New Orleans

Dear Friends,

New Orleans is a national treasure.  It is the home of a uniquely American musical style.  It is also the home of great food. 

After Katrina, we let New Orleans down.  We did not help during the crisis, and certainly have not followed through to help them recover.  Needless to say, it is the black people of New Orleans that we have let down the most. 

There have been a couple of news items lately about New Orleans.  Yesterday The New York Times had a major article entitled "New Orleans Mayor Had a Full Plate Even Before the Spill" (here).  The article highlights the many problems facing New Orleans.  Here is a quote from the new mayor:

“The oil spill’s much worse than we ever thought,” Mr. Landrieu said. “The budget’s much worse, the dysfunction is much worse, the N.O.P.D. is much worse. But, you know, that’s why I signed up.”

The second article was also in The New York Times yesterday entitled, "Police Are Charged in Post-Katrina Shootings" (here).  After the local attempt to prosecute was thrown out, the United States District Attorney obtained the indictment so that these rogue police can be held accountable for the their crimes in the aftermath of Katrina.  In addition, the Federal Justice Department is in the process of investigating the New Orleans police department.

Now, New Orleans is facing another environmental and economic disaster from the BP Deepwater Horizon well blowout.  There are new reports about now about the residents of New Orleans and the rest of the gulf coast areas are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  Here is a report in the Huffington Post.  The residents of the gulf coast have just started to rebuild their lives after Katrina and now what they have built is being destroyed again.  Their economic survival is being threatened and their physical health is being threatened.  The stress and related depression should be expected.  I am afraid that once the well is capped, we will lose interest and once again abandon New Orleans and the rest of the gulf coast to deal with all these problems by themselves.

New Orleans is a national treasure and it is inhabited by our fellow human beings.  They deserve our support and encouragement.  Don't let our politicians abandon them again.  They need our help and will for a very long time.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal