September 10 2005 the President and First Lady of the United States of America honored the first responders to 911-01. In attendance were Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, Alberto Gonzalez and the true shining stars of the day, the men and women sworn to defend home shores and families of those who took their oath to the ultimate....

Photos, in the least for viewing, letting you are in the day, are posted at www.carriedevorah.com. They will be moved in time to Gallery FIRST RESPONDERS.

COME APRIL
© Carrie Devorah
editor@carrieon.com
Please attribute quotes and excerpts

Come April, a national event will hold its annual markation in DC. It is as seasonal as the Cherry Blossom Festival, Memorial Day Parade and Safeway's Barbecue Bake off. Few visitors will be present. Media will be almost non-existent. That is, sadly, just the way it seems to go when it comes to the etching names of fallen LEO's into the bended concrete arms cradling National Law Enforcement's Memorial at Judiciary Square. LEO stands for Law Enforcement Officer, typically the first called in time of distress. That is why they are called First Responders. Too often, they are the last to be remembered, as was outside Louisiana's astrodome when “cavalry is coming" cheers for the military went round. Their loved ones mourn them a lifetime along with regulars on their beat who knew them as men and women with families, too.

News reporting on New Orleans is a reminder of the frequent insult heaped by media on officers committed to community and town. For some odd reason, that is the way media is today, searching for a story they will flame a falsehood or semi-truth into a statement that lives forever on the internet long after its blogger, newsman or anonymous poster has disappeared. Once said, the words are damaging, never to be taken back, usually first to be found when the next reporter rushing to file a piece, picks the statement off a googled internet page accepting the words as gospel when they may be artistic license or, as in the case of Jonathan Glass, myth.

CNN, during its 25th anniversary celebration, a short while ago, promoted itself as being the place people turn to when they want “the news." One idiosyncratic politican declared CNN her place for news, above all else.
That is scary. You see, CNN is not just a local news desk, or a national bureau. With the network broadcasting worldwide, CNN International's defamation of the image of Louisiana's and Mississippi's sworn who died in the line of Katrina duty is worldwide.

CNN, a pioneer in round-the-clock-news, reported patriotically one week into Katrina's devastation on the 10,000's of thousand military arriving to provide aid to casualties. That was after, CNN reported and repeated stories on officers abandoning posts in areas Hurricane Katrina hit. CNN's newsmen failed to report officers, while providing safety for strangers, abandoned their families during this time of distress, working until dog tired, not knowing whether their loved ones survived or became causalties in a death count possibly surpassing worse than 911. CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina has yet to report DC, NYPD are two of the many regions sending supplies and a variety of trained volunteers down to help restore order. There has been virtually no media mention on the coordinated efforts by National Fraternal Order of Police, individual lodges and officers.

Positive stories CNN could have broadcast, globally, can be found, easily, quickly, if one is responsible and cares to take their time researching then vetting information. These days, photos and story files are FTP'd within seconds with vetting rarely taking place. Journalists blame deadlines. Editors. More correctly blame ego, on-screen camera dramatics and a push for annual news banquet awards bolstering viewership. Once the media insult to character happens, its stain is always there. Recall the guiltless housing officer in NY's Twana Brawley's fraudulent claim of rape.

CNN might have identified officers families crying for their loved ones.
Or shown LEO's drowned on the job. Or the officer shot in the head. No, CNN and newswire's story was they left their jobs. Less than 20% had, more did when sworn brethren's out-of-state relief came to their aid, a camaraderie Anderson Cooper may not understand. His highly paid “don't-do-this" on camera antics while CNN camera men have been crudely pink slipped from their much needed jobs. As much as media's call from "Citizen Journalists" who witnessed news reporters battling high winds to “illustrate" storm dangers, may have contributed to people staying the storm hoping their video or picture may be the one mentioned during hurricane coverage.

There should have been great stories of officer heroism coming out of New Orleans. The cheers served upon the military should have been profferred to those on duty, followed by moments of silence for the fallen. Officers drowned. Officers were murdered.

Good stories are there if one looks within officer forums, on websites of sworn police departments and sworn bloggers. Officers are being innovative in getting out the real ground story Anderson and CNN don't tell. Days before the New York Times Sunday Edition reported on allegations of officers abandoning posts, turning in badges and two reported cases of suicide in a piece that focused on officer behaviour rather than emphasizing the less than human conditions the LEO's were struggling under alongside their civilians, Canada's DART team, in “N'Oleans" since August 31st, reported, to call in stories, http://vancouver.ca/usar/ , they are feeding off energy from an MCI truck, while it lasts. Headquarters transcribes and posts records of events provided by their men deep in America's mess, “N'Oleans" mayor failed to mitigate.

