Chocolate City brought to you by Nestle Quik!
Today, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin blamed racism and government bureaucracy for delaying the city's ability to recover from Hurricane Katrina which occurred a year ago 29 August.Nagin commented that if this would have happened anywhere else, the response would have been different. According to pre-Katrina statistics, New Orleans' population was 460,000 comprised of 60% black. Currently the city's population is around 250,000 and has been there for sometime. Earlier this year, Nagin called on fellow blacks to return New Orleans to a "chocolate" city. What would happen if someone, say in Metropolis, Illinois (Home of Superman) would say, "help us turn this into a vanilla city!" The ACLU would be showing up with some major Kryptonite.
Unfortunately it seems that people are too quick to play the race card in this day and age as well as becoming more and more sue happy. Nagin, like other Democrats, relish on playing the emotions of the uneducated and uninformed. What happened to the days when people took accountability for their actions and instead of blaming others, tried to do for themselves?
posted by Diego @ 7:41 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Accountability on the government, state, local and federal. But much more falls on the federal government.
Accountability is key and it seems that many Democrats do not want to take accountability for failure. Nagin is passing the buck on failure and blaming it on racism and on a hatred towards Louisiana suggesting that "the state wants New Orleans to depopulate the black population".
I find it amusing that he says this in front of groups primarily black. It's a lot easier to get a point across when everyone is in congruence.
Too many people today rush to blame someone else for their problems. Each of us has something called personal responsibility. I live near a fault, I have a disaster kit and plan. No one's disaster plan can be "wait for someone to help me." Anyone who lives in an area prone to quakes, tornados, or hurricaines needs to have a plan on what to do if an emergency arises.
Each should ensure that they can meet their needs, then the local, state, and federal governments need to be there to provide emergency services and provide infrastructure and support. They should not and cannot be the sole sustanance for its citizens.
Needless to say, this did not happen during Katrina. Although we must not forget those millions of wise folks who moved north out of the path of the hurricaine. The irresponsible people are the ones that get all of the news.
I still can't believe Nagin got re-elected.
"The irresponsible people are the ones that get all of the news."
Although I agree with the majority of your comments, I disagree with the ending.
I disagree because many of those left stranded were the homeless, those with no families, no vechiles, and what not. If they had a mode of transportation I bet they would have left. Yet the government was late into action and waited till it was too late.
What if the city would have properly used the Buses they had? What if Nagin would have listened to Bush's Administration when he told the mayor 3 days prior to get the people out? What if?
I was a liason for FEMA, the American Red Cross and a Property Management Company during the times of Hurricane Katrina. Many of the people who stayed (according to personal accounts of evacuues) wanted to wait out the hurricane. They remembered Hurricane Ivan and did not want to uproot themselves because they figured it was the same ole, same ole.
As for having modes of transportation, many churches in the area of Mississippi, Lower Alabama and in upper regions of Louisiana actually tried to provide transportation for these people, but many were just too ignorant.
Remember back, think about the people who stayed so they could loot their neighbors' houses, the Banks, the Shopping Centers, etc. Though many of the people who stayed could not help themselves, many were waiting to receive that free handout at the expense of this devastation. From the Government as well as what they could STEAL from others.
I'm sorry, but I do not have sympathy for the people who stayed, the people in the 9th ward. Why? Life is about choices and I honestly believe that a person can pick themselves up, better themselves, and occasionally use some common sense to get the hell out of there.
A person cannot truly feel sympathy and sorrow for others 100% of the time. Like I've said before, some of the evacuues I helped aid, refused jobs at Targets, Wal-Marts, even McDonald's, why...? Because they wanted the Government aid. I saw people who were effected by the Hurricane turn into some of the most greediest people I've ever seen. Many times I thought to myself how if I ever faced the same situation, I would hope I could act with a little more pride and self respect.
Well said, Diego.
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