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| New Orleans Mayor Says God Mad at U.S. |
| 2006-01-16 |
| Mayor Ray Nagin suggested Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that "God is mad at America" and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting. "Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country," Nagin, who is black, said as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King Day. "Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves." Nagin also promised that New Orleans will be a "chocolate" city again. Many of the city's black neighborhoods were heavily damaged by Katrina. "It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans — the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans." Nagin described an imaginary conversation with King, the late civil rights leader. "I said, `What is it going to take for us to move on and live your dream and make it a reality?' He said, `I don't think that we need to pay attention any more as much about other folks and racists on the other side.' He said, `The thing we need to focus on as a community — black folks I'm talking about — is ourselves.'" Nagin said he also asked: "Why is black-on-black crime such an issue? Why do our young men hate each other so much that they look their brother in the face and they will take a gun and kill him in cold blood?" The reply, Nagin said, was: "We as a people need to fix ourselves first." Nagin also said King would have been dismayed with black leaders who are "most of the time tearing each other down publicly for the delight of many." A day earlier, gunfire erupted at a parade to commemorate King's birthday. Three people were wounded in the daylight shooting amid a throng of mostly black spectators, but police said there were no immediate suspects or witnesses. |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #7 Maybe G-d was just sending the message: "If I meant you to live below sea level, I'd have given you gills." |
| Posted by: Flerert Whese8274 2006-01-16 23:38 |
| #6 Nagin also promised that New Orleans will be a "chocolate" city again. Many of the city's black neighborhoods were heavily damaged by Katrina. Translation: "I need my hapless supplicant underclass back again or my incompetent chocolate ass will be voted out of office at the next election." A variety of historical, demographic, and economic factors aligned to make New Orleans a uniquely awful place to be poor and black. It isn't instructive to view New Orleans' problems as black/white because the city's privileged ruling class is in fact creole. Louisiana's French past has given it a French-flavored present. It's the most corrupt state in the union. Corruption is theft and theft is the very opposite of wealth creation. After a while lack of opportunity takes its toll on a person's will, and resignation rules the day. The post-hurricane flood created an imperative for much of the underclass to leave. Many of them aren't hurrying to rush back, either because of their aforementioned resignation, or because they've found genuine opportunity elsewhere. |
| Posted by: Rory B. Bellows 2006-01-16 23:03 |
| #5 Ray Nagin is an incompetent bigot and racist...someone had to |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-01-16 22:51 |
| #4 Pat Robertson says something like this, and the entire MSM declares he's delusional and a moral idiot. Ray Nagin says it, and it's greeted as the sterling truth. Just another bit of evidence that the mainstream media has nothing to do with truth, integrity, or news. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-01-16 22:15 |
| #3 I think we can all agree that Ray Nagin is mad. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2006-01-16 21:57 |
| #2 Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, Mayor Ray, but it wasn't America that got whacked, it was New Orleans. Just maybe, God is mad at YOU and your sorry-ass attempt at running a city. Have those buses at the Ray Nagin Memorial Motor Pool dried out yet? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-01-16 21:14 |
| #1 Nagin, who is black . . . also promised that New Orleans would be a "chocolate city" again. Oh, thank goodness. At last someone is combating the jackbootneoconracistwhitehomophobicfascistrepublican plan to whiten New Orleans. Mayor Nagin to the rescue--again! |
| Posted by: Faith 2006-01-16 21:03 |