The second week in May, after names of the dead are carved into law enforcement's memorial wall, their survivors are gathered in DC to be held close by brethren. And yes, it is predictable, mainstream media most likely wont be there in 2006 as they weren't in 2005. Saturday, media were outnumbering attendees at a Muslims Against Terrorism march, a few blocks away. Truth be told, no one really wants a good time charley or Anderson seeking an industry award. The people that count are there from around the word, true blue friends, throughout good times and hurricanes.

What failed New Orleans was not the officers as being implied in newspaper reports. Politicians and federal representatives were aware of the potential devastation from a level 4 or 5 hurricane. New Orleans buses are submerged in their parking lot. A NY contractor recalls in detail a documentary he watched one year ago detailing the destruction that occurred. His company began talks adressing expansion to Louisiana anticipating the financial coup they would make on clean up and rebuild.
What failed Mississippi and Louisiana are those same political, diplomatic and private individuals not thanking the sworn for serving their cities at time of need overlooking the only difference between one disaster to the next is the zipcode.

The Boston Globe's reported words of one officer, ''I'm going to stay here till everything's done. I love this city," describing the officer momentarily looking at the ground then saying, ''I made a commitment to my district, and I made a commitment to these people out here and to my fellow officers. That's why I'm here." Rescued Yolanda Camese says it best, not that she can erase media's blemish on the memory of the fallen with, ''You made us feel safer. I watched you every night." ''Y'all did a wonderful job." Yes, LEO's you do- daily, nightly, everywhere you work.
God Bless you all, now, and come April, for eternity.

BIO: Carrie Devorah is an investigative editorial photojournalist based in Washington DC. Devorah has covered enforcement events since moving to DC late 2003. Devorah is a CCIA and profiler, “with a heart of blue, not gold" she says.

C'MON WORLD: SHOW AMERICA THE MONEY
© Carrie Devorah
editor@carrieon.com
Please attribute quotes and excerpts
Word Count: 1084

Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was known as the place where life was easy, where modesty and time are abandoned. ‘Craps" hedge betters bottomed out their bankrolls. This was not the flood warning to toss die on. One year earlier, discussions adressed, without action, potential disaster. New Orleans sits below sea level, as do other American cities ripe to be swallowed.King is planning a 3 hour how-to-help-the-affected.
James Carville and wife Mary Matalin's fundraiser will be in DC. CNN's morning host pushed Carville to tell her what he is doing today. Picking up the pieces. Volunteers are needed. Congress poises to provide aid. The recovery will go on. And on.

America's national response involves the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Health and Human Services, Defense and Labor, Americorps, FEMA, the Red Cross and more. Arianna Huffington's Hurricane blog smeared the administration, at a time when it is best to bring truce across the political divide, not a time for finger pointing for fault. Huffington issued no requests to save lives, give money or volunteer. The anti-war organizers preparing to converge on DC, where they are headquartered in non-profit tax-exempt status, haven't announced if their three-bus-tour will divert to mitigate the disaster.
Rev Sharpton, in Crawford, described Ms. Sheehan “as having become the conscience of this nation." It would be breathtaking if the conscience of the nation would lead her funders, USPJ, ANSWER, ISM's from mass mobilizing against the Iraq War, but, with the voice Casey's death gifted her… encourage American to disregard political leanings and dig deep.

As with most things, life and friends are taken for granted. Jason Otis had no way of knowing the weight of his words, “Know what it means to miss New Orleans." The true test of friendship is the people who stick with you when life's chips are down. The behind the scene struggling humanity neon lights hid are in public view. This is America's time to learn who her friends are. Geo says, if the countries who take money from America, don't come to her aid, cut them off. C'mon world, show America the money.

BIO: Carrie Devorah is an investigative editorial photojournalist based in Washington DC reminding people before the cash is given or the check is cut, regardless if the asker is friend, family or strangers, research the legitimacy of the charity you are donating to on www.guidestar.org. Ask to see an IRS registration number. Call and confirm with the state attorney general's office to insure the charity and fundraiser are independently authorized with their office. Anyone can put up a website that looks good.
So don' be afraid to ask the tough questions for the dollars you work hard for. Such as does 100% go to the victims. Or 80%. Or 20%. Checks can always be written after the charity is vetted. If they are real, they will be patient, wait, and not rush your need to donate, now! No need for there to be victims of charitable fraud too.