Sean Penn's rescue bid sinks
From correspondents in New Orleans
05sep05

EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.

The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.

When the boat's motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.

Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."


With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?"

Penn accuses Bush amid rescue chaos
http://www.thisislondon.com/til/jsp/mod ... d=20274160


The US government was accused of "criminal negligence" as hopes of finding survivors faded and the death toll from Hurricane Katrina continued to rise.

Holidaymakers returning to the UK spoke of the scale of the misery while one said leering police officers demanded young women flash their breasts in return for help.

Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who has been assisting rescue efforts in New Orleans, said the US government did not "seem to be inclined to help".

"We were pulling drowning people out of the water, it's the ultimate distress and human suffering ... dead bodies," he told GMTV.

Penn said he had spent nine hours on Monday searching the water for people and during all that time he saw just three boats carrying US officials.

"There are people that are dying right now and I mean babies and old people and everybody in between - they're dying. There are people dying and (the US government are) not putting the boats in the water, I think that's criminal negligence. I don't think anybody ever anticipated the criminal negligence of the Bush administration in this situation."

The US authorities were also castigated by British bus driver Ged Scott, from Wallasey, Merseyside, who was on holiday in the New Orleans area.

He stayed in the Ramada Hotel during and after the devastation with his wife, Sandra, and seven-year-old son Ronan. At one stage, Mr Scott, 36, had to wade through filthy water to barricade the hotel doors against looters.

He told the Liverpool Daily Post: "I couldn't describe how bad the authorities were. Just little things like taking photographs of us, as we are standing on the roof waving for help, for their own little snapshot albums.

"At one point, there were a load of girls on the roof of the hotel saying 'Can you help us?' and the policemen said 'Show us what you've got' and made signs for them to lift their T-shirts. When the girls refused, they said 'Fine' and motored off down the road in their boat."

Wow, this guy's turning into another Jesse Jackson. Could he be any more of an opportunist?

By the way, we're supposed to be taking criticism over our diplomacy efforts in Iran from this guy -- someone who forgets to plug his boat? Give me a break.

He's doing a hell of a lot more to help his fellow Americans in need than any of us are. I'm sure it's to boost his career.

Hey, we've got a guy that can't seem to ride a mountain bike or chew a potato chip leading the country. Why not?

Exactly. At least he went.

I'd say he's kind of a disillusioned idealist but I wouldn’t necessarily call him an opportunist. He's helping, and that is lot more then I can say for most people with the time and money to do some good.

Well, I've got my two cents on Sean Penn's acting skills . . . how do I get a camera in front of my face to let him know about it?

Whould you rather he say a prayer then actually doing something to help?

Oh right, that tired old argument that actors can't possibly be learned in global affairs. SHUT UP AND ACT SPICOLI!!

so is little wing, but he still gets shit on alot

I personally would. Rescue workers have better things to do then fish Sean Penn out of the bottom of flood waters

No one criticizes Little Wing for the work he's doing in Ethiopia. We give him shit for his political theories.

Where's my $20?

And people, stop giving Penn shit. He's trying to help.

Sure they can ..

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30733

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/31342

Exactly, it's purely political discourse and I've learned a good amount of information through them, and I would never give him shit for what he is doing.

People, my problem is not his helping . . . my problem is his political commentary that accompanies his help. It really does little to legitimitize his motives.

Hey mods, can I get that post deleted?

I guess my problem is critiquing someone for having an opinion but then again I'm criticizing you for criticizing Sean Penn, which is in fact doing exactly what I am denouncing, now talk about a viscous circle.

My head is spinning . . .

By the way, Sean Penn can say anything he wants. However, a lot of times what he says overshadows what he does. He obviously has an agenda -- using this situation to disseminate it will cause a lot of people to question his motives.