On March 20th 2007, Louisiana Governor Cathleen Blanco announced that she would not seek reelection. I was not surprised. I can’t say that I know what her reasons are. Nonetheless, polarization of the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana is the culprit to which I point the finger.
Could she win? Could the Governor reunite Louisiana? Can Governor Blanco reach and connect the people? Is she willing? Is she just fed up? Is it just time for someone else to redirect? Will New Orleans see a change in political parties?
Politics is not pretty; and in the case of New Orleans, it is even uglier. In the City of New Orleans political arena, ABC’s “Ugly Betty” would most certainly feel stunning.
Recently, New Orleans’s Mayor, Ray Nagin announced to a congregation of Black Journalists that, he feels that “they are trying to keep Blacks out of New Orleans” Could there be some truth to it? Maybe. Has anybody bothered to ask? Perhaps someone should. Nonetheless, New Orleans seems to be plagued with racial hostility. The attitude may be coming from both Blacks and Whites.
Mayor Nagin’s “chocolate city” was a bit divisive. Even if, his intentions were not to further the racial divide, I sensed that it did create a divide. Some radio stations in New Orleans breathe on reporting racial problems. One particular radio station that I listen to seemed to bask in the Mayor’s words. By following local stations, there are indications that there is a bit of racial hostility in the area. It’s a problem when the press fails to report what there is to report. Too often, “news” reports are more of opinion.
I’m sure that there are people in New Orleans who do not want Blacks to return to New Orleans. I’m also sure that there are those people who have better things to do than to monitor and keep people whose skin pigmentation has more melanin than theirs do, from living in New Orleans.
French Quarter local Finis Shelnut known by many has publicly shared his goal to keep blacks out of New Orleans. In his interviews with Der Spiegel Magazine, in Fox News’ the O’Reily Factor with Bill O’Reily and others. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168308,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,375496,00.html
Mr. Finis Shellnut has glorified hurricane Katrina for the devastation that it caused to Blacks and to their neighborhoods and for having racially purified New Orleans.
His comments are as demonic as those of Adolf Hitler’s.
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/110921.html
As per reports, Mr. Shelnut was quoted as having fed “800 steaks” to the military and to residents of New Orleans’s French Quarter. His good deeds may have given him a camouflage to hide his beliefs of an ethnically “purified” New Orleans. Had I eaten one of his 800 steaks, I’d be vomiting it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9469300/site/newsweek/
Hurricane Katrina touched the lives of both whites and blacks. Lives lost, heirlooms lost families separated, their lives uprooted, only satanic perverts can gloat and take delight at the tremendous loss that many in New Orleans and other areas suffered as a result of hurricane Katrina. Human suffering should not be seen as a “blessing”. To say that hurricane “Katrina was the best thing that happened to New Orleans” and that it “purified New Orleans” by ridding the city of its poor population and of Blacks, is tantamount to glorifying genocide.
It is no wonder that New Orleans is slow in its recovery. One man’s thoughts can tell you a lot. Are these issues being looked into? Are people too afraid to talk about them? Does anybody care about New Orleans’s future beside their own personal interests?
Ray Nagin, New Orleans’s current Mayor, has in the past referred to New Orleans as “chocolate City”. Was he serious? Did he think that it was the white people that had got booted out New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina? Was his statement racially divisive? What I don’t get is, that both blacks and whites in New Orleans seem to have a bit of racial attitude-I hate the word attitude but in this case I’m using it. Did the Mayor put his foot in mouth by saying that he wants New Orleans to be a “chocolate city”? Big time! His statement may have alienated some white even black voters- provided that he had white voters.
While in office, Mayor Nagin needs to form a coalition to keep New Orleans from falling from grace. Especially when there are folks like Finis Shelnut with medieval and Jim Crow ideas. There might not be a conspiracy, but there are racial issues and they should not be ignored. Too often, innocent people are penalized because someone belonging to their ethnic group may have commit crimes. We must come to terms that race is too often used to cast aside some groups. New Orleans has a big job ahead and I’m not talking fixing up broken levees or blaming the Corps of Engineers. It is not exactly pretty when racial cleansing and bigotry, racial resentment and social neglect, poverty, crimes and lawlessness problems descend into a group with no coordination.
In New Orleans, it seems that there are several agendas; there’s just no one to synchronize anything. It is a shame. With ideas of racial cleansing going around, two thirds of a population gone, a departing governor, an incumbent Mayor who, rather than bridges gaps, decides to narrow them, New Orleans may be heading in the directions of: a for locals only, beer drinking rut. And, if Finis Shelnut has his way, progress for New Orleans will be slower because he has made his point clear. That, I know. I’ve met him. He has been into my home and he has brought others with him.
The first time I met Mr. Shelnutt, he asked me as to when I’m going “home”, that was in December. Months later, I was not at all surprised when I discovered his views on blacks and other minorities living in New Orleans.
When a man takes a ladder and climbed it along with “home buyers” to come into my home, there is another name for this action. When someone keys into my home on several occasions and brings along 5-6 “home buyers”, there is another name for it. When I’m awakened and find 2 men in my home, it is not comical. It is trespassing at minimum. Terrorizing me in my home is a violation of my rights. What is the intent of the law if it failed to respond to my plea I ask you?
Terrorists commit acts which are intended to create fear in their victims. All terrorists terrorize and frighten others as a means to achieve their aim. Terrorism of any sorts must not be tolerated.
Close the racial divide, rebuild and use every capable hand for the benefit of a place that merits its place in history.
Written By: Marie Gachelin
More on local’s view of racial cleaningsing through these links:
http://www.reason.com/blog/printer/110921.html
http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2006/07/gennifer_flowers_hits_the_stri.aspx
http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewstory.php?storyid=4337
http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?cmd=print&id=396693http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168308,00.html
http://www.theconspiracy.us/9409/0008.html
http://www.theconspiracy.us/cati1/0022.html
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2006/1/20/113043/495
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