Reply #3: I was in New Orleans for 2 weeks..........

[ClintonTyree]

for Mardi Gras (although that was not my purpose for being there). I talked to a LOT of people there and everyone, everyone has a story that would curl most people's hair. Even those who evacuated and didn't have their lives totally destroyed are distraught. I found it amazing how insensitive many of the tourists who were there at the time could be in light of all that happened. People taking water ruined pieces of other people's lives for souvenirs, taking pictures in front of houses destroyed and having 1,2 or 3 in the infamous "X" on each house denoting the number of dead recovered there. Asking idiotic personal questions of survivors, asking for "Katrina" tee-shirts at shops........some people can be SUCH assholes!
New Orleans is coming back, slowly. There are over 500 restaurants open now and the number keeps rising daily. But the people........the survivors are scared as hell with another hurricane season looming just around the corner. I heard tales that would make a normal person break down and cry, and I did.
They're a hardy breed, they want to return and get on with their lives. The most common message, seen just about everywhere is, "Re-New Orleans. I can hardly blame them. There's not another place like ti on earth. But they have a lot of psychological trauma to deal with not to mention the specter of a new hurricane season just around the bend. I really hope they're spared any storms this year, they need a break, psychologically as well as physically.