The people of New Orleans did not attack their rescuers

This is from Knight-Ridder via Atrios (the authors are with the Inkwire and the Miami Herald). It needs to be posted, and posted, and posted again until the big lie is finally washed away: Among the rumors that spread as quickly as floodwaters after Hurricane Katrina, reports that gunmen were taking potshots at rescue helicopters stood out for their senselessness. On Sept. 1, as patients sweltered in hospitals without power and thousands of people remained stranded on rooftops and in attics, crucial rescue efforts were delayed as word of such attacks spread. But more than a month later, representatives from the Air Force, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security and Louisiana Air National Guard say they have yet to confirm a single incident of gunfire at helicopters. Likewise, members of several rescue crews who were told to halt operations say there is no evidence they were under fire. I have no doubt this lie was spread, especially by right-wing media, because it served to rationalize the failure to aid the people of New Orleans.