Posted on: November 3rd, 2009 Does Nola Bring Out the Worst in People?

I hesitate to even consider that Nola might bring out the worst in people. Perhaps it just brings out the worst in people not from here? People who don’t “get it”? Like idealistic rich hippies that move to sub-saharan Africa to “save the world” only to get slammed to reality when they get shot at, running home bitter and dejected. Or is it WE, the natives, who do not get it after all? Do we need an attitude adjustment?

These conflicted thoughts brought to you by Ed Blakely, our former disaster “recovery czar” who stabbed our city in the back this week.

Ed Blakely lambastes New Orleans, saying its residents are racist, lazy

Well damn Ed, tell me how you really feel.

“Everyone’s a racist. It’s part of what we have in this country, but it’s deeper, more viral, more visible and more entrenched in New Orleans than any place I’ve ever seen,” Blakely said.

When a dedicated left-wing friend of mine from the northeast moved here she told me: “New Orleans can make anyone a racist.” I’m well aware that both black and white (and all other) people here can be very racist, as I’ve seen and heard it first hand. I just didn’t realize we were so much worse that any other city in that department. I marveled how bad our situation must be if it left even folks like her frustrated and annoyed.

So… how did such an internationally known, respected urban planner like Blakely turn into such… such an ass? Why is it, no matter who we bring in here to help us it always goes so wrong? There is a culture clash somewhere. We’re missing something. Maybe Nola is genuinely, jokes aside, too ‘third world’ thinking. The minority of rich white people, the majority of poor black people, all hating each other for lives they were simply born into, perpetuating the same ideas with every generation – maybe it’s too frighteningly colonial Kenya for the rest of America to even form coherent words so they just wail nonsense about how awful we are, and try to cut us loose like an embarrassing relative.

Anyway, I think Blakely is the lazy one. He thought he’d just waltz in here with his fancy credentials and take credit for what the people are doing all by themselves. He’s doing the cowardly thing – justifying his own failure by blaming the city instead of saying the honorable thing, like “I let you down.” He’s not completely off his rocker though, as he’s made several observations about the city and its race problems over the years that are just painfully true. But one thing I’m sure he’s wrong on, there will be no race war here. If Katrina didn’t bring it, nothing will. And that storm proved that even with the national media inciting the black vs white war here, we chose overwhelmingly to help ourselves and our neighbors instead. And that is the New Orleans I cling to, the one I’m proud to be a part of rebuilding. Finger-pointing “cranes in the sky” Blakely can kiss me tush.

3 Responses to “Does Nola Bring Out the Worst in People?”

1. Maitri Says:
   November 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 am

   Just because Blakely cannot do it does not mean it cannot be done. I agree with some of his points on dysfunction, race and inertia in NOLA but not all of them and not as vehemently as he does. Racism is very “viral and entrenched” where I live in the wilds of north-central Ohio as well, it’s just folks are very Protestant-polite about it to your face and don’t talk to one another about it, but it’s there in their tight smiles and the pits of their stomachs.

   The thing is this: A job like his has to be done by someone from New Orleans, someone who has a personal and very heartfelt stake in rebuilding the city, but also someone who hasn’t been touched by the corruption bug and uses it as an opportunity to give contracts to his or her buddies. Everyone else will leave, citing woes because they don’t appreciate the nature of race and society in New Orleans like a native does or have other things to do with their lives, or will eat the city whole from the inside out.

2. Pistolette Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 9:21 am

   You make a good point about the politeness thing. I forget how easily some cultures live in denial. As for the person who does this job being local, I’m not so sure. At least outsiders have little or no social/political/economic connections here and that keeps the corruption stuff lower. Locals always have that “i”ll hire my brotha-in-law to do it” mentality. Either way, it will take a very special person to do the job.

3. Alex Says:
   November 4th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

   Having lived all over this country and the world, NOLA is actually one of the least functionally racist places I’ve lived. Certainly you see the race card played in politics/government, but that is not all of life here. Carnival and the festival mentality enable a lot more social interaction than one would see in supposedly less racist places like New York or the Midwest (which are not, btw). Much of the racism one hears from bien pensants the likes of Blakely and the enablers of his equal oppurtunity embodiment of The Peter Principal are due to projection.
   I don’t think you need to be born here to help the city, in fact no city achieves greatness without attracting and integrating people into its greatness. Here is where NOLA, ever described as a city with a soul does have an advantage, though I think her allure is somewhat selective. Many are a little off put by our comfort with eccentricity.

   Still, Blakely and his ilk are all about style and symbol over substance. The bike thing was great press, in fact, city hall workers should get free bikes and RTA passes rather than cars. But without any real action behind the style and words, nothing happens. Then it become a matter of who defines the narrative. Clearly, this empty suit Blakely is working on defining his as just another well meaning but naive soul thwarted by the overpowering racism etc. of NOLA. Happily, we do not have to let that happen.

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