(SNN Houston) Earlier this morning, U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay visited Reliant Park to glimpse what it's like living in a shelter and give words of encouragement to workers and victims.

Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?

At one point, the Congressman stopped and talked to three boys resting on cots. DeLay equated their stay to being at camp and asked them, "Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?"

This reporter remembers camp well. First, there would be a storm that would destroy my home and force me to huddle with others in a professional football stadium as I watched gigantic chunks of the roof torn away from the unbelievable winds. Then I would starve for several days while trying to avoid stepping in the large piles of feces and the occasional body. At some point my little sister would be raped. Then, after several days, we would be given MREs to eat, and a bottle of water.

We would all sleep in one big room, eat bad food, sing songs and drink a mysterious substance called "bug juice".

After the first stadium, we would be whisked away to another one. They would be so eager to get us to our camp, again we would be denied food and water. At some point during the trip, we would be made to wait in the Texas sun without air conditioning while we were searched for drugs and guns. Around this time, I would find out my grandparents might be dead, but no one would know for weeks.

Then we would be taken to our camp. We would all sleep in one big room, eat bad food, sing songs and drink a mysterious substance called "bug juice". Finally, a millionaire Congressman came to patronize us, while our parents were away trying to figure out how to pick up the remains of our shattered lives.

I used to hate those summer camps, but now, thinking back, they really sucked.

Update 1:
A special thanks to Josh Narins for assisting with this article.

posted by NewsBlog 5000  # Saturday, September 10, 2005