Jackson: 'Rescue efforts should never have stopped'

02:45 PM CDT on Monday, September 5, 2005

From 11 News Staff Reports

Click to watch Jackson's news conference

HOUSTON -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson visited hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome Monday and said they shouldn't be sent to faraway states where they can't participate in the rebuilding of their hometowns.

Jackson also continued to complain about the federal government's rescue efforts.

"There was no plan for mass evacuations, for mass rescues, mass relocations, mass family reunification and mass reconstruction," he said at a news conference.

Jackson said he objected to calling evacuees from the Gulf Coast "refugees."

"It is racist to call American citizens refugees," said Jackson, adding that the word connotes subhuman or criminals.

Jackson said while he was grateful many states across the country have taken in evacuees, he questioned whether some of these individuals should be taken to places as far away as Idaho and Minnesota because they will be so far away from their homes.

He said if evacuees are living thousands of miles away, they won't have the opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of their communities and take advantage of the jobs and retraining opportunities.

Jackson said state and federal officials should use military bases in Louisiana, such as England Air Force Base in Alexandria, shut down 13 years ago, to house evacuees in dormitory buildings and in tent cities.

Louisiana state Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, joined Jackson as they talked to evacuees housed at the Astrodome.

"I want the citizens of Louisiana to know that there are places we can bring them," he said. "We want our citizens back and working with us to get them back on their feet."