Posted on 12/09/2005 6:13:30 AM PST by LdSentinal
The victim mentality of New Orleans was on full display, aided and abetted by race hustlers, at Congressional hearings about response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster, giving the rest of the country yet another reason not to care about what happens to Louisiana.
This mentality, that somehow some insidious force beyond the individual’s control causes misery in his life and keeps him in a disadvantaged position in society, is a major reason why Louisiana in general, and New Orleans in particular, are among the poorest areas in the country. Ordinarily, the fruit of this attitude, that a person’s inability to make much of himself in life is not his fault but some “others,” could be seen encapsulated in the Orleans Parish School District, where learning was sacrificed on the altar of inefficiency and politics, few demands were made in learning, and many students and their families did little to change this situation or take control of their educational futures. As a result, it was perhaps the worst school district in America.
But with recent state activity to put education in the hands of those who actually mean it with the near-dismemberment of the district, now the best example of this attitude comes in hearings in front of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina of the U.S. House of Representatives. While the Committee has tackled serious matters previously, allowing self-styled “representatives” of New Orleans evacuees to testify was a sop thrown to the few Democrats on the committee.
Most House Democrats wanted to boycott the enterprise, saying they wanted a federal government-wide investigation, not just that of the House. This is because they knew that, since the Republicans control the House, that in the course of the investigation there would be no shielding to public view of New Orleans as a poster child for the failed liberal policies of the Democrats, where generally policy decisions made by Louisiana but specifically by New Orleans would illustrate the destruction liberal Democrats have visited upon, in particular, our most disadvantaged citizens.
Victimization is a big part of this ideology. We saw it with how the Gov. Kathleen Blanco administration handled the matter of getting troops and buses into New Orleans, depending on others to do it for them, flailing about waiting for help to show up. We saw it in the response in New Orleans, where Mayor Ray Nagin failed to implement plans, instead stalking around complaining he wasn’t getting help. In larger terms, politicians such as these are the product of an electorate that itself is less willing than others to do the things it needs – demand better education, access that better education, stop expecting government to take care of them – than those in other parts of the country. Liberalism excuses these attitudes, saying they’re not people’s fault, and it’s a snake oil that Democrats still try to peddle frequently.
Thus, we get the pathological need to ascribe unfortunate situations to some sinister motive beyond the person’s control, despite no evidence to back it up. In this instance, it’s the idea that “racism” had something to do with rescue operations. Note that for this charge to be credible it would have to be demonstrated that most rescuers (many who were black) were irredeemably racist in attitude and action and/or it was government policy to promote this behavior among them. Since no such evidence exists, only the most exaggerated, wildest accusations can be brought forward to support this claim.
Democrat leaders shied away from participation in this committee’s investigations because they wanted to avoid this welfare-state mentality on parade, of a party that conjures up imaginary impediments of institutionalized racism instead of seriously debating issues, even as they believe it. These beliefs are losers at the ballot box because the American people are smart enough to see that this is not reality.
But one of the party’s genuine kooks didn’t get, or ignored, the message. The main instigator behind this portion of the hearings, the nutty, racist Rep. Cynthia McKinney, eloquently stated from their start, “And the world saw the effects of American-style racism in the drama as it was outplayed [sic] by the Katrina survivors.”
She was followed by, in the main, people who make their living off of crying racism and “community activists” who could offer no hard proof any crazy assertions they made when challenged other than “says you.” Perhaps the most famous comment was the incredulous comparing of the evacuee situation to the Holocaust, but maybe more indicative of the mindset and credibility of the professional complainers is another (again, eloquent) remark made by one them: “It was an issue of race. Because of one thing: when the city had pretty much been evacuated, the people that were left there mostly was [sic] black.”
So, let me get this straight, in a city that mostly is black already, run mostly by black politicians who planned and supervised the (non)evacuation, where a large portion of the flooding occurred in an area of the city where almost all of the residents were black, where because of income differentials blacks disproportionately had reduced private means of evacuation, then the fact that mostly blacks needed rescuing is a sign of racism? Maybe it’s because I didn’t graduate from the typical Orleans Parish public school, but I can’t follow that logic at all.
And neither will the rest of the nation as it debates what kind of assistance the state will receive, and it won’t be too willing to send much to an environment where such moronic attitudes flourish. It doesn’t matter the expressed views aren’t held by all, unlikely even a majority, of Louisianans, but it is things like this or trying to cover incompetency in execution or refusal to reform themselves or relief-money looting which make indelible impressions in the minds of the country. Is there any place in America whose people, from its top officials on down, do a better job of shooting themselves in their own feet?
"Willful disobedience of a mandatory evacuation order"
Of course they would not go.
Welfare check day was to have been on Monday.
With people like this, stupidity is incurable.
Great article. Thanks for posting it.
It's Peter & the Wolf. Even worse, whites and well-off (and non-NOers, in general in this case) get sick of being slandered as racist and careless and the like. The effect of the constant complaining is to shut the ears and ignore - for real.
Is it just a lie then that the majority of black voters vote Democratic ?
I personally have never trusted that so-called "poll" that 90% vote Democratic. Who are they polling, only "real blacks" (ie. inner-city)? Who's doing the poll and check, etc. Heck, how do you even define who's "black" is even more fundamental. Yes, I do think the majority still vote Democratic, because in the past a combination of things happened to cause Blacks to jump from the Republicans to the Democrats. But I do believe, that it is no longer the case that the vote is so lopsided.
"If 'these people' had started walking North "
Comments this lame and uninformed are not worthy of a considered reply.
"I beg to differ. "
If you were replying to my post, I have no idea what you are talking about or what point you are trying to make.
"The dredging was done"
It was their idea but the Corp has ultimate responsibility for this decision and its implementation.
OK. I'll try to get up with him tonight.
CajunConservative,
Could you put me on the ping list.
"The biggest point is that this entire disaster was caused by *human error*."
First, the thread is about racism charges being leveled by people who knew a freight train was barreling down on the neighborhood, sat on the porch waiting for the mailman, and then want to insist they sat there because people hate them.
Second, the point I was making is that the statement quoted above is horsepatootie. Saying NO flooded because of bad, bad Corps of Engineers is moot. No one else along the coast had levees and they all flooded. It was a natural disaster. The Walls of Jerico likely wouldn't have protected that city.
Yup. And at the rate the forecasters say these things are gonna come at us for the next few years, it'll happen again and again.
Detroit?
The levees failed not because of the storm but due to the fact they were improperly designed and built. Had they been designed as spec'd, they would not have failed, get the picture? And the Federal Govt thru the Corp of Engineers had the ultimate decision making on all of it.
GREAT quotes. Have you ever read City Journal?
http://www.city-journal.org/index.html
Exceptional socio-economic-political essays related to urbanism.
Apparently you didn't read my earlier post.
I don't need to put myself in the same position, thank you, I already lived it.
When the dam was relieved BECAUSE IT COULDN'T HOLD THE WATER, half my town was wiped out and stayed underwater for three weeks.
Nature rules, not man.
Hello. I know this. I was just adding material to your blame of the Corps. Don't wanna leave anyone out.
As a Katrina victim, I agree. These people are making us look bad.
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