I took a picture at the Astrodome today with my cameraphone, but originally decided not to post it. Something about it felt a little disrepectful. Voyeuristic. But, I just spent 20 minutes watching MSNBC’s coverage of the “anarchy” in New Orleans and the crowds that pose a “threat” to rescue efforts. It really pissed me off, so I’ve changed my mind about posting the picture.

First of all, I apologize for the crappiness of the picture. I was going between waiting areas and stopped for a moment to snap a picture with my cellphone. The photo below was taken just outside the medical waiting area at Reliant Arena. You can see the entrance doors to your left. The waiting area was so packed that patients were overflowing onto the sidewalk….that’s why you see people sitting in chairs.

The important thing about this picture is the huge crowd lined up against the barricades. They’re waiting to go through registration, where they’ll be given pink wrist bands, food, and a cot assignment. What the picture doesn’t capture, unfortunately, is that those people are just the tip of the iceberg. If you peek around the corner, you’d see a parking lot full of buses and hundreds, hundreds, hundreds of evacuees lined up along the side of the building.

Again, the important thing about this picture is the crowd. Why? What this picture also doesn’t capture, unfortunately, is that what I heard and saw of this crowd was nothing like the images they’re showing on TV. Everyone was just standing quietly. Sure, there was noise, but when are you NOT going to get noise with thousands of people in one place? But that noise was NEVER threatening, NEVER panic-ridden, NEVER the sound of an angry, out of control mob. In fact, I’m surprised the noise levels weren’t higher….here are thousands of people who barely survived a horrific hurricane, lost their homes and loved ones, endured the conditions of the Superdome and a long 12-hour bus ride to another ‘Dome in another State, are tired, hungry, dirty, sick….yet, not once today did I sense ANY tension or anger from ANYONE. Never.

(BTW - does anyone else think Rita Cosby is really, really annoying??)