Someone has to say it
The city of Houston seems to be feeling some of the pain that long-time New Orleanians have been feeling for some time. Maybe you should sit down for this. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people evacuated to Houston from New Orleans A.K. (after Katrina). Now four months later, are you sitting down, the Houston murder rate has skyrocketed. Shocking huh? Yeah I thought so too.
Frankly, Houston is not our problem. We have more than enough to deal with around here than worrying about where and what the displaced residents of New Orleans are doing. It is difficult enough to just function in our fine bohemian city lately, so not having to worry about the city
Related posts:
I really agree with you that New Orleans can’t just ignore problems anymore.
For several days I’ve been wanting to respond to Laureen’s recent post that ends:
“I
It’s indeed a touchy problem, and one that has to be attacked on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. Those of us who have been back since early to mid-October are much tighter with our neighbors and a lot more in touch with who lives where and what they might be doing. It’s been an unofficial but very effective neighborhood watch.
The periodic cruising of the National Guard has been a huge help, but that’s not going to last much past Mardi Gras. To this point, it appears the larger portion of The Problem Element simply can’t come back, due either to lack of transportation or lack of place to stay, or both. We’ve been enjoying a nice holiday.
I’m hoping all of us can take advantage of the trickling back to go out and actually introduce ourselves to those who live around us. We now know virtually everyone on our block, and this alone creates a good amount of solidarity. It’s a change from the “what we don’t know won’t hurt us” mentality pre-K. Not that I want a hand in their business and I don’t want their hands in mine. But knowing each other helps create an outward-facing circle of protection to cover each other’s backs.
If anything, the storm has taught us we’ve got to do it ourselves. Relying on police or some other government agency to help us is simply foolish.
First off, there’s no question of deciding who can and cannot return. We live in a society that doesn’t function that way (except in Ohio, where you can now be arrested for refusing to show ID if asked, no reason required). You have no choice but to accept that the doors are and will be open for EVERYONE to return.
And Frolic makes an important point: imagine the blandness of a ULI’d mid city, stuffed with covenant-controlled deed-restricted housing. Blech…
When I worked downtown I could count nine projects from my office windows. Would it be ok to convert them all to low-income housing? I’m not sure that would solve the problems that you’re talking about. But the only way to do something like that is to use the upcoming elections to elect people who are willing to fall on their swords and change budget priorities so that post-K concerns are properly addressed and pre-K institutions that contributed to the New Orleans drug and crime problems are dismantled. But considering that things were so bad pre-K that HUD stepped in and took control, that might not even be an option.
Joe B. has said it beautifully… and speaking as a former New Orleanian now living in Houston, y’all probably should get some thought going sooner, rather than later, on this whole issue. Things are going to become far less hospitable here, soon, for a number of folks.
Frustration (okay… maybe the better word might be anger) is building fast.
Polimom
I’m actually writing this from Houston and there are differences between Houston and New Orleans that simply make Houston better able to handle the new crime situation. Here are a few observations about this:
Houston, geographically is much much bigger. This makes it more difficult for the criminal element to move around from neighborhood to neighborhood and thus isolating the the criminal element which makes that element easier to manage.
There are no generational ties between the criminals and the police. The Houston police, seem at least, to be somewhat more professional than the NOPD. And generally less tolerant.
The people of Houston, to their credit, are not as willing to allow an obvious criminal element in their community. A personal example of this is the fact that there are drug dealers selling down the street from me. Have I called the police about it? No. Why? Well, partly its because the police just won’t do anything about it - I feel this way because its so obvious. Partly its because I’ve never actually purchased drugs from them so I don’t have any tangible proof it’s what they’re doing. But mostly, its because nothing will be done. I’m not saying its alright - I’m just saying that’s the way it is. The cops drive down my block every day and they can see at least as much as I can.
