[Rhodes22-list] Hurricane Evac (Political)

Mon Aug 28 12:32:20 EDT 2006

I don't like to pull "race" into things like this, and I certainly didn't like the fact that Nagan did. I know MY statement will likely seem racist by some, but I'll follow up what I'm about to say with some further clarification.

Here's what Nagan had to say recently:
"And I, to this day, believe that if that would have happened in Orange County, California, if that would have happened in South Beach, Miami, it would have been a different response". Now, just to make sure no one accuses me of taking this out of context, it's important to note his statement as part of that speech that Katrina "exposed the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class."

Now, let me say what I have to say that some folks will call racists. I participated in some of the rescue operations in NO. I saw volunteers from all over the country. Some of them were "semi-volunteers", by this I mean law enforcement from other states that were sent by those states. As to race, what I saw were lots of mostly white faces doing everything they could to help what where mostly lots of black faces.

They did this without regard to race. They did this without regard to class. They did this because it is the nature of people in this country to come to the aid of others. Mayor Nagan basically spit in the face of those people, myself included, and that very nature. Statements like his actually fuel the very racism he speaks of. Personally, I never thought of the NOLA Katrina episode as a race issue, until he and others like him tried to make it so. Since that time, I've reflected on the situation, and have to say that their statements tend to exemplify the very stereotypical generalizations I make an effort to avoid. Ray Nagan is doing his city, and his race, a disservice.

After hearing his statement, I'd have to say I tend to agree. We likely would see a different response in Orange County than we did in NOLA. I don't think we'd see a group of people, largely of one race, rushing to help another group of people, largely of a different race.

For that, we can thank "leaders" like Ray Nagan.

Now, to my further clarification. I went to NO for many reasons. Because I felt a kinship to the city, since I keep my boat in a city across the lake from them. Because my religious faith has a heritage of service to others. Because I felt a deep down hurt for what people there were going through. And, to some degree, because I wanted the experience of "being a part of" an exercise that was larger than myself, and my day to day desires, duties, and experiences.

Like I said, I went for many reasons. But, race and class were never a part of my considerations for going, or not going. I suspect that while the reasons for being there a vastly different for the folks that did what they can do, that statement can be made by most of them as well.

So, while Mayor Nagan talks about "the soft underbelly of America as it relates to dealing with race and class", and declares that "They're going to give us our money, and we're going to rebuild this city", I hope he remembers that the money he's talking about is taken from the very folks he's quick to insult and degrade. We pay our taxes mostly without resistance. More than that though, we gave to NO in their time of need. To have the duly elected leader of that city now make the statements he's making makes us, some of us at least, wonder if our sympathies, sacrifices, and hard work were misplaced.

I might refer Mayor Nagan to Matthew 7:6 - Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

I hope the good people of NO take a good hard look at who is leading their city, and ask themselves some very serious questions about what they want for a future.

>>> tnrhodey at hotmail.com 8/28/2006 7:18:29 am >>>
Herb,

I agree...did you happen to watch 60 Minutes last night? Nagan knocking on 
the new levee bragging they were ready.......

Don't fprget DC re-electing Marion Berry. The American voter can be pretty 
dense at times. Kind of sad,

Wally

>From: "Herb Parsons" <hparsons at parsonsys.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Hurricane Evac
>Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 22:12:16 -0500
>
>Brad,
>
>I've become quite jaded by my experience in NO and the stuff I've seen and 
>heard since. The failures of were across the board, but the biggest failure 
>was NOT that of FEMA or the feds, it was the local government. Yet they 
>re-elected Nagan. I can only conclude that the people, many of whom want to 
>blame everyone but themselves for their problems, want a leader that does 
>the same.
>
>
>Herb Parsons
>
>S/V O'Jure
>1976 O'Day 25
>Lake Grapevine, N TX
>
>S/V Reve de Papa
>1971 Coronado 35
>Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast
>
> >>> flybrad at gmail.com 8/27/2006 3:18:53 pm >>>
>John,
>
>It looks like the Mississippi Gulf Coast and NOLA will get a bye on
>Ernesto.  Jeb Bush just declared a state of emergency for Florida.  Better
>batten down the hatches there, again.
>
>The article on Cuba was interesting. My wife  commented after Katrina how
>much better the Chinese handle such emergencies.  They send in massive
>numbers of army soldiers and order folks to obey or else.  I blame the
>failures at NOLA squarely on Nagin and Blanco.  The stories of heroism from
>the National Guard, Coast Guard, and Navy still aren't being told.  Neither
>is there much coverage on the lower parishes that were wiped out or the 90
>miles of Mississippi coast that was devastated.  It's all New Orleans, all
>the time.
>
>Florida handles hurricanes much better - so does the upper midwest with
>snow.  Go figure.
>
>Brad
>
>
>
>
>On 8/27/06, johnp <jhnpldng at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Interesting article on Katrina and Ivan.
> > http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=840 
> >
> > Brad Haslett-2 wrote:
> > >
> > > Ernesto is building strength and headed to the Gulf coast.  This will 
>be
> > > interesting to watch for the next few days.  We've got to come-up with 
>a
> > > plan to tie down our two campers.  I wonder what FEMA has in mind for
> > the
> > > thousands they placed one block from the coast?
> > >
> > > Brad
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list 
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> > http://www.nabble.com/Hurricane-Ernesto--tf2171606.html#a6009395 
> > Sent from the Rhodes22 forum at Nabble.com.
> >
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