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other branches of federal and state government directly involved —_ climbed out. He then proceeded to close the door and stood there in the body pick-up operation. This leaves the number of dead with his legs spread astride. confiscated by various US authorities in South Dade still "Lady, do me a favour," he answered. "Find yourself a piece of unknown. paper and a pencil. Write down your name and social security The total number who died during hurricane Andrew is obvi- number next to the telephone number of your nearest living rela- ously staggering, yet whenever the "official death toll" is men- tive. Tuck the piece of paper in your pocket so tomorrow, when I tioned in the media, a figure of anywhere between 15 and 59 is find your body, I'll know who to contact." quoted. The population of the 21 communities annihilated by "No! No!" I cried out. "You don't understand. I need to get to Andrew's eye-wall had been officially recorded by the Dade a hospital. I've been badly injured." County Census Bureau as 415,151 before Andrew struck. "No! You're the one who doesn't understand," he hissed back. Bodies of human beings confiscated and disposed-of like rub- With that, he reached over to his holster and took out his gun. bish, as if their lives had no more worth or meaning than a piece He grabbed me, forcing me up against the side of the car, and pro- of discarded litter—it's horrifying to be suddenly confronted by ceeded to put the barrel of the gun against my temple. I heard the the same kind of atrocities as perpetrated by the Nazis. Once hammer cock. again repeating history, a master-minded cover-up was dutifully From the position he had pushed me into, I could see directly carried out by armed military forces, right smack in the midst of — into the car. The man sitting in the front passenger seat looked horrendous human suffering. away from me immediately, glancing down To complete this historical comparison, in at the floor. The two passengers in the back the same way that many residents who lived seat turned their heads quickly, staring out near Nazi concentration camps were unaware the window on the opposite side of the car. or in denial of the atrocities close by, so too My son and the other survivor watched as were many residents who were located just the officer had pulled back the hammer on outside the catastrophic devastation left "Vou don't belong here!" the gun. So shocked out of their minds by behind by Andrew's eye-wall. what they were witnessing, neither one the officer growled, could move! GOVERNMENT BETRAYAL pressing the barrel "You don't belong here!" the officer So what actually did take place when . . growled, pressing the barrel into the side of Andrew survivors tried to get help from those into the side of my head. "Now you get the hell outta here collecting dead bodies in the aftermath? my head. before I blow away your ass!" Well, I for one can give a first-hand account. He shoved my face into the car window About the third day into the after- and then released me. Someone math, a long line of police cars cautious- ly drove into my area during the late afternoon. We had not had contact with any other people from outside the dev- astation up until this point. There were approximately 12 to 15 police cars com- prising this caravan, each marked from different locations throughout the state. Each car was driven by a man dressed in a dark police uniform and had three other plain-clothed men riding as pas- sengers, making a total of four men in each vehicle. Someone from our group spotted the grabbed me from behind and whirled me around so fast, I didn't have time to think! Before I knew it, I was being thrown over a shoulder. My rescuer took off running as fast as he could! I caught a brief glimpse of my son run- ning next to me. With one gigantic leap, he and the survivor who carried me, dove behind a pile of debris. All three of us crashed on top of each other in one tangled-up heap. "T'll shoot your damn asses!" the officer's voice rang out. "Now you get the hell outta here before | blow away your ass!" caravan and ran to get me, knowing that I had been badly injured When hurricane Andrew slammed into South Dade, the State and urgently needed emergency medical help. My twenty-five- Attorney of Florida was none other than Janet Reno. Her office year-old son and one other adult male survivor helped escort me was located at the Dade County Court House in the City of to the caravan. We hurried towards the lead car. It stopped mov- Miami. The President of the United States was President George ing when we approached the driver's side. The officer sitting H.W. Bush, and the Vice-President was Dan Quayle. Bill Clinton behind the wheel rolled down the window. For a few moments he was running for President, and Al Gore for Vice-President. rudely ignored us, at one point giving us an impatient look of dis- Senator Bob Graham held office, and the late Lawton Chiles was gust. Governor of Florida. His successor turned out to be Jeb Bush, This is the exact conversation and course of events that took still the Governor of Florida and, ironically enough, the son of place. former President Bush whose other son, George W. Bush, the "Please, sir, I need medical help," I begged, barely able to then Governor of Texas, has since become the "self-selected" speak. President of the United States... The officer sitting behind the wheel sighed heavily. He turned Curious how the United States Government evacuated his head away from me and gazed out his windshield. The other | Homestead Air Force Base just before hurricane Andrew struck, three men in the car quietly looked at me. yet never released the information to the civilians of South Dade. "Sir, please, I need to get to a hospital...," I begged frantically. "This is worse than anything we saw in Saudi,” said Master Sgt The officer took his time about reaching over to turn off the Lester Richardson (who had spent six months in the Middle East engine. With another sigh, he slowly opened the door and during Operation Desert Storm) one week into the aftermath. my head. "Now you get the _ hell outta here your ass!" When hurricane Andrew slammed into South Dade, the State Attorney of Florida was none other than Janet Reno. Her office was located at the Dade County Court House in the City of Miami. The President of the United States was President George H.W. Bush, and the Vice-President was Dan Quayle. Bill Clinton was running for President, and Al Gore for Vice-President. Senator Bob Graham held office, and the late Lawton Chiles was Governor of Florida. His successor turned out to be Jeb Bush, still the Governor of Florida and, ironically enough, the son of former President Bush whose other son, George W. Bush, the then Governor of Texas, has since become the "self-selected" President of the United States... Curious how the United States Government evacuated Homestead Air Force Base just before hurricane Andrew struck, yet never released the information to the civilians of South Dade. "This is worse than anything we saw in Saudi," said Master Sgt Lester Richardson (who had spent six months in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm) one week into the aftermath. APRIL — MAY 2001 NEXUS +35 before | blow away www.nexusmagazine.com