This article is for all the guys who continuously whine and bitch about New Orleans
and the relief effort. Finally a positive article.

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I don't know how this could be true, because there was NO CRIME commited during the hurricane

Bright moment surfaces from Superdome chaos
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Out of the misery and fear that gripped storm victims seeking refuge in the New Orleans Superdome came a shining moment that we should note and remember. It speaks to the bravery and innate decency of the majority of those who sought shelter from Katrina's wrath.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune uncovered the story as they went about attempting to verify the horrifying tales that spread through the city during the chaos. A major focus was on deeply disturbing stories of children being raped.

None could be verified, but there was an attempt by a sexual predator to rape a young girl inside the 'Dome. He misjudged the situation. People who were hungry, thirsty and demoralized did not look the other way. Although they had often lain fearfully on the floor as gunshots rang out, they stood up - stood tall - when the sickening crime against a child in one of the restrooms was attempted. An undetermined number confronted the would-be rapist and - simply put - beat the hell out of him. Then they turned him over to the police. The child was saved.

The perverted and despicable attempt by an individual was met by the physical and moral strength of the group. It was an inspirational moment. People suffering deprivation and despair rose above their tragic circumstances and proved decency and courage lies within the human spirit of most human beings.

The Picayune found that many rape stories were unfounded. Sgt. 1st Class Jason Lachney, whose duties were inside the 'Dome, told reporters that bad things happened, but that he didn't see any killing, raping or cutting of throats. He said 99 percent of the people in the 'Dome were well behaved.

While there were too many verifiable cases of thugs terrorizing the Superdome, convention center and parts of the city with robbery, looting and senseless gunfire, it is good to learn that the situation was not as bad as the alarming stories told in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. A FEMA doctor's claim of 200 bodies in the 'Dome was grossly exaggerated. According to the Picayune, six bodies were found. Four died of natural causes, one overdosed on drugs and another was an apparent suicide.

There was a murder inside the convention center, but the reports of piles of bodies outside the facility were unfounded. The Orleans district attorney's office said four murders were confirmed in the entire city - not an unusual number for a week in New Orleans under normal circumstances.

According to the newspaper report, District Attorney Eddie Jordan expressed outrage at the unquestioning assumptions in the national media that suffering flood victims had turned into mobs of unchecked savages.

There is no disputing the fact that brutal gangs took advantage of the catastrophe to commit unspeakable acts. The nature of the majority of evacuees, however, was typified by that moment when a sick, perverted predator faced a group still able to rise above hunger, thirst and despair to protect an innocent child.

Originally published September 30, 2005