www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=5994
It's time for us to rebuild a New Orleans -- the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans, and I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are, this city will be chocolate at the end of the day. Mayor Ray Nagin, January 16, 2006 Yesterday, in a speech at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day rally in New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin made some stupefying and inappropriate remarks, claiming that God was mad at America due to "us being in Iraq under false pretenses" and that he was sending us "hurricane after hurricane after hurricane" to show his displeasure. Despite the controversial comments about God, Iraq and hurricanes, his call for a "chocolate New Orleans" received the most attention, mostly because of the racial nature of the comments. The remarks might very well have done more to harm the comeback of the Crescent City than any of Nagin's other boneheaded actions since Katrina hit the city. At a time when New Orleans needs to unite, black and white, more than ever, Nagin has divided the city at its most critical juncture. Nagin's speech is another example of his lack of leadership, his inappropriate rhetoric and his unsuitability to lead this city during this challenging post-Katrina period. After hearing his remarks, many New Orleans voters will question whether a leader who uses such inflammatory rhetoric and puts his foot in this mouth so often is qualified to lead this great, historic city for another four years. Yesterday's speech also continues a recent Nagin administration trend of heightening racial tensions. In June, Nagin's handpicked Police Chief Eddie Compass hired a Nation of Islam leader, Dennis Muhammad, to conduct community sensitivity training within the New Orleans Police Department. It led many to question how a Nation of Islam leader could teach white, Catholic and Jewish officers about sensitivity, considering the racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic remarks of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. After Katrina hit New Orleans, Nagin retreated to Dallas and met with Farrakhan. Soon thereafter, the Nation of Islam leader spoke of the supposed "craters" beneath the levees in New Orleans and claimed that they were "blown up" to save white people and flood black neighborhoods. This ridiculous theory was an insult to the thousands of white families flooded by Katrina in Lakeview and other parts of New Orleans and was not supported by one scintilla of evidence. It also did not jive with statistics released by the state morgue in St. While the population of New Orleans pre-Katrina was 68% African-American, only 48% of the storm's fatalities were African-American. To make matters worse, Farrakhan claimed that Mayor Nagin was the source of his dubious information and wild speculation. Incredibly, Nagin did not distance himself from Farrakhan or criticize the Minister for his outlandish remarks. Nagin also did not repudiate Farrakhan's comments made during the Minister's most recent visit to the city on Saturday. Farrakhan declared that the city was beset by white supremacy, a ridiculous assertion considering that New Orleans has been led by an African-American Mayors for almost 30 years. Since Katrina, Nagin has been at the center of multiple controversies. In the first few days after the storm there were questions about Nagin's whereabouts, some claiming that he was not on the job. Regardless, in a radio interview, Nagin lambasted federal officials and called on them to "Get off your asses and do something." Nagin initially projected 10,000 Katrina deaths, instead 1,100 died, still tragic, but only one-tenth of what Nagin predicted. He then appeared on the Oprah Show and exaggerated the reports of violence at the Superdome, claiming that multiple rapes and murders had taken place, even though National Guard troops on the scene later disputed his comments. After those first few hectic days, Nagin issued plans for repopulation and widespread gambling that he had to rescind due to a lack of political support. On the issue of whether to host Mardi Gras, Nagin worked out an abbreviated schedule with Carnival and tourism officials, only to backtrack in a town hall meeting when confronted by angry, displaced African-American citizens. He actually told the audience that he was "overruled" and did not favor a resumption of the celebration so soon after Katrina. Later, be changed his opinion again and reiterated his support for a shortened Mardi Gras celebration. In the months since Katrina, Nagin's rhetoric has been embarrassing on a number of occasions. At one point, he criticized the number of Mexicans in New Orleans doing manual labor, even though most local homeowners were quite grateful to have the foreign labor willing to work long hours on their property. At a National League of Cities meeting in December, Nagin complained about the lack of federal help for New Orleans, stating, "Everybody in this room should be concerned. Everyone knows there's a certain amount of constipation in Washington. These comments are not the hallmark of a credible, capable leader. In fact, Nagin's lack of leadership before, during and after Katrina has been readily apparent. The problem is that the Crescent City is now entering a crucial period, the most important one in its history. Can New Orleans afford to have a Mayor who is so cavalier in his comments? A man who has made racist comments and meets with a racist? Ironically, Nagin's speech shows he certainly misunderstood Dr. Martin Luther King's message of a colorblind society where people were judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Divisive, racist rhetoric is counter-productive when New Orleans is trying to rebuild a population of all races, not just African-Americans. It also shows that Nagin is still unhinged, almost five months after Katrina. Post-Katrina, New Orleans should not be held hostage to racial quotas. Every productive citizen who wants to live here should be cordially invited, regardless of race. New Orleans residents of all races seem to understand that unity is important. A WDSU-TV poll asked local residents about the Mayor's "chocolate" remarks. Last evening, over 12,000 votes were recorded and an astounding 94% voted that Nagin's comments were inappropriate. Of course they are not appropriate statements, not the type of speech we should expect from a leader of any sort, especially from the Mayor of a city that has black, white, Hispanic, and Asian citizens living together in a diverse melting pot that former Mayor of New Orleans Marc Morial called a "gumbo." It seems that Mayor Ray Nagin doesn't care much for gumbo, his preference is chocolate, the darker the better. Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, "Ringside Politics," which airs at 8:30 pm Fri. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and Noon till 2 pm weekdays on several Louisiana radio stations.
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