two articles today in the NY Times discuss two very important issues related to new orleans. the first to catch my eye was about the environmental safety of the city. seems that it is being debated, with the gov't on the "it's safe side" and the advocacy groups on the opposite side. the other story relates the lives of current - or should i say former - residents of new orleans and that bungled mess called FEMA. people are still (still!) living in cars, still without assistance, still unable to find any sense of normalcy.
and yet tulane demands our return, promising cruise ship living (at $5k/semester). the local people of the city are commuting "home" from miles away, arriving just to spend the day walking around aimlessly, trying to find out how to reproduce random paperwork that FEMA requires when everything they own has been under upwards of 8 feet of water. and tulane reopens. what kind of city is this to learn in? maybe if all learning was turned out of the classroom, maybe if all of those students who can afford such luxuries as higher education actually learned through helping those without - maybe that would make sense. maybe that would change the world. give those rich white kids an opportunity to live the hard life. that's an edcuational experience. who needs peace corps experience when you have new orleans to clean?
it's time the city truly engages the community in rebuilding. it's time people moved out of their cars and into the next step towards stability: the trailer.
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Why something hasn't been done is incomprehensible and inexcusable. It is ridiculous that Blanco and the governors of the other affected areas haven't banded together to make themselves heard. What’s the point of having them if they can’t act on behalf of their people?
With so many out of work, it seems that organized protests could take place around the clock in front of each state’s capital and in Washington. (For those who have the means to make it there). They could use the Suffragette movement as a template. Keep it non violent, be persistent, and refuse to go away until changes are made.
The link below is to a blog entry written on a volunteer's first day in Biloxi (12/2). It's narrated well and illustrates how little has been done after Katrina outside of NO.
All the best in fighting your post Katrina battles and blues...
http://www.livejournal.com/users/cris/146012.html#cutid1
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