Memories Of New Orleans: A Personal Perspective

My adoptive father (the man who raised me and not the one I just visited last month) lived the last 17 years of his life in and around the New Orleans area. Being of distant French descent, the charm, the beauty, and the hard working, hard playing lifestyle attracted him there. He could have lived anywhere, but that is where he chose to live.

Although he has been gone for several years now, I still think back to visiting him and the city. I remember the architecture, the decor, the food, and how the place was so rich in history. It was full of life.

(Click on the title for the New Orleans I remember)

But today, my heart is heavy and my sensibilities are still a bit numb at the level of devastation. I have spent the last two days watching in awe of the magnitude of damage suffered there, as well as everywhere this storm hit. Words have not been sufficient to describe the toll this disaster has taken, and will continue to take for months, maybe even years to come.

But the thing that has not surprised me is the attitudes and behaviors of some people in the aftermath of it all. You see, with all of its beauty, charm, and personality, New Orleans (like all big cities) has good people that work hard and produce; people that make the whole community a better place. And then, you have the cesspool element. The low-life criminal element (that every city has) has been operating in and around New Orleans for years.

Even before this catastrophe, New Orleans had more homicides per capita than many larger cities, many times its size, for many years. (They compete with cities like Gary Indiana and D.C. for the title.) One year, several years ago, I remember one weekend there were 13 murders, with one of them a priest. I also remember a incident several years ago, when a corrupt policeman shot his partner as part of a robbery scheme that ultimately failed.

There are too many stories to recount, too many to list here; and most people that live in urban areas are familiar with there own twisted anti-social population's crimes. No place has a monopoly on sick behavior.

Many good people were forced to stay behind because of illness and hardship. They are the ones my heart is heavy for. They probably would have left, if they could have. But, for them, the opportunity just wasn't there, so they had little choice. They are suffering and are probably going to be the highest casualty rate soon, because it is these people that the cowardly thugs are preying on.

Most of these punks that are creating this anarchy and turning this once beautiful place into Baghdad, at the mouth of the Mighty Mississippi, purposely stayed back for this purpose, and this purpose alone. They probably had every opportunity to leave, but stayed by choice for the specific objectives of looting and causing mayhem. And now that they realize the gravity of the situation, they are fighting over whatever food and other necessities remain, while the weak perish. I personally wish they would just kill each other off, so the earth can be cleansed and purged of some of these vermin. But I know it won't be soon enough to save the vast majority of those that are not of this element.

So, I am sad. Sad for the good people that are dying, suffering, and struggling just to survive; I am especially sad for those that have relatives that still cannot be found. Their suffering is of a different nature, the fear of the unknown. I can only imagine how I would have felt had my dad still been living and not knowing, how or where he was.

Those of us that watch and have a great sense powerlessness, are saddened. But not like those that are living (and dying) it.

Here are some other posted thoughts on this tragedy:

Social Sense: America's Vulnerability

In the Middle of America: Some Prospective, Courtesy of Katrina

Gindy.blogspot.com: New Orleans: They Need Your Help

Outside the Blogway: Katrina's Wrath