The Big Uneasy

New Orleans is a mess.  No one disputes that.  What is in dispute is how to fix it.  The liberals just say throw money at it.  Give us billions upon billions of dollars and we'll rebuild it.  And sure, given enough money, anything can be rebuilt, but at what point does common sense kick in and we take a hard look at what we are building?  At what point do we ask some hard questions. 

We need to ask what parts are really worth saving (if any) and what parts really aren't worth the effort and expense to rebuild.  Obviously, new Orleans has a rich and varied history and there are a lot of historic buildings and areas within the city.  One need only mention Mardi Gras and the French Quarter to remind us of the history of the area.

But much of New Orleans isn't steeped in the romance of the French Quarter.  Most of it is modern and some of it now resembles a third world craphole.

I've been focusing on the rampant crime and murder rate of new Orleans of late and this entry is no different. While much of the crime is in the poorer sections, it occasionally spills over into the neighboring, more affluent, areas.  In New Orleans, this means it sometimes overflows from the poorer black areas into the mostly white neighborhoods.   New Orleans is a city very much divided by race and class.  It's a situation that is as much a part of New Orleans as Mardi Gras. 

Speaking of Mardi Gras, tonight is the big night  and there is a recent article out, once again chronicling the free reign violent criminals enjoy in the city's bilge.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - New Orleans, the "Big Easy" city famous for its good times and relaxed attitude, has become the Big Uneasy in recent weeks as its murder count has soared and anger grown at local leaders unable to stop the violence.

Annual Mardi Gras celebrations unfolded without incident this weekend, but fear of the rampant blood-spilling and its threat to the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina are constant topics of conversation.

The homicide total for a still-young 2007 climbed to 27 on Saturday with the dead(sic) of a man shot at a nightclub on Friday.

That's a tad over one murder every two days so far this year.  Tulane University criminal justice instructor Ronnie Jones said a mouthful when he said:

"If they don't get crime under control, if they can't convince people it's safe to be here, it doesn't matter how much money they get from the federal government, nobody's going to stay,"

Nobody that is, but criminals and those who can't afford to move.  I've already wrote about the cops blaming the DA and the DA blaming the cops for the quagmire that is New Orleans.  Some wags are calling it the American Baghdad!  Meanwhile, the blame game goes on and nothing is being done.  Lip service and ignorant excuses abound.

And the prize for the most ignorant excuse of the day goes to Police Superintendent Warren Riley.  The article quotes him as uttering this inane statement:

"For us to correct this, we have to look at the root of the problem. The root of the problem is our education system."

Does this idiot honestly believe this?  I won't go so far as to say that the education system is free from culpability, but the education system is a small bit player at best.  It's not what they learn from a school teacher, it's what they are NOT learning at home and in their families and neighborhoods.  Dare I say, it's also what they are not learning from their churches and moral leaders.  I'm sure that the Church leaders are trying their best, but the families in these neighborhoods are irreparably broken.  Society cannot sustain  a culture in which the family is not raising the children.  I'm sure there are good parents, but a two parent family is not the norm.  It isn't so much the education system, it's the moral breakdown of the family. 

What is broken in New Orleans isn't just some flooded buildings.  What is really broken in New Orleans cannot be fixed with a bag full of money.  I doubt we'll ever fix New Orleans. You can't fix this kind of dysfunction.

VW

Comments

[BobF]

When your church and moral leaders are saying everything is the fault of the government, society, or anyone else, what can you expect. Until people take personal responsibility for their actions and situation, nothing will ever get done and everything will be status quo.

[Kelly]

I worked with a guy that was from NO. He loved the town but told me about the high crime and said you could turn a corner into a bad arean and you'd be just as likely of getting robbed by a thug or a cop. Way before Katrina - he told me this about six years ago. Massive, long-term problems that are easy to blame on the Katrina and the lack of help from the gov. but have been around for much longer. The place is a pit.

[Violence Worker]

BobF, Great point. It's the entire culture. Either some of these Yahoos are too stupid or they just don't want to admit the problem.

Kelly, Another good point. The corruption in NOLA is the stuff of legend!

VW