Mississippi a place to learn from

[Downdraft]

Devastation, destruction, total loss. Do they feel overshadowed but New Orleans yes they do. Do they feel help from their State and the Fed's was late or still late yes they do. Do they feel they lost it all and have to rebuild their towns, their neighborhoods and their lives yes they do. Are they bitching. are they crying are they pointing fingers .....no there not. We can all look at New Orleans and say that's America at it's worst or we can look at Gulfport and the surrounding areas and say that's America at it's best. Bless ya Mississippi!

[soonertwister]

The contrast has been as stark as it could possibly be. They were devastated worse than NOLA by a long shot, but NOLA had big floods, and many more people and reporters.

The eventual devastation in NOLA will end up much worse because after houses have been flooded for weeks, they have to be basically torn down and rebuilt. But if the people in the flooded areas had been properly warned and assisted in evacuation prior to Katrina, and promptly warned when the levees started to breach, the current situation would be vastly different than what it's turned out to be.

But finger-pointing has been minimal, neighbor helping neighbor has been inspiring, people for the most part acted and reacted in the right ways, not all the wrong ones.

We can learn abut some of the right things to do from Mississippi, and most of the wrong things to do from Louisiana, specifically the NOLA area.

[stormie_skies]

I don't really see the logic in comparing the two. They are completely different: one is a densely populated urban area that is below sea level and is still experiencing massive flooding; the other, while clearly devestated, is more sparcely populated and is mostly dry now. People were not stranded en masse in Mississippi as far as I know. In most areas homes are easier to access - bodies were being recovered there long before the evacuations even slowed in NOLA. So while I have a lot of admiration for the people slogging through the mess in Mississippi who are trying to help each other and put their lives back together, you can't say their situation is the same as that of those stranded in NOLA. It isn't. So of course people are reacting differently...

[sunny]

Devastation, destruction, total loss. Do they feel overshadowed but New Orleans yes they do. Do they feel help from their State and the Fed's was late or still late yes they do. Do they feel they lost it all and have to rebuild their towns, their neighborhoods and their lives yes they do. Are they bitching. are they crying are they pointing fingers .....no there not. We can all look at New Orleans and say that's America at it's worst or we can look at Gulfport and the surrounding areas and say that's America at it's best. Bless ya Mississippi!

Thanks.

[GalvestonDuck]

So, what's that make Florida?

Still a lot of blue tarps out there....

[StormySouthFlorida]

It's so easy to judge when we can watch the tragedy unfold from the comfort and safety of our own house. Personally, I would hope and pray that I would have the courage to respond in the manner that so many in Mississippi and Louisiana did. I would love to think that I would be an example of the "good America". But until you are in their shoes, you cannot know how you would react. So I just thank God that I haven't been through such a horrible event, and I continue to help those who have--regardless of their reaction to their situation. Who knows, I may need thre same mercy someday.

[tndefender]

Here in Memphis and the surrounding areas I would imagine that there are anywhere from 10,000-20,000 people from the New Orleans metropolitan area with us. Without exception they have been some of the nicest and yes, most grateful people we have ever met. If you think that New Orleans is an example of "the worst of America" then you don't know New Orleans and you really don't know America. I hope you are not making this judgment based on what you see on the nightly news. After all, how much of Mississippi have you really seen there? For a city with at least a 40% poverty rate in one of the poorest states in the country having been visited upon by an unprecedented natural disaster I think New Orleans, or at least what's left of it, is holding up pretty well.

[soonertwister]

I did not say that NOLA was the worst of America, I tried to convey that the images of violence and looting and rape and murder were the worst of America.

Perhaps these things happened in isolated incidents in Mississippi, but they were very few and far between. But in New Orleans, the devil took the wheel and drove the bus of hell through that city. I know, I watched some video from there that I don't ever want to see again.

In every city in America the vast majority of persons are good people, but certain places have an undercurrent of evil and chaos that will erupt in times of real crisis. New Orleans was one of those places. We don't know how many rapes, how many murders, how many looters and violent drug-addicted maniacs were there. But they were there, they were shown for us to see in some cases, and for the most part their deeds were censored from our sensibilities to protect us from the harshest realities of life.

Nobody but an insanely evil person guns down someone on the street for no reason, or joins a gang rape that condemns a child too young to attend school to die. Those are realities, as much as we hate to see them. All people are not sweetness and light. Some people who are invited into homes will steal from their hosts and slip off in the night, and the vast majority with thank God for their blessings.

I intended no insult to anyone good. But to deny that there was evil abundant on the streets of New Orleans is to deny the undeniable truth. And it hurts me just as much as anyone except the victims.

[mettski]

I did not say that NOLA was the worst of America, I tried to convey that the images of violence and looting and rape and murder were the worst of America.

Perhaps these things happened in isolated incidents in Mississippi, but they were very few and far between. But in New Orleans, the devil took the wheel and drove the bus of hell through that city. I know, I watched some video from there that I don't ever want to see again.

