Times-Picayune Gets it ALL Wrong Sunday
Apparently newspaper writers and editors also get bye weeks during football season.
This morning the Times-Picayune devoted at least 4 self-serving stories condemning any reference that compares the California fires to the devastation of hurricane Katrina.
Now, before a bunch of crybaby New Orleanian uptowners get all up in arms because FEMA didn't repay them for replacing their baseboards, let me just say that as far as devastation and the help that came during and after the tragedies, there IS NO COMPARISON. Katrina is and will probably always be one of the worst natural and man-made tragedies to hit the continental United States. And reading how the "refugees" were treated when they arrived at Qualcomm is almost sickening to anyone who spent any time in the Dome evacuating from ANY hurricane, especially Katrina.
But here's the rub: The reason these amenities were available to the people fleeing the fire is because the evacuation center WAS NOT IN THE AFFECTED AREA. For years smart people in EMS, police, and fire departments pleaded with city administrators in New Orleans to NEVER designate the Superdome as an overall evacuation shelter. Why? BECAUSE IT IS IN THE FLOOD ZONE AND THE PATH OF WHATEVER HURRICANE WILL THREATEN NEW ORLEANS. But the politicians would not budge. And these politicians are the ones the Times-Picayune religiously supported when election-time came.
Furthermore, no one but the media, as far as I can see, is making this comparison. The media, because it is not well versed any longer in investigating and discovering stories, finds that it is easier to MAKE the news, then report it. This is exactly what happened to the sports media in American college football this year. The sports writers completely screwed up the rankings of the teams, and now the "story" is all of the upsets high-ranking teams suffer. But the true story is that the media writers, who have a large impact on the rankings
and they screwed up this year, badly. Mostly because they became lazy and are generally useless, especially when they try to dissect a game.
The Picayune is playing on the emotions of its readers, hoping they become upset and that there is some ulterior motive to providing Californians with massages, countless sundries, and Starbucks coffee while New Orleanians "suffered" through MRE's. But the truth of what happened in the Superdome during those first few days of Katrina has been downplayed or ignored by the Times-Picayune. People in the Dome had plenty of food and water. The fact is that the people did not want the MRE's, threw them back at the guards handing them out, and demanded pizza, chicken, steak, and other types of meals. They threw back water at the guards, demanding soft drinks, grape drink, or even beer.
And as far as the ludicrous statement in one story this morning, that acts of violence and robbery were exaggerated and did not happen during the Katrina evacuation, well, that is plain ridiculous. People in the Dome were robbed, beaten, and raped, and even murdered in the Dome. Other than murder, the same thing happened during Georges in 1998. I personally saw it. And I have received word from reliable people who were there, EMT's who picked up the dead and beaten in the Dome, that these things occured.
I remember after hurricane Georges, when the people saw there was no flooding and the city was ok after the storm had passed. They openly demanded to be released, and the National Guard had to restrain both people and the politicians, most notably at the time Marlin Gusman (CAO for Morial at the time), from just letting people leave without making sure the city was still safe.
So once the people started leaving, they started stealing things in the Dome to take home. One guy actually had removed a chair from the stands. Here he is, with a black and gold chair over his shoulders, the damn thing still with the bolts in the bottom of it, aggressively asserting that he had brought the chair from home and it was his. And Gusman, right there, tells the National Guard commander to let it go, don't arrest anyone and "start a scene". To which the Guard commander told Gusman to get out of the way or HE would be arrested, then started arresting these criminals who had congregated in the Dome just to take advantage of freebies and the opportunity to take advantage of others.
Let's face it: Most white, affluent New Orleanians have NO IDEA about the community in which they live. They don't understand the violence, the drug culture, the everyday dangers that surround them. They send their kids to white private schools to isolate them from the reality of their lives, then go to a Mardi Gras parade or Jazz Fest one day and proclaim the culture of New Orleans is so distinctive, different, and the best in the world.
I would agree that the culture of New Orleans is unique and one of the best to enjoy in the United States. It is far better and much more real than most of the facades put up by other major cities. But the OVERALL culture of New Orleans is NOT what you want to live in. It is violent, dangerous, and there is a large number of people who prey on the unwitting. And in New Orleans, that includes most of the population.
If you think I'm just ranting and have no idea about the "true" New Orleans, I would love to compare living experiences with you. 8 years as a paramedic on the streets, responding to all sorts of 911 calls. 3 years supervising parking lots in the Quarter and CBD, watching 16 year old kids beat senseless, obnoxious tourists with the apathy of kicking the neighbor's dog. Picking up murdered kids two blocks from the prestigious million dollar homes on St. Charles. Teaching the dregs of the civil service rolls that invaded City Hall, most of whom cannot count to 20. Testifying in criminal court against rapists and murderers, watching the prosecution "attorney" make first-year law student mistakes over and over and over again.
