Every time I've been in New Orleans I've always been around a lot black people, in fact in many parts of the town I never saw and white guys other than me and my friends.
Hi there,
just a couple of thoughts in front of my TV set this morning watching the latest news about the NO disaster.
1. On the pictures they show of the people still trapped down there, you only see black people, and it is said that those who wouldn't or couldn't leave the city some days ago were the poorest. Frankly, I didn't even notice that there were so many black people in NO last time I checked there for a week. Yet, it has to be said that for work reasons I stayed mainly in the French Quarter and around the Congress Center, and truth be said the only black people I remember were my limo drivers and some tap dancers, plus one mystic nutcase yelling bits from the bible in the street. Does it mean all poor people are black ? What does it say about equality of chances ?
2. About the incidents, the lootings and the rapes/murder things. It is understood by many psychologists that murder and rape in civilzed countries can be associated with need to 'own' something (say own a body, own a life) and serial killers, for example, have always been describes as follow : people who want what they see and take it. Therefore, rape/murder can be assimilated to looting, to a certain extent. Then if we look at looting in this situation, what does it represent, really ? It seems to indicate that the need to own things is bigger than the need to survive or the emotional empathy and the compassion that should be a direct consequence of the situation Katrina has put those peole into. Does it mean consumerism has really taken over all human traits in the 21st century ?
Discuss calmly please. I'm just shocked at human nature and at the hypocrisy of the world we live in. Plus, I've been lately feeling more and more like a commie too, which doesn't help.
Every time I've been in New Orleans I've always been around a lot black people, in fact in many parts of the town I never saw and white guys other than me and my friends.
In Vino Veritas
I don't question this, as I said, I was only in the french quarter (really had no time to wander further than this) and the place was indeed mainly populated by white people (I guess the tourist aspect of that part of town helps) and I'm sincerely honest when I say I didn't notice that many black people (I remember this well cause I've been interested in what happened in the past with the slavery in the Southern states, and couldn't help thinking of all the history of blues and jazz musicians and the people working the cotton fields before going there and was really surprised that the only black people I saw where more like iconic remains of a lost culture, sorry it's the commie in me).Originally Posted by DeleriumTremens
I don't doubt there are lots of black people in NO, but my question was more about them not sharing the seats in the nicest parts of town, therefore shocking me a little regarding their social position and made me wander about the famed American Way, when everybody can make it to the top, taken for granted they want to make it to the top.
I guess I'm just desabused about that legend, cause I can't compute the idea that it would be mainly black people who didn't want to success in their lifes, therefore I think there's something fucked about the system if you have say, 50% black people and 50% white people in a town, and only 10% of those who made it are black. Just doesn't compute with the idea of equal chances for everyone.
ah I think the French Quarter is mostly a tourist area, while the rest of the city is pretty poor for both black and white. LA is one of the poorest states in the Union.
In Vino Veritas
For the record over half of New Orleans population was African American
"I once shot an Elephant in my pajamas,
how he got in my pajamas I'll never know."
Which fits exactly the example I was using above... How come those left are in their vast majority black ? How come ther's not a better racial repartition amongst those considered the poorest (namely those left behind) ? What happened to equity in the American Way ?
My initial remarks were observation based, I knew, when in New Orleans, that there were lots of black people living there... I just found it disturbing not to see more of them in the streets of the most popular neighborhood (French Quarter) besides those doing some performance (tap dancers and others) to get some money. I'm just really skeptical about the integration in the States and the fabled American Way saying that anybody who wants to reach the moon can do it if he tries hard enough. Just disappointed is all.
And I know it's kind of the same around here (France) and you don't see that many arab people in center town or making it big (they're mostly living in poor suburbs) but there's nothing like a French Way, no illusionary promises of a better life to anyone who's trying hard enough. Not the same culture of success.
It is not easy to elevate your status, you have to be very motivated and have a little luck because outside influences can bring you down. I don't know the people on the tv, I don't know their desires and dreams, or abilities, or willingness to strive for more. A buddy of mine is going to school to become a cop and he goes on ride alongs and helps out and they had a call in the government assisted housing area and he walks inside to find a huge flat screen television, multiple PS2's, amazing stereo equipment...my wife and I don't have that. He doesn't have that. But when your income is drug related it's easy to get government assisted funding because on paper you have little income (it was a reported B&E that was drug related).
A lot of the people I see on the television are old too. What does that say about how we treat our elderly? But we don't know what they did in life.
We don't know if the people we are seeing tried to achieve and get an education or just dropped out. We don't know if they had abilities, but couldn't catch a break, or they just didn't care.
And for all the stories you hear of looters, snipers, and other horrible acts you still see a community coming together with local police and national guardsman to try and help get this city back on its feet.
Inexplicable
And you get this information from where?
The census shows 1,472,640 residents in New Orleans. 519,641 are Black, 838,983 White, and 114,016 are of other races.
519,641 is not more than half the population. There are also sognificantly less Black people in New Orleans than White, over 300,000 less in fact.
Not really.
There are thousands of very poor people living in New Orleans (and any large City), living below the poverty level. Yes, a high percentage of those people are Black, that's just a fact.
Many people in large Cities do not own cars, but instead use public transportation or walk.
So what does a person who does not own a car do when others are evacuating? And what does a very poor person who can not afford the costs of an evacuation (the Hotels, food, ect) do?
They follow the officials directions and head to shelters to ride out the storm, that's what.
And when they get there, with only the clothes on thier backs and no homes to return to, they need and expect assistance. Which is a reasonable expectation.
I know you are not one of the people saying "well, why didn't they just get out of the City" Taxman. But next time you do run into one of those people, please smack them and inform them that they are an idiot.
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