Saturday, September 17, 2005
An Ex Pat's View of New Orleans
This was sent to me by a life long resident of New Olreans now living in Boston. Wow!
I used to think that the people of Boston had an arrogance about them regarding their history. A holier than thou, elitist view that irritated the hell out of me (and I'll admit still will after all is said and done in the aftermath of Katrina). I have always told, no, bragged, about New Orleans as having just as much of a history as Boston, and a place in the annals of this country, and was proud to do so. But after watching the events of the last two weeks unfold, I wonder where the pride I feel, and know that you feel about the city's history, has gone.
I think that there is a lack of a "collective soul" in the city. Yes there are some people that live and work there who know the heritage and worth of New Orleans to the U.S. But overall, the majority of the people living there have no regard for the place they call home. When did that happen? What a disgraceful display the world has seen of what should be a proud place.
When the Twin Towers came down, the country knew that New York would come back. Not because of the U.S.'s retaliation against the terrorists, but mostly, I think, because we knew the "collective soul" of New Yorkers wouldn't let that city wallow in disgrace and defeat. New Yorkers are in your face and they are rude. Like Boston, they have an arrogance about them that says, "to hell with everyone else, we're New Yorkers" and that spirit is what made the city come back so quickly form that devastating day.
Aside from a handful of people, New Orleans doesn't have that spirit. The blacks, the democrats, the political machines that have taken away the city's "collective soul" have seen to it that the city is a cesspool of illiterates who don't care for themselves, let alone the great place from where they come. How can anyone have pride about the place they call home if they don't have pride in themselves? The decades of deterioration that have been so well hidden from the masses have come to light from this storm.
- Now, where will the blame be placed for that ? The people who turned New Orleans into the murder capitol of the U.S., the place where the poorest of the poor haven't advanced beyond the boarders of Iberville and Desire, the place where generation after generation has lived off of the promises of something better only to live in squalor, will blame you and me. As is the nature of the time in which we live, the democrats, both white and black, won't take personal responsibility for the plight of the city that they destroyed. It is our fault that nothing has been done to help lift these people out of their desperate and despicable lives.
Do you remember the song lyric, 'Promises, promises, all I get are promises, promises now ...'? Dionne Warwick sang the song. Well, I think once you change two words, we have the motto of the Democratic party and its' treatment of the blacks of New Orleans. It goes like this, 'Promises, promises, all "we give" are promises, promises now.' That is the lip service that the blacks of New Orleans have been fed for so long. And the cruel irony of it all is that they are too stupid to know they're continually being lied to. As long as they get their checks, they think they're being taken care of.
And here comes Oprah to the rescue ... even she is too stupid to know that the people of Iberville and Desire are not her demographic. The soccer mom rejects from the Clinton years are the people who watch her show and 'worship at the altar of Oprah.' The blacks she said that "this should never have happened ..." to don't watch her. They watch Jerry Springer and Judge Brown. They are not going to run down to the local Barnes and Nobel to get her latest recommendation from her book of the month club.
And to further that thought, where have all the black leaders of this country been? Why haven't they stepped up to help the project dwellers? We know the answer to that. Had anyone helped the blacks of New Orleans, the democrats wouldn't have been able to stay in power all these years. If you think about it, why would anyone who lives off of the government that feeds them, clothes them, and makes it so that they don't have to lift a finger to help themselves, vote any other way than the way that allows them not to work?
This is my conspiracy theory about the democrats. They treat their constituents like drug addicts. They give them enough of what they need to get hooked in the first place. They scare them into believing that the Republicans will take away everything that they have, their drugs as it were, and put them to work. Now that they're elected time after time, they give just a bit more again, again and again to keep their addicts coming back thereby ensuring their own jobs and existence. That's how the Democrats have stayed in power. That's how they have stripped they city of its' "collective soul", leaving nothing to those of us who love it, but that cesspool of illiteracy, drugs and murder.
I'm getting tired so I'll just give you one more rant ...
I think it is shameful that all New Orleans is known for now is Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. The only thing people want to do when they go there is drink and see women pull up their shirts to get a $.30 strand of plastic beads. You know the city's history far better than I do. I do know enough of it though, to know that what happened there long before Mardi Gras started and long before Bourbon Street was built should be what draws people to the city. People come to Boston to see the Old North Church, Bunker Hill and the Constitution. Do you think once the city is disinfected, burned to the ground and otherwise emptied of the refuse that destroyed it to begin with, maybe history will be the factor that draws people there (yes, the food will still have to be an integral part of that equation)? Do you think that those who remain to rebuild will form that "collective soul" that will help New Orleans regain its' heritage and pride? I guess we can only hope and pray ...
Wow!