All in all, I love New Orleans for what it REALLY IS, and I am not about to hide my head in the sand like the Times-Picayune would like me to do. Most of the readership will respond angrily to the stories about how the Californians were treated.
There IS a comparison though that cannot be denied. FEMA was the agency that responded to both events. And they did a better job this time. Not an outstanding job by any means, but better. And that should be good news for us, because we WILL need them again in the future. So any improvement helps us in the long run.
Don't fall into the Times-Picayune trap. Don't hide your head in the sand. Realize that FEMA got a LOT of outside help and support in the California situation. And in the long run this is going to help us.
This morning the Times-Picayune devoted at least 4 self-serving stories condemning any reference that compares the California fires to the devastation of hurricane Katrina.
Now, before a bunch of crybaby New Orleanian uptowners get all up in arms because FEMA didn't repay them for replacing their baseboards, let me just say that as far as devastation and the help that came during and after the tragedies, there IS NO COMPARISON. Katrina is and will probably always be one of the worst natural and man-made tragedies to hit the continental United States. And reading how the "refugees" were treated when they arrived at Qualcomm is almost sickening to anyone who spent any time in the Dome evacuating from ANY hurricane, especially Katrina.
But here's the rub: The reason these amenities were available to the people fleeing the fire is because the evacuation center WAS NOT IN THE AFFECTED AREA. For years smart people in EMS, police, and fire departments pleaded with city administrators in New Orleans to NEVER designate the Superdome as an overall evacuation shelter. Why? BECAUSE IT IS IN THE FLOOD ZONE AND THE PATH OF WHATEVER HURRICANE WILL THREATEN NEW ORLEANS. But the politicians would not budge. And these politicians are the ones the Times-Picayune religiously supported when election-time came.
Furthermore, no one but the media, as far as I can see, is making this comparison. The media, because it is not well versed any longer in investigating and discovering stories, finds that it is easier to MAKE the news, then report it. This is exactly what happened to the sports media in American college football this year. The sports writers completely screwed up the rankings of the teams, and now the "story" is all of the upsets high-ranking teams suffer. But the true story is that the media writers, who have a large impact on the rankings
and they screwed up this year, badly. Mostly because they became lazy and are generally useless, especially when they try to dissect a game.
The Picayune is playing on the emotions of its readers, hoping they become upset and that there is some ulterior motive to providing Californians with massages, countless sundries, and Starbucks coffee while New Orleanians "suffered" through MRE's. But the truth of what happened in the Superdome during those first few days of Katrina has been downplayed or ignored by the Times-Picayune. People in the Dome had plenty of food and water. The fact is that the people did not want the MRE's, threw them back at the guards handing them out, and demanded pizza, chicken, steak, and other types of meals. They threw back water at the guards, demanding soft drinks, grape drink, or even beer.
And as far as the ludicrous statement in one story this morning, that acts of violence and robbery were exaggerated and did not happen during the Katrina evacuation, well, that is plain ridiculous. People in the Dome were robbed, beaten, and raped, and even murdered in the Dome. Other than murder, the same thing happened during Georges in 1998. I personally saw it. And I have received word from reliable people who were there, EMT's who picked up the dead and beaten in the Dome, that these things occured.
I remember after hurricane Georges, when the people saw there was no flooding and the city was ok after the storm had passed. They openly demanded to be released, and the National Guard had to restrain both people and the politicians, most notably at the time Marlin Gusman (CAO for Morial at the time), from just letting people leave without making sure the city was still safe.
So once the people started leaving, they started stealing things in the Dome to take home. One guy actually had removed a chair from the stands. Here he is, with a black and gold chair over his shoulders, the damn thing still with the bolts in the bottom of it, aggressively asserting that he had brought the chair from home and it was his. And Gusman, right there, tells the National Guard commander to let it go, don't arrest anyone and "start a scene". To which the Guard commander told Gusman to get out of the way or HE would be arrested, then started arresting these criminals who had congregated in the Dome just to take advantage of freebies and the opportunity to take advantage of others.
Let's face it: Most white, affluent New Orleanians have NO IDEA about the community in which they live. They don't understand the violence, the drug culture, the everyday dangers that surround them. They send their kids to white private schools to isolate them from the reality of their lives, then go to a Mardi Gras parade or Jazz Fest one day and proclaim the culture of New Orleans is so distinctive, different, and the best in the world.
I would agree that the culture of New Orleans is unique and one of the best to enjoy in the United States. It is far better and much more real than most of the facades put up by other major cities. But the OVERALL culture of New Orleans is NOT what you want to live in. It is violent, dangerous, and there is a large number of people who prey on the unwitting. And in New Orleans, that includes most of the population.
