New Orleanians are increasingly less likely today to think of themselves as Americans first. The experience of dealing with the lies, the incompetence, the evasion of responsibility, and the sheer indifference has led many to re-evaluate their sense of national identity. This strikes me as a pretty big deal.Particularly interesting are the comments. I've got some thoughts here... but they're still bouncing around... I may have more on this tomorrow.
Update: Commenters here are already pointing out that "Ellen" is being less than constructively contrary for the sake of being so and has done so previously (not that I would find much fault with that) In this case I think she has something of a point.. albeit likely on accident. She comes close to hitting upon one of the most important aspects of the recovery effort that we see on a daily basis in New Orleans but doesn't play well nationally. There is more to this than just "us" against Washington. Blundell is right on the money in pointing out that the obscene degree of federal obstinancy has caused many New Orleanians to (a little bit more than jokingly) wonder if we really are fully American citizens. The real struggle over how New Orleans will be rebuilt is going on between the powerful and the powerless within the city itself.
Katrina demonstrated to a national audience the wretched results of the last thirty years of war waged by the powerful upon the working class and the urban poor. The disaster was a short play which revealed the now pervasive American attitude which enables the government to engage in total dereliction of responsibility to its own citizenry. In 21st Century America, we neglect our infrastructure, ignore those in peril, and ultimately avert responsibility by blaming the less fortunate for their own plight.
I've spoken previously about the parallel between the post 9/11 and post Katrina missed opportunities to set right long standing injustices. After Katrina, the nation chose to ignore the obvious social injustices revealed by the crisis and instead frame the issue as the fault of those stupid New Orleanians with their corrupt politics and below sea level houses. This is the genesis of the general feeling of ostracization Blundell is referring to. What Ellen almost hits is that the same myths used nationaly to keep New Orleans from recieving the reparations it deserves, are being used by the rich and powerful in New Orleans in order to rebuild the city according their design. And so far, they seem to be winning... or at least.. a daily perusal of the headlines should give us a good idea of who is driving the agenda.
I submit that if the city were truly being rebuilt from a social justice perspective the top items on the daily agenda would be: Instead what we seem to be getting from the major local media are
Who do you think the intended audience is here? And can we take that Pullitzer back now?
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