Pictures Don’t Lie…
…and we all know that’s just a saying.
We’ve all seen the pictures of devastated homes and businesses. And we’ve all seen the panoramic overviews of wrecked neighborhoods. But the camera only shows what’s in its frame and has no depth perception. Without seeing things in 3-D and unless you can see the full 360-degree view, it’s impossible to know the scope of damage in certain parts of this city until you are actually here.
All kinds of non-resident, armchair ningnongs have expressed their opinions here about what should be done about New Orleans, usually grounded in some political theory or something they’ve cherry-picked from TV or the Internet. I challenge any of them to drive up Canal from the CBD to the Lakeview area and take a look at the scope of the damage. I wanna hear again how the whole area needs to be raised or razed, depending on the viewpoint. And, as bad as the damage is in these areas, there’s still New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward. “Incredible” is the only word I can come up with right now.
This is now a city of individuals who are at first staggered, then briefly depressed, then busy picking things up one room and then one home or business at a time. We saw a handmade sign tacked to a highway sign on Highway 90 yesterday, saying, “God Bless South Louisiana.”
Indeed. This is going to take a while.
That said, we’re planning a BBQ this Saturday. All day — on the street in front of the house. Sometimes they ain’t no better way to handle it than with laughter. And there’s no shortage of that here.
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My wife went to the Long Beach last Friday to volunteer. She said the pictures can’t begin to show the destruction.
As for armchair ningnongs… I think that New Orleanians need to make NOLA over again. You live and work there, so you are going to have to rebuild it. I do think that all Louisianians should have some say as we try to help you back on your feet.
I do think it starts with a hand up not a hand out.
Good Luck.
Sigh, wishing I could show up with tater salad and a bottle of rum.
I’d agree with all Louisianans taking a hand in this rebuilding. It’s got to remain a give-and-take thing, with NO being important to the state and the rest of the state contributing to NO’s overall well-being, taxwise and otherwise.
Except Shreveport.
I’m KIDDING, y’all.
No you’re right, Craig, Shreveport is from the devil. :-P (’memebr - I’m from Ouachita Parish - we’s hates the Shreveport. We hates it my precious.)
A.
p.s. how is Florida Ave.? My cousin has a hosue there and getting him to TELL me anything is like beating my head against the wall of FEMA bureauacracy.
I didn’t drive down Florida Ave. specifically. But I did go up Orleans/Marconi from Broad to the lake and back down Canal Blvd/St. to St. Charles. There appeared to have been decent water in nearly every neighborhood, particularly from about Galvez to the lake.
…Craig
barbecue sounds like a perfect thing to me. Wish I could be there too and have rumrises with y’all
I LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS EAST AND SEEING THE DEVESTATION IN PERSON JUST BREAKS YOUR HEART IVE BEEN BACK HOME TWICE AND IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES,PICTURES DONT SHOW IT ALL,I HOPE THEY CAN REBUILD OUR CITY BACK UP. I LIVE IN TEXAS AS OF NOW BUT NOTHING IS LIKE HOME.
NEW ORLEANS IS A VERY FUN AND EXCITING PLACE TO LIVE,WE HAVE A STYLE OF OUR OWN AND I DONT THINK NO PLACE ON THE MAP IS LIKE IT.PLEASE HELP OUR CITY REBUILD I WANT TO GO BACK HOME.
I’ve had it with people telling us not to rebuild. Move the city some say!
We’ve flooded before, and rebuilt.
It took our own state government way too long to realize that
our grandparents’ have been raising their
houses on blocks for years. And, stop throwing trash in my front ditch!!
Laurie