So nobodies talking about Nagin?

[PW2]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Good for you, Art.<br /><br />I have not recently visited N.O. and have not travelled in the Southern US much, but I do recall a recent trip to Savannah, Ga, where I was simply struck by the disparity of it all.<br /><br />On one block, you might have the archetypical southern mansions, and the very next block you might find ramshackle shacks that appear to be still standing upright solely out of habit.<br /><br />While I agree that simply throwing piles of money at it will not solve the problem, neither will blaming the victims for their plight solve it.<br /><br />It requires a thoughtful, measured, compassionate effort, as well as some money and lots of trial, error, and patience, if we are ever to really begin to solve it.<br /><br />Sadly that approach seems to be impossible in the current political climate.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by PW2:<br />Sadly that approach seems to be impossible in the current political climate.

That's a cheap shot. Which political climate was right? Did Clinton do anything to solve it? How about Carter? Kennedy maybe? It's Bush's fault... that's just a stupid thing to say.

 

[KaGee]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by JB:<br /> N.O. deserves Nagin and he deserves N.O.

Couldn't have said it any better.<br /><br />

 

[ob]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> Pw2's comments posted on 5/22 @ 3:51 are "right-on" in my book. Many of the others appear racist to me.<br /><br />I have visited N. O.(have you?) and was saddened that the city is so racially divided. Most blacks do live at the poverty level but what can you expect when black kids must attend miserably underfunded public schools while priviledged white kids have the benefits of excellent, often church related, private schools. Considering their educational status and available work, it is no wonder that many N. O. blacks are locked into a hopeless situation with little oportunity to improve their lot or even escape. The situation can only be improved by providing a quality education and employment opportunities for all.

What a load of overspun liberal malarchy. Whites under funded schools in predominately black areas and forced the poor underpriveledged and persecuted blacks to attend them ,trapping them forever in a hopeless situation of poverty with no hope of ever escaping the confines of N.O. And you with your big bleeding heart actually graced this oppressed area only to escape back to your own fantasy land with your new founded tourist view mentality and start pointing fingers and playing the race card.Pullleeeease.I suggest you try and peddle your self righteous philosophy someplace else.We're all stocked up here.

 

[artburr]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

PW2 Re"I have not recently visited N.O. and have not travelled in the Southern US much, but I do recall a recent trip to Savannah, Ga, where I was simply struck by the disparity of it all."<br /><br />We, too recently visited Georgia, including Savannah, and found the same thing.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by PW2:<br /> It requires a thoughtful, measured, compassionate effort, as well as some money and lots of trial, error, and patience, if we are ever to really begin to solve it.

Slop like this just makes my blood boil. Until the black community has more truth tellers, like Bill Cosby and listens to them, there is not a damn thing that whitey is going to do to solve the disparity. 'They' have to want more than parity with the rich white honkeys. 'They' have to begin to immulate the behavior that leads to success by the rich white honkies.<br /><br />You can throw as many dollars as there are in the universe and you can 'care' and have compassion until you are blue in the face. It will not solve this problem. 'They' have to at least bend down and grab hold of their boot straps before anything that we can do will help. And you'd be a blind fool to not see that 'They' will not bend down. Uncle Sam and all you feel good liberals have been artificially inflating their egos and impowering them for too long.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

oh shiite, i just don't know what to say or how to say it. but maybe, just maybe i can frame it and then answer....<br />

I have not recently visited N.O. and have not travelled in the Southern US much, but I do recall a recent trip to Savannah, Ga, where I was simply struck by the disparity of it all.

if you two fine fellows, no make that - pals... could ever come to my state - GA and simply spend some time, you would see how utterly rediculous your stmts are. to say the word disparity when trawling the streets around the atlanta zoo, or maybe other places, like albany GA, i can almost understand. to say savannah, is to mean that you were predisposed from watching tv shows of what to think of the 'minority areas' of savannah. which is using the term 'minority' in the loosest sense, as there are low-rent places in every large city.<br /><br />but to actually come away with that feeling is as far fetched as to say that you feel a sense of disparity of family closeness because the pecan logs at the vienna GA exit aren't as fresh as they were before the spring break of 92...<br /><br />savannah GA is as it was 25yrs ago, full of vigor and life. it is there that you can find families that have the southern drawl from antibellum times, and also find them donating tea and crabcakes, shrimp from their brothers trawlers, and ole retired men, black & white, hanging out on the piers, giving out advice on life, whether you be black white or multicolored. if you sense disparity, its simply a feeling of a lack of appreciation and understanding of their way of life.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

and i guess if i said - please do not come down to the southern states again - would that sound disparaging? sorry. <br /><br />make that - well, if you can consider my 2c then NNBHN don't show your face down here again. thanx LOL

