Back to School
Just a couple of definitions:
Racism: Racism has many different definitions. Historically, it has been defined as the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation. Sometimes racism means beliefs, practices, and institutions that discriminate against people based on their perceived or ascribed race.
Racist: a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others.
Criminal: someone who has committed (or been legally convicted of) a crime
Insensitive: deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive
I don’t blame myself for all of the anger posted around here lately. I do feel bad that I wrote a piece that caused so much hate to be spewed around.
Before you call someone a racist or call something a racist statement, please read the above definition. Does that person’s action’s or words fit the description?
Looking at the above definition of a criminal, I do not see anywhere in there that someone’s skin color makes them a criminal. If I say I don’t want the criminals to come back, that’s what I mean. Person’s who commit or have committed a crime. If you think that by me saying I don’t want the criminals back is somehow tied into someone’s skin color than maybe you need to check yourself. If you think that criminals are only black or only white then you’ve got some issues that this blog cannot solve.
There is a HUGE need for actual discussion in this area about race. If we could keep the name calling out of it maybe we would get somewhere.
We are not all that different. I know that we can not only return the city to where it was, but we can make it better. We can have a better foundation of education for our children. We can have a better job market with higher income jobs and at the same time keep our character and our unlike anywhere in the world personality.
I know these things can be. But I also know that things have to change for us to get better. We have to talk to each other. We have to communicate. We must hold our own communities responsible. The good-ole boy network must be removed. And that means whatever network-the uptown political base or the 9th ward ministers. We must stop giving groups our “power”. We have to stop relying on government to handle our social problems. We all must “tune in” to each other.
I also know the way to not get there. We don’t return this city to health if we do what we did before Katrina. If we close our eyes to the violence and anger that was taking control of the city again- then we, all of the people of New Orleans are doomed.
Related posts:
Outstanding post Dan, truly. I’ve always thought from the begining of this whole sad series of events, that if anything good comes of this, that maybe it will be that New Orleans is built back not only to it’s former glory, but better, stronger, an example for the rest of the country to look towards, to strive to be like.
It’s going to be a long hard road, but the city needs people with your voice and type of thinking to stand up and be counted for now, while the city has a chance for a “Tabula rasa”.
Don’t feel bad because your post caused a lot of hate to spew around; you can change hearts without conversation, but talking about the elephant in the living room has its place, too.
As Joe B. pointed out Dan, you should not feel bad about all the hate that has been rolling around the blogs lately. This issue has always existed, and I suspect there will always be some small-minded people who will keep that hate alive. I think it is better to get it out in the open and at least discuss what is going on. I personally feel as a city we need more multiracial dialog in order to promote interaction (hopefully a bit more positive than some of the crap that has been thrown out at various times) and eventually get an understanding of each other that makes for more of a ‘we’ than an ‘us’ and ‘them’. The place it needs to start is with each of us getting comfortable with the idea that our race doesn’t entitle us to anything more than using more or less sunscreen at the beach. Once there is no real gain to be had from being one race as opposed to the other, then we would be one step closer to MLK’s dream of a colorblind society. But as long as there are minority set-asides, color-biased politics and other forms of subtle and not-so-subtle forms of discrimination then there is a profit to be made in racism. Ask David Duke. His ‘fear of a white-funded, black-run planet’ (apologies to Public Enemy) played well with voters who were tired of the New Orleans inner circle siphoning hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars off into their own back pockets. The best efforts of the Republican Party and moderate/non-racist white voters could not overcome the deeply rooted perceptions of the predominant blue collar workers who struggled to make ends meet in the post-oil bust world we lived in at that time.
As a white uptowner, I’m betting that pre-K, there were more hard working tax paying black people living in New Orleans than there were white people meeting the same description.
I also believe that that the number of criminals living in the city was quite small in comparison to the population, say, 600 out of 450 thousand - 0.0013 times the population. Kind of hard to indict one segment at that rate.
See my post in I’m Not Chocolate.com for a Detroiters point of view.
Race and politics have a relationship to be sure, and I’m wondering how many people on both sides will bail on their preK political parties. Are there more independants? Less? Are the people of New Orleans going to vote along party lines or for individuals? I honestly can’t think of one person I’d want as mayor - except Paul Prudhomme.
I looked through the list in the TP this morning about “possibles”- Only saw one name that I would even consider….Arnie Fielkow- frm Saints VP, had some dealings with him BK and is a straight shooter….but then again I thought Mayor Nagin was too- and thanks for the compliments, appreciate it
Skeeter88, you are dead right that there were a much larger number of hard working black people in New Orleans pre-Katrina. While some did not pay or underpaid income tax/occupational tax/etc (I think we all knew there was a substantial under-the-table economy in New Orleans), we all paid sales taxes and property taxes in some shape or form.
In terms of the criminals, I think you might find the numbers a little bit higher than you think. There were probably a few thousand bad apples/knuckleheads/scum/whatever you want to call them that were dragging our city down with their activities. Still, it was likely less than 1% of the city’s population committing 99.99% of crimes, especially the murders/rapes/assaults/carjackings, etc that ruined lives and made our city less than desirable to live in.
I went and read your post Just a Guest, and I don’t think that unions are going to significantly change anything in New Orleans at present. The reason is that at present, this is a worker’s paradise. There is SO much work and SO few people around able/willing to do it that you can ask your price no matter what your trade. Why waste your hard-earned gains paying dues to a union that will not be able to do anything for you except take your money and spend it on their salaries/agendas?
And while I am registered as a Republican, I damn well intend to vote for the person with the best ideas and plans for implementing them without any concern for the little letter following their name (R, D or whatever). The Times-Picayune list did little for me as well, although Ron Foreman and Fielkow might be contenders. Personally, I’d rather some no-name born and raised engineer or doctor or small business owner (a la Monica Monica running in Metairie..) step up to the plate and try to oust the same old tired faces from the N.O. political scene.
Just got back from NOLA (my 10th visit, first post-Katrina visit). I had an excellent time for the most part, tho everything, of course, was a tad different. Just wanted to say, that my thoughts regarding racism, post-Katrina, are if y’all are not careful, the racism in New Orleans will go from quiet background noise to full-on bigtime trouble. Frustration levels and depression levels are high. Tempers are barely being held at bay. I hope things for everyone there get better a whole lot sooner than later and all will be cool. God Bless New Orleans.
Well, while I have to admit it may make us easy pickings for the national media again, I still think we need to clear the air once and for all down here about race. The ’sweep it under the rug’ idea really didn’t work and it seems to have made a lot of things worse. I think there are enough people of all colors in New Orleans who can see beyond skin deep. Because of this I feel if we can engage the majority of each race in an open dialog we can get over this. Add in that many issues that some people consider race issues are in fact class issues and I am confidant that the good people of New Orleans can start getting over Segregation/integration and start pulling together to make the city better for all.
yea and the bad apples start with nagin then the police…. theres your bad apples.