Boing Boing Considered Harmful to Shelter Residents

Although I'm finding some interesting things about the Hurricane Katrina relief effort blogged at Boing Boing (I posted one earlier today), I'm seeing some terribly misguided, distressing things too.

For instance, start with this post about the "concentration camp" setting in a Denver shelter. That striking description, however, is pulled out of context. Nobody in the shelter called it a "concentration camp." They are quoted saying things like, "real glad to be here." The "concentration camp" description comes from the reporter's displeasure at not having full access to the facility.

Well, how would you feel about the press being able to barrel into your bedroom at any time? Don't you think that might be a little damaging to your comfort and dignity? There are good reasons to manage press access in the residents' spaces.

Or take this article about the inability of some well-meaning volunteers to setup a low-power radio broadcasting facility in the Houston shelter. At this time the authorities are more concerned with moving people out of that shelter—not adding new ammenities to it—and they are doing a good job of it. News reports I saw today had the resident count down from 20,000 to 3,000.

I was listening to a disaster relief expert on the radio tonight (audio here, starting at 1:00) explaining how mass shelters are not the best solution, and instead create a lot of problems. I'd rather see officials working on moving people into better living circumstances, not building up a tent city.

The Red Cross may be a big, stupid bureaucratic organization, but they do have a little experience dealing with natural disasters. The Boing Boing crew (mostly Xeni) needs to drink a nice cup of STFU and recognize that their immense cleverness may not be what the evacuees need most right now.