Much has been made over the last week about looters, the abandonedment of thousands of very poor stranded refugees and the incredible class and racial divisions in New Orleans. I for one am very happy to see this problem exposed in the national spotlight. Living in New Orleans you are forced to think about the reality of the situation.
The problem began with the great white flight in the 60's and 70's when thousands and thousands of white New Orleanians fled the city and moved to Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes and the white citizens that remained enrolled their children in parochial schools. This left behind a bloated city bureaucracy that allowed the education and city government to fall into a perpetual decline. The federal government took care of housing and other neccessities as the social fabric continued to erode. Crack and other drugs were a huge problem that only led to deeper and deeper decline.
In the 1990's crime in New Orleans spiked to unprecedented levels. For several years in the early 90's New Orleans was the murder capital of America. Most of the killing and other violent crime was related to the brisk drug trade that has been a part of this city for years. This culture of crime left behind a segment of society that had no respect for anything, including themselves.
What did the citizens of Orleans Parish and the rest of Southeast Louisiana do to help the situation? Not much. Besides a few civic volunteer associations like the Young Leadership Council, the United Way and a few others there were no widespread efforts to improve living conditions or education for the poorest of New Orleanians.
Now the rest of the world can see what has happened to this city. The roof has been blown off of the house and everyone can see the disarray and neglect inside. Everything that is happening right now is due to the abandonement of the poorest residents of New Orleans that has been going on for almost four decades. This whole thing is going to be a rare opportunity to correct some wrongs of the past and to rebuild this city so that opportunity can be afforded to all, not just a few. Rebuild the city, rebuild the infrastructure, rebuild the schools and you will see opportunity arise in a way that we haven't seen here in many many years.
I'm feeling a very strong pull towards participating in the rebuild, if it can be rebuilt. It's time to take our city back. New Orleans is such an amazing and beautiful city. I only hope that it can be saved.
Thanks for your inspiration J. I am in no way ready to abandon my home. I look forward to a better New Orleans. My reaction to this during the first couple days was to find a new city, and quick.
After spending some days in Tampa, I realized that there is no other city in the US I word care so much about saving.
I can't wait to go home.
jacqui
Posted by: Jacqui | September 06, 2005 at 11:08 AM