If you think I'm just ranting and have no idea about the "true" New Orleans, I would love to compare living experiences with you. 8 years as a paramedic on the streets, responding to all sorts of 911 calls. 3 years supervising parking lots in the Quarter and CBD, watching 16 year old kids beat senseless, obnoxious tourists with the apathy of kicking the neighbor's dog. Picking up murdered kids two blocks from the prestigious million dollar homes on St. Charles. Teaching the dregs of the civil service rolls that invaded City Hall, most of whom cannot count to 20. Testifying in criminal court against rapists and murderers, watching the prosecution "attorney" make first-year law student mistakes over and over and over again.
All in all, I love New Orleans for what it REALLY IS, and I am not about to hide my head in the sand like the Times-Picayune would like me to do. Most of the readership will respond angrily to the stories about how the Californians were treated.
There IS a comparison though that cannot be denied. FEMA was the agency that responded to both events. And they did a better job this time. Not an outstanding job by any means, but better. And that should be good news for us, because we WILL need them again in the future. So any improvement helps us in the long run.
Don't fall into the Times-Picayune trap. Don't hide your head in the sand. Realize that FEMA got a LOT of outside help and support in the California situation. And in the long run this is going to help us.
I don't have time to really respond, but I really like your take on the T-P. Yours is a voice that isn't out there but should be.
I have differences with you in a few places but appreciate your general take.
On one point: ". . .New Orleans is NOT what you want to live in." Well, no. New Orleans is what I want to live in.
My kids are in an Uptown school, and it's not white. It's legitimately mixed race. Yes, I know it's not your average NOLA school, but it ain't Newman or Country Day either. The common denominator of families there is not wealth or race or job: it's giving a damn about your kids. I like that.
I'm raising my kids here precisely because I think it's better for them to be here (with all the crap and apathy and evil that you aptly describe) than to be in some new suburb in Phoenix that's artificial in every way and so environmentally irresponsible that you have to drive EVERYWHERE--plus, they're gonna run out of water one day soon.
I think New Orleans is worth a try. I like the mix. I like the lack of bullshit among the people I respect. Your take on the T-P is great because it perfectly describes the people I don't respect--those are the people who make possible the New Orleans that wasted an oil boom and that was happy to waste a third of its population in horrible neighborhoods, schools, and jobs. Those people are white--like Jim Amoss, editor of the T-P--and black, like the "Honorable" Mr. Gusman.
You and me--we could fix the whole thing. If we would be allowed to exile about a lot of prominent New Orleanians.
I totally agree with you and I know your family, you are one of the few exceptions to the rule and more people should follow your lead. Those 8 years in EMS for 911 did open my eyes, and as long as you can find a fortified neighborhood in which you are comfortable and wary, New Orleans IS the place you want to live. Hell, I want to move back, too, badly, but circumstances dictate otherwise. BR is one of those artificial towns you describe, except maybe during LSU football season. Otherwise, not the greatest. But 1 hour from NOLA is a plus.
New Orleans is worth a try for many reasons. Just the fried pickles and shrimp poboy at Liuzza's is one.
See you at the game Sunday.
No, BRLA is not artificial like suburban Phoenix. Trust me. That's a whole other ballgame. Plus, suburban Phoenix is crawling with Mormons. Yikes.
And BR will never run out of water.
I like BR in a lot of ways.
FEMA used their public relations arm to frame this disaster as the next Katrina and their disaster response as on-par with that of Katrina. The fake press conference was a good example of this. The media followed suit because that was the frame they were given. We rely on FEMA during disasters for the latest info because only they have the resources to get that info.
After the frame was set, and as a member of the media, I feel it is my duty to point out the differences because they are so stark. But the media didn't start the comparison with Katrina, though various national organizations played along for a while.
And I could not agree with your statement more:
"Let's face it: Most white, affluent New Orleanians have NO IDEA about the community in which they live."
I would add that affluent people in general have no idea, but I agree that it is mostly white affluent people.
Good stuff.
I tried to reply to this earlier. One of the reasons I love New Orleans is its dark and seedy underbelly. The violence, I think, is linked to this. I know that when I lived there, I lived in a "fortified" are and taught at an elitist school. But the juxtaposition of the rich and the poor that made New Orleans so intriguing for me. I used to love being able to go off on "adventures."
One night after a wedding rehearsal, I was bored of all the people I was with. I left the bar we were at, started talking to this black gentleman on St. Charles, and spent the next four hours driving around with him while we talked and drank. He wanted me to drive him to St. Thomas so he could buy heroin. He decided against it because he thought I would get shot.
I know you have a different view on New Orleans. You have seen it from a side that people are afraid of. This is the voice of a person that knows New Orleans and still loves her.
As far as FEMA is concerned, the recent trials in California proved two things - 55 electoral votes mean more than 9 and that civil servants are idiots (fake news conferences are never ok.)