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

I myself feel a sense of disparity because I drive by a number of really nice houses on my way to work and all I can afford is a little cottage. So how do we determine when everything is even? When everyone lives in the same size house or drives the same type of car? There will always be disparity in life and if I want a bigger house it is up to me to make myself more marketable so I can get a better job so I can afford a better house. You can give people a hand up but when it becomes a hand out it starts to be a way of life. I still maintain you solve nothing by throwing more money at a problem. We have spent over 5 Trillion dollars in our war on poverty and have more people living in poverty now than eever before. Of course the US is the only place that poverty class people have color TVs, microwaves, cell phones, and a lot of other stuff that third world countries can't even imagine. <br />I am sick to death of people talking about the horrible public schools and then supporting the teachers union blindly. In New York we pay more per child for education than anywhere else and many of graduates can hardly read. Yet people like ArtB would have my taxes raised to throw more money at the problem.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Sorry, RF, but the Gore analogies should be a distant memory.....<br />When 'W' quits *mucking up, I will quit second guessing him.....<br />I would love to excercise the option....<br />No relief in sight though...... .....JK

 

[PW2]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Boomie, <br /><br />I think with your idealogical position will solidify the popularity of your position with Cheney like approval numbers, which is as it should be.<br /><br />And ebb, I idid not realize I needed your permission to visit the great state of Georgia, or that I needed to run my comments by the local chamber of commerce for approval. I'll put it in the file for future reference.<br /><br />Is Ga. still part of the USA?

 

[technostingray]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Another rousing round of applause for Corporate Amurrica. Nobody's talking about things they can control.

 

[artburr]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

I apologize for my intemporate remarks about Savannah. It is a lovely city and we did spend only one day there. We did spend five days on St. Simons and adjacent islands. Saw a number of school tours - all white - all private. I admit to a lot of preconceptions about southerners - racist, redneck, etc. and our visit didn't entirely dispell them.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> I admit to a lot of preconceptions about southerners - racist, redneck, etc. and our visit didn't entirely dispell them.

A little bit of redneckness would serve Willamette Valley Oregonians very well. It would get them off their Napoleonic self righteous pedastal.

 

[artburr]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br />

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> I admit to a lot of preconceptions about southerners - racist, redneck, etc. and our visit didn't entirely dispell them.

A little bit of redneckness would serve Willamette Valley Oregonians very well. It would get them off their Napoleonic self righteous pedastal.

I'm sorry. Could you be more specific?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> I'm sorry. Could you be more specific?

Ok. <br /><br />As a much maligned generalization, Willamette Valley Oregonians consider themselves to be urban sophisticates. As such, they are predominantely liberal, consider themselves to be superior to everyone else while espousing every politically correct position on matters such as race, religion, gender preferences, yada, yada, yada.<br /><br />That 'splain it Art?

 

[artburr]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br />

Originally posted by Art B:<br /> I'm sorry. Could you be more specific?

Ok. <br /><br />As a much maligned generalization, Willamette Valley Oregonians consider themselves to be urban sophisticates. As such, they are predominantely liberal, consider themselves to be superior to everyone else while espousing every politically correct position on matters such as race, religion, gender preferences, yada, yada, yada.<br /><br />That 'splain it Art?

 

[artburr]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

As a much maligned generalization, Willamette Valley Oregonians consider themselves to be urban sophisticates. As such, they are predominantely liberal, consider themselves to be superior to everyone else while espousing every politically correct position on matters such as race, religion, gender preferences, yada, yada, yada.<br /><br />That 'splain it Art? [/quote] [/QB][/quote]<br /><br />Yup. It shore do. But you hurt my feelin's by usin' the word LIBERAL! Heck, think I'll look that up. Here's what my dictionary says:<br /> <br />lib·er·al [ líbbərəl, líbbrəl ] <br /><br /><br />adjective <br /> <br />Definition: <br /> <br />1. broad-minded: tolerant of different views and standards of behavior in others<br /><br /> <br />2. progressive politically or socially: favoring gradual reform, especially political reforms that extend democracy, distribute wealth more evenly, and protect the personal freedom of the individual<br /><br />Heck sakes, I flunked the first part, didn't I?<br /><br />Yore right I was as much out of place calling people rednecks as you are wrong about the people of the Willammette Valley. I happen to live in a Conservative (Republican) community and the rest of Oregon is about evenly split.<br /><br />It just weren't rite to say whayt I did. I apologize.

 

[PW2]

Re: So nobodies talking about Nagin?

Don't apologise, Art.<br /><br />I spent about a week in Savannah, and generally found most of the people we encountered delightful.<br /><br />Still, as is the case everywhere, there is more that needs to be done.<br /><br />BTW, I got Brinkley's book ("The Great Deluge") and I am about half thru it, and I highly recommend it. He was not very flattering to Nagin, or Blanco, or FEMA, and especially not very flattering to politicians who chose to ignore unmistakable environmental warnings to save a buck or two, or the corps of engineers.<br /><br />Like what was said early on in this thread, there is lots of blame to go around at all levels of gov't.