"Killings bring the city to its bloodiest knees." That was the front-page headline for the New Orleans Times-Picayune on New Year's Day, a story a reporter chose to expound further for MSNBC.com readers.
Apparently, 14 people were gunned down in the first week of January. To the rest of the country and the world, this is horrifying. To those of us who have lived it, it is nothing new.
The difference now, though, is that Hurricane Katrina has pulled back the satin sheets on the bed of the Big Easy, and has uncovered the city's nakedness in a way that is unprecedented. New Orleans' tourist industry, fighting in vain to convince everyone that "the Big Easy is back," finds themselves daunted by reports such as these.
The MSNBC report states that city officials and lawmakers were seen "begging for help" from the general public, "beseeching all members of the community to come forward" with any information on the perpetrators of these crimes. The executive director of Crimestoppers was quoted as saying "Enough is enough; if we don't stop this, then our city doesn't have a future."
The report then goes on to list potential reasons for the crime surge-undermanned police force, overwhelmed criminal court system, nonexistent social services-and claim that these issues were "Katrina-related." In truth, these problems existed long before the storm, and were exacerbated after Katrina hit. Money allotted for these agencies was constantly diverted or misspent, and now, because they have been neglected for so long, are literally useless in addressing the city's problems.
Silas Lee, a well-known political analyst for New Orleans, gave a shockingly insightful observation (for him; anyone who knows this man knows what I mean; he is, like, the KING of passive) of the impact these crimes have made on the residents who have recently returned, and the ones who have decided to stay and rebuild:
"The crime surgecouldn't have come at a worse time...when many former residents were thinking of returning and those who had come back were wondering if they had made the right decision."
Then he goes on to say:
"Crime severely impairs the psychological status of citizens in a community. It causes a lot of dysfunction in society, it diverts resources, it disrupts the social order, and it creates a sense of paralysis with the citizens where they feel that it's hopeless and they fear for the future of the community as well as for themselves."
Deep. I guess Mr. Lee had some time to think up such an intelligent answer, now that he's a sociology professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Where were all of these insights, observations and flowery language when the residents of New Orleans were living this nightmare all those years?
Hopelessness. Fear. Yeah, those words ring true and deep for this New Orleans native. I witnessed too many deaths. I saw and knew too many addicts, strung out on all types of drugs. I remember the dark alleys, the screams in the night, the fighting, the shots ringing out, and wanting to be ANYWHERE but at home on New Year's Eve. I never felt safe the entire time I lived there. I always felt like I had to look over my shoulder. I worked for the police department, so whatever I didn't see, I heard from grieving, suffering, hopeless men, women, and children over the phone lines. To add insult to injury, the news media NEVER reported the incidences the way they actually happened. So we went home with the weight of the world on our shoulders. It was difficult, if not impossible, to "raise your children right" in that city.
There were many homeless people, "confidence-men," and con artists. Mentally ill people roamed the streets, and terrorized their parents and families, because there was no place else for them to go.
Growing up in one of the roughest housing developments in the city, life in the "Big Easy" has hardened me. I am definitely female, and I love being a woman, but I am rough around the edges. I don't trust people like I wish to. I find myself in "survival mode," even when it isn't necessary. Living in an environment like that for so long is like living in a war zone, which is probably why many Vietnam veterans were drawn there (and, of course, because of that huge VA hospital sitting in the middle of the CBD). It was definitely a place where your survival instincts had to remain sharp. It was probably the only place in America that felt normal to them.
On the plus side, it's those survival instincts that helped my family survive Katrina and quickly start over. Many New Orleans natives have relocated, and some are doing well. Those that were facing challenges long before the storm hit are the ones who are still struggling, trying to find their way. I think the greatest challenge we all are facing is trying to live among "normal" people. It is taking us time to adjust. Remember, our lives were far from "normal", and the storm complicated matters further.
I had a chance to visit New Orleans a few weeks ago. The city is only a shell of its former self. When those celebrities tell you that they are "shocked" when the visit, believe them. The city has been abandoned. Streets once loaded with people, children, music and smells of good food cooking now lay desolate, quiet, and bare. A mask of depression, hopelessness, and weariness covers the faces of once cheerful residents. Those that are too young to know what depression is are angry. Very angry. They act out. Many of the kids there are still separated from their parents. They don't know where they are; some have been left behind, some abandoned, and some begged their parents to let them return "home," unable to find their place in other cities.
Too much ignorance has taken place. And no one race of people is to blame. From government officials screaming that "God did this to New Orleans, and we are glad" to calling the majority of the working-class citizens "soap operawatchers" infront of cameras filming world-wide, it remains to be seen if New Orleans will ever recover from all of the damage that has been done. We all agree that New Orleans cannot exist the way that it was before. My hope is that my city will rise from the ashes, but it will require an attitude that everyone is useful; no one is dispensable. It is time for a change for the better; how that will happen remains to be seen.
The Hope in me, even when things seemed hopeless, has never died. And my hope for my city will never die.
Adrian
