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'My friend was shot and killed for his car. These murders are not being reported to avoid panic'
EYEWITNESS REPORT
Sept. 4, 2005
By Toxy Morris, a surgeon in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
The conditions are extremely bad here. There are murders, looting and vandalism. Every tree in sight is down and there's no electricity or water. The army is issuing water to us and we have to use lamps. About 80% of the state has no power and it will be a month until we get it back.
There's four of us in the household. Me, my wife and two sons, one of whom, Ben, is still en route from Edinburgh. He has been studying there and is in Florida right now . My other son, Rob, is a newspaper reporter and is stationed with the police in Mississippi. He's very busy right now.
We have had three killings in our neighbourhood. One of the people killed was a friend of mine, an Anglican priest. He was shot down for his car and its contents. He leaves behind a wife and six children. It's a very sad situation. I have also heard that a lady was shot to death for a bag of ice. Can you believe that? Over a bag of ice!
These three murders haven't been reported in the media here - I think they are trying to avoid ill feeling and panic. But we have a serious crisis on our hands. There are some bad apples, although it's not as bad as New Orleans. Everyone is very distressed but they are pulling together, trying to be courageous.
We are cooking on charcoal. We have enough food but it is going to become a problem because there are very few stores open and all the perishables have been destroyed. You can't get any gasoline either. On the upside, people are getting hold of generators so the 500-bed city hospital now has power again.
I don't blame Bush - this kind of destruction is too big for one politician to fix. The storm itself was as large as the state of Florida. Everything in its path was wiped out.
Note: Virtueonline has learned that one of those murdered was a Reformed Episcopal Church priest.
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