And in Houston, there’s a chance they’ll actually put the criminals in jail for a very, very long time and eventually put them to death. So a sort of judicial attrition will solve the problem over time and not allow the same criminals kill over and over; kill/intimidate witnesses and ultimately end up back on the street.
And finally, the Houston D.A.’s office is not shutting down due to a lack of funds any day now.
haha. you guys are talking about BLACK people, but won’t say it.
No, Brian, we’re talking about criminals. You fucktard. If we start talking about ignorant bastards you can chime in, until then just shut the hell up if you don’t have anything more thoughtout to say. It is good to see that in your mind Black = criminal. That should work out just fine for you.
The problem is criminals, the majority of whom happen to be black. The problem is the poor, the majority of whom happen to be black. The problem is the unemployed, the majority of whom happen to be black. The problem is the underclass, the majority of whom happen to be black.
But that logic isn’t reversible i.e. just because the majority of criminals in New Orleans are black and the majority of New Orleanians are black still doesn’t change the fact that the majority of blacks ARE NOT criminals.
I’m pretty sure the perpetrators of five separate incidents of crime at our current location (Fontainebleau, nr. St. Rita’s/Dominican) since we moved in WERE black.
In fact, the tire slasher definitely was, since a neighbor chased him to his home, where his grandmother told police that he couldn’t possibly have slashed something like 12 tires on one street. My neighbors were unfortunate enough to have two ON EACH of their cars - so they couldn’t even take one car to the shop.
Until we tackle the problem of the criminals and the underclass and the available opportunities in the economy and education we cannot make a lasting dent in the problem. And yes, the changes DO need to focus on the needs of the black community, since that IS the community where most of the problems lie - but that still doesn’t mean that the communities ARE the problem.
To get back to the original post - the final point is the one which is going to get us there: we need to hold people up to standards. I’m not sure we can ask the grandmother in my previous post to turn in her grandson, but I bet he doesn’t get very far without having to learn responsibility for his actions.
No one, black or white, should settle for less.
We’ve had the race division vs. class division discussion on the NO Metroblog already, Brian. Yes, there is a strong correlation.
But the problems stemming from housing projects and concentrated populations of poor people have nothing to do with their skin color. The problems stem from the lack of education, squandered opportunities, and a failure of imagination: positive change is possible. But if you grow up never seeing the potential, you might not even realize it exists. Creating gigantic concentrations of people existing below the poverty line, however arbitrary that line may be, is a recipe for a localized descent into a black hole of crime and general apathy.
And part of the problem is the level of immaturity that exists in New Orleans and other parts of the South: large segments of the population automatically equate criticism with racism.
“And part of the problem is the level of immaturity that exists in New Orleans and other parts of the South: large segments of the population automatically equate criticism with racism.”
yep. So true. Even when confronted with facts, statistics, graphs, government surveys - they balk. BUT - that mentality is a national problem, not solely regional. Look at NYC, Chicago, Detroit, L.A. It’s not color - it’s minority status, which generally correlates to economic status, unfortunately. (and also echoing what others have said!)
While we’re here The “Dutch Solution” is only something to throw lots
of money at to make the government believe they’re actually doing something;
they’ve already pulled this one off when they threw money at the levee system.
Notice the amount of attention the “Dutch Solution” is getting
compared to those speaking up against it.
This is federal censorship!
The North Sea has no hurricanes!
The North Sea is not circular.
The North Sea a gigantic square with straight currents.
The Gulf of Mexico has circular currents bouncing off of the landmasses it’s surrounded by.
The “Dutch Solution” has not been used by the Dutch people.
It comes with no garauntee.
It has too many parts!
The “Dutch Solution” is not a Louisiana solution - Louisiana is not like the Nederlands.
This is about politics, not our protection!
Do you honestly believe some thing that is supposed to float
over water during a hurricane held up by beaucoup parts
isn’t fronting for politicians. How much wind force
do you honestly believe it’ll take to drop this over priced
load into the Gulf of Mexico.
Laurie