I used to think that the people of Boston had an arrogance about them regarding their history. A holier than thou, elitist view that irritated the hell out of me (and I'll admit still will after all is said and done in the aftermath of Katrina). I have always told, no, bragged, about New Orleans as having just as much of a history as Boston, and a place in the annals of this country, and was proud to do so. But after watching the events of the last two weeks unfold, I wonder where the pride I feel, and know that you feel about the city's history, has gone.
I think that there is a lack of a "collective soul" in the city. Yes there are some people that live and work there who know the heritage and worth of New Orleans to the U.S. But overall, the majority of the people living there have no regard for the place they call home. When did that happen? What a disgraceful display the world has seen of what should be a proud place.
When the Twin Towers came down, the country knew that New York would come back. Not because of the U.S.'s retaliation against the terrorists, but mostly, I think, because we knew the "collective soul" of New Yorkers wouldn't let that city wallow in disgrace and defeat. New Yorkers are in your face and they are rude. Like Boston, they have an arrogance about them that says, "to hell with everyone else, we're New Yorkers" and that spirit is what made the city come back so quickly form that devastating day.
Aside from a handful of people, New Orleans doesn't have that spirit. The blacks, the democrats, the political machines that have taken away the city's "collective soul" have seen to it that the city is a cesspool of illiterates who don't care for themselves, let alone the great place from where they come. How can anyone have pride about the place they call home if they don't have pride in themselves? The decades of deterioration that have been so well hidden from the masses have come to light from this storm.
- Now, where will the blame be placed for that ? The people who turned New Orleans into the murder capitol of the U.S., the place where the poorest of the poor haven't advanced beyond the boarders of Iberville and Desire, the place where generation after generation has lived off of the promises of something better only to live in squalor, will blame you and me. As is the nature of the time in which we live, the democrats, both white and black, won't take personal responsibility for the plight of the city that they destroyed. It is our fault that nothing has been done to help lift these people out of their desperate and despicable lives.
Do you remember the song lyric, 'Promises, promises, all I get are promises, promises now ...'? Dionne Warwick sang the song. Well, I think once you change two words, we have the motto of the Democratic party and its' treatment of the blacks of New Orleans. It goes like this, 'Promises, promises, all "we give" are promises, promises now.' That is the lip service that the blacks of New Orleans have been fed for so long. And the cruel irony of it all is that they are too stupid to know they're continually being lied to. As long as they get their checks, they think they're being taken care of.
And here comes Oprah to the rescue ... even she is too stupid to know that the people of Iberville and Desire are not her demographic. The soccer mom rejects from the Clinton years are the people who watch her show and 'worship at the altar of Oprah.' The blacks she said that "this should never have happened ..." to don't watch her. They watch Jerry Springer and Judge Brown. They are not going to run down to the local Barnes and Nobel to get her latest recommendation from her book of the month club.
And to further that thought, where have all the black leaders of this country been? Why haven't they stepped up to help the project dwellers? We know the answer to that. Had anyone helped the blacks of New Orleans, the democrats wouldn't have been able to stay in power all these years. If you think about it, why would anyone who lives off of the government that feeds them, clothes them, and makes it so that they don't have to lift a finger to help themselves, vote any other way than the way that allows them not to work?
This is my conspiracy theory about the democrats. They treat their constituents like drug addicts. They give them enough of what they need to get hooked in the first place. They scare them into believing that the Republicans will take away everything that they have, their drugs as it were, and put them to work. Now that they're elected time after time, they give just a bit more again, again and again to keep their addicts coming back thereby ensuring their own jobs and existence. That's how the Democrats have stayed in power. That's how they have stripped they city of its' "collective soul", leaving nothing to those of us who love it, but that cesspool of illiteracy, drugs and murder.
I'm getting tired so I'll just give you one more rant ...
I think it is shameful that all New Orleans is known for now is Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street. The only thing people want to do when they go there is drink and see women pull up their shirts to get a $.30 strand of plastic beads. You know the city's history far better than I do. I do know enough of it though, to know that what happened there long before Mardi Gras started and long before Bourbon Street was built should be what draws people to the city. People come to Boston to see the Old North Church, Bunker Hill and the Constitution. Do you think once the city is disinfected, burned to the ground and otherwise emptied of the refuse that destroyed it to begin with, maybe history will be the factor that draws people there (yes, the food will still have to be an integral part of that equation)? Do you think that those who remain to rebuild will form that "collective soul" that will help New Orleans regain its' heritage and pride? I guess we can only hope and pray ...
Wow!
Good post. I never had any desire to go to Mardi Gras as I thought they were all making fools of themselves, especially the ones I've seen on COPS.
Rebuild the city of sin? Not with my tax money!
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Rebuild the city of sin? Not with my tax money!
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