people I have come in contact with aren’t. They’re rude and act as though they have no type of home training. They weren’t able to live off of “Uncle Sam’s” and the world’s dime before Katrina was ever thought of, so why are they allowed to be arrogant and greedy now?

If I were going to give my money to anyone, it would be given directly to the city of New Orleans, and not these people who have supposedly come here seeking shelter. I don’t help those who only want to take advantage of the generosity of others. I don’t have much, but I don’t mind sharing if need be. I have been known to give my very last dollar to people on the street so that they’ll be able to get themselves something to eat. Now, I won’t bother wasting my time.

Another one of my hugest concerns has been about the Houstonians that are kind enough to personally take the displaced New Orleanians into their homes. They could be taking in some of anybody. Every night on the news, you see scores of people willing to help out; but, where is that help when the “regular” homeless people need it? I am proud to see my city open up to others, but things simply aren’t falling right. There are people who give up their beds to sleep on the floor of their hallway closets for these people, but would willingly tell a “hobo” to get away from them. That’s not right by any definition.

I thought about going down to volunteer in lieu of being able to make a donation. I am glad that I didn’t. I won’t be wasting any of my time on those who won’t appreciate it. I get enough of that from my snobby customers who think they are too good to throw their trash away or toss their money at me like I am so far beneath them. Some of them actually have the audacity to tell me things like, “Oh, there goes your tip.” when they never planned to leave one in the first place. I don’t need their quarters to get by. My self-respect is worth a hell of a lot more than a quarter any day. I have no intention of begging anyone for anything, because I work for what belongs to me.

I wish some of those ingrates took that same lesson to heart. Sure, they might be living well now, but the city is looking to put them out of the shelters in a week’s time. For the majority of them, it is good riddance to bad rubbish. The boot would be more satisfying if they were not receiving the housing some Houston families have been on waiting lists for months to move into. I guess that is how it goes. No one gives a hoot about you unless some star is fawning over you, or everyone is whipped into a panicked frenzy. I find that to be quite sad and disheartening. But what can I do, I’m not some “needy” evacuee faking the funk on television in front of a nation whose collective pastimes include lapping up propaganda and swooning over “the beautiful people.” Ugh.

Oh! I do have this to say about one person I met tonight. While one woman at my counter was complaining about the price of popcorn, this man from New Orleans said that the price didn’t make him mad. He told me that he was mad when he was sitting on top of his house with water up to his shoulders while he waited for someone to come rescue him. No one told him to stay at his home during the storm, but at least he was honest. What’s funny is that he looked familiar. I think I watched him get rescued on television. I am almost certain I did, but I didn’t ask. No need to break out the salt.

So all night, I lived by one of life’s cardinal rules: If I couldn’t tell the griping louts anything nice, I chose silence.

God, that felt good to get out. I have been holding that in for a while now. I was pleasantly surprized to see that I was not the only one who felt this way. I had several conversations with other staff members about the nature of our “visitors” today.

I am not wholly “against” people from New Orleans, not by a long shot. I have a friend who lives (lived?) there, and I think about her every single day. I want to speak to her and find out how she and her family are holding up, but I know I have to trust that everything is okay until I am able to speak to her.

Frankly, I would have been a lot more humble if I were a “refugee.” Houston could have easily been hit by Katrina, and the results would have been devastating. We are surrounded by water sources (rivers, bayous, etc.) that run over when it rains too hard, situated below sea level, and not that far from the coast. I would hate to think what would happen to me if a hurricane hit, but I know one thing is absolute. I would gladly say, “Thank you.”

Danielle

Here are the lyrics for this entry’s song. I am posting the complete lyrics here instead of linking to them, because the page I found them on had too many pop up ads.

The Temptations

Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend
Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don’t tell the truth uh
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof
The truth is in the eyes
Cause the eyes don’t lie, amen

Remember a smile is just
A frown turned upside down
My friend let me tell you
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don’t tell the truth, uh
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof

Beware, beware of the handshake
That hides the snake
I’m telling you beware
Beware of the pat on the back
It just might hold you back
Jealousy (jealousy)
Misery (misery)
Envy I tell you, you can’t see behind smiling faces
Smiling faces sometimes they don’t tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don’t tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof
(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)
(Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes)

I’m telling you beware, beware of the handshake
That hides the snake
Listen to me now, beware
Beware of that pat on the back
It just might hold you back
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes
They don’t tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces
Tell lies and I got proof
Your enemy won’t do you no harm
Cause you’ll know where he’s coming from
Don’t let the handshake and the smile fool ya
Take my advice I’m only try’ to school ya