In every city in America the vast majority of persons are good people, but certain places have an undercurrent of evil and chaos that will erupt in times of real crisis. New Orleans was one of those places. We don't know how many rapes, how many murders, how many looters and violent drug-addicted maniacs were there. But they were there, they were shown for us to see in some cases, and for the most part their deeds were censored from our sensibilities to protect us from the harshest realities of life.

Nobody but an insanely evil person guns down someone on the street for no reason, or joins a gang rape that condemns a child too young to attend school to die. Those are realities, as much as we hate to see them. All people are not sweetness and light. Some people who are invited into homes will steal from their hosts and slip off in the night, and the vast majority with thank God for their blessings.

I intended no insult to anyone good. But to deny that there was evil abundant on the streets of New Orleans is to deny the undeniable truth. And it hurts me just as much as anyone except the victims.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzdump

[soonertwister]

What an intelligent response, mettski!

I'll be sure to consult you to prevent further faux paux's on this board.

Of course, your five letter reply explains the level of your concern, and your obvious willingness to contribute to creating solutions, rather than soiling the argument.

How have you contributed to the relief effort? You needn't be chatty, two or three words should suffice.

[f5]

So, what's that make Florida?

Still a lot of blue tarps out there....

At least flordia has a home to cover that blue tarp in mississippi a blue tarp isn't necessary beacuse the house is either 5-10 blocks down the street or is just a pile of matchsticks.

[Lindaloo]

People have also forgotten that New Orleans is the NUMBER ONE most dangerous city. Go figure.

[loon]

People have also forgotten that New Orleans is the NUMBER ONE most dangerous city. Go figure.

??? Where did this info come from? I believe somewhere in New Jersey is considered the most dangerous. St Louis and Atlanta are like 2nd and third. Unless something new came out recently. I believe NO was by no means safe, but pretty safe all things considered. The Big Easy indeed.

Cheers,
loon

edit: of course in the last 2 weeks, I'm sure it was the most dangerous =/

[GalvestonDuck]

People have also forgotten that New Orleans is the NUMBER ONE most dangerous city. Go figure.

??? Where did this info come from? I believe somewhere in New Jersey is considered the most dangerous. St Louis and Atlanta are like 2nd and third. Unless something new came out recently. I believe NO was by no means safe, but pretty safe all things considered. The Big Easy indeed.

Cheers,
loon

edit: of course in the last 2 weeks, I'm sure it was the most dangerous =/

I believe it was reported that NOLA has 7.5 times more murders than the nation and is considered one of the most crime-ridden cities in the nation -- THE worst according to some polls/surveys I've seen. Then again, I've also seen a survey that says Galveston is the most stressful mid-sized city in which to live ('shyeah, right!).

So, it depends upon where you look. But we've discussed it here on the board a few times -- NOLA being one of the top worst cities in regards to crime.

[alicia-w]

People have also forgotten that New Orleans is the NUMBER ONE most dangerous city. Go figure.

She's BACK!!!! How are you????

[alicia-w]

http://www.governmentguide.com/community_and_home/morganmostdangerouscities.adp

1 Camden, NJ
2 Detroit, MI
3 Atlanta, GA
4 St. Louis, MO
5 Gary, IN
6 Washington, DC
7 Hartford, CT
8 New Orleans, LA
9 Richmond, VA
10 Birmingham, AL
11 Baltimore, MD
12 Richmond, CA
13 Memphis, TN
14 Jackson, MS
15 Tampa, FL
16 San Bernardino, CA
17 Compton, CA
18 Springfield, MA
19 Miami, FL
20 Cleveland, OH
21 Dayton, OH
22 North Charleston, SC
23 Little Rock, AR
24 Oakland, CA
25 Cincinnati, OH

[Lindaloo]

People have also forgotten that New Orleans is the NUMBER ONE most dangerous city. Go figure.

She's BACK!!!! How are you????

Hey girl. Doing much better.

[therock1811]

It's good to have her back.

[GalvestonDuck]

Okay, let me correct myself -- it's not 7.5 times, it's 10 times.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8999837

The city’s murder rate is still far lower than a decade ago, when New Orleans was the country’s murder capital. But in recent years, the city’s homicide rate has climbed again to nearly 10 times the national average.

So...it's not "number one" right now if you look at this article. Fact is -- it's still pretty dang bad.

[southerngale]

http://www.governmentguide.com/community_and_home/morganmostdangerouscities.adp

1 Camden, NJ
2 Detroit, MI
3 Atlanta, GA
4 St. Louis, MO
5 Gary, IN
6 Washington, DC
7 Hartford, CT
8 New Orleans, LA
9 Richmond, VA
10 Birmingham, AL
11 Baltimore, MD
12 Richmond, CA
13 Memphis, TN
14 Jackson, MS
15 Tampa, FL
16 San Bernardino, CA
17 Compton, CA
18 Springfield, MA
19 Miami, FL
20 Cleveland, OH
21 Dayton, OH
22 North Charleston, SC
23 Little Rock, AR
24 Oakland, CA
25 Cincinnati, OH

No Texas cities...that's nice. Considering out of the top 10 largest cities in the U.S., Texas has 3 of them, that's great. (for Texans)