Right now as we speak I am watching the documentary "Trouble the Water..." This documentary is a MUST for everyone everywhere to watch... As it states, "It's not about a hurricane, it's about America..." After taking a trip to New Orleans a few months ago, I feel like I can relate even more because I was there, driving through these neighborhoods... And to be honest, they did not look much better 3 1/2 years later... Which speaks a lot about how much people (the gov't) have done... A lot of people think that New Orleans is "up and going..." When in reality, it's actually worse because a lot of people have yet to returned... Which has taken away a lot of the history of the city...

In this documentary, there's a segment where a young white lady talks about how it's a "great feeling, because it seems that every weekend there is a celebration..." But as mentioned in the documentary, people are only celebrating in a small percentage of New Orleans... The 20% of the city that attracts all the tourist... The French Quarter, the Garden District, the Warehouse District... What people fail to realize is that not only were these areas less devastated by the storm, they're the areas where the wealthier, white residents lived... Most of these people have returned, whereas most African Americans have not...

Watching this film was very emotional... Seeing people risking their lives to save others was remarkable... Especially when the person doesn't know how to swim... Using a punching bag as a way to transport people... As helicopters fly by, almost ignoring the help signs and flags that were waving... I just could not believe some of the things that I saw in the documentary... Things that made me angry... People refusing to help those in need because they were "protecting the best interest of the Government..." But I thought the Government was "of the people, by the people, for the people...?" After watching this documentary, one begins to question that statement... I cannot speak enough on how moving it was, so please just make sure to watch it... The feeling is almost indescribable ...

Last night I was able to catch a show titled "Ameriville" presented by Universes, an "ensemble Company of multi-disciplined writers and performers who fuse Poetry, Theater, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Politics, Down Home Blues and Spanish Boleros to create moving, challenging and entertaining theatrical works." The group is based out of New York and came together after being the spoken word scene as sole artist for a while... They did a piece that was based of New Orleans, but as one of the group members said, "It was a show about America, not just New Orleans...." This show was amazing... And it is just fitting that I was able to watch this documentary after witnessing the show, which came just a few months after my visit to New Orleans...

I feel like this is some sort of message that I need to return... A feeling that I have had instilled in me since I boarded the plane back home...

I suggest that everyone really try to catch this documentary as well as the group Universes... Both will be sure to fill your brain with knowledge and give you a different perspective on life and more importantly, life in the United States....

Thanks for tuning in...

Jose