After reading this story about FEMA restricting the rights of the disenfranchised, displaced, homeless and hopeless leftover people from Ivan, Dennis, Katrina and Rita and Wilma who are in FEMA "villages" (described by an NPR commentator last year as "socio-economic timebombs") from all over the Gulf Coast (from New Orleans to Northwest Florida) I thought it would be a keen idea to see if we could get in to get an interview with someone. First, I thought getting Diane ('cause she's here visiting) in with her press credentials would be something to try, but then, I also thought we would be able to just drive right in like I used to do when they first erected these things, so I also thought using Diane's clout would be an unnecessary step. I took the above photo late last year by just driving right in and looking around with my camera, so I thought I could probably still do that. Because, apparently, I am hopelessly naive.
Now, they have two overweight and older security guards of the sort that couldn't stop me if I really wanted to push the issue, and an awkward series of orange plastic barriers keeping people from going right in. They stopped us and told us, essentially, that if we didn't have someone specific to see there, then we had no business there. "This is a FEMA facility," was the response given when I asked when the restriction had begun. So - firsthand experience with FEMA's new gated communities, where your rights are severely restricted in return for housing. No one can get in to see you without a reason and an appointment and apparently, a chaperon who will throw you out when things get a little bit controversial.
I don't think I've let go of this one yet.