Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Play it again Sam

Why would anyone in their right mind want to go to New Orleans much less live there? I know, I’m not saying it properly, the fashion being to slur it so badly as to sound casual and trendy, Nawlens. My mother, bless her southern upbringin’, was born there but had sense enough to get the heck out. I enjoy the way she pronounces that city’s name, a southern sweetness that takes the edges off; New with the “ew” tricklin’ off to a taper followed by a soft “Or” with an almost invisible “L” ending with “yens”. Mom cringes when she hears some damn Yankee butcher it OR-LEANs, a harsh insult to the ear; but that’s not why I have no use for that city.

New Orleans forgot that it’s part of the United States of America, a place where citizens have the right to protect themselves while in their homes. Their mayor, Ray Nagin, tried to disarm law abiding individuals by confiscating handguns right there in their homes following Hurricane Katrina. Now good ole’ Ray Nagin wants to set up check points to stop murderers from murdering; wow, why didn’t we think of that before? (link via title bar)

“"We're sending a signal that the system that used to allow you to commit a murder and there were no consequences is over. It has been easier to commit a murder than another crime in New Orleans," Nagin said.”

Does Ray Nagin realize what he said? He sent a signal alright, “the system that used to…”, it used to be a free country where citizens used to be under the delusion of having a Constitution to protect basic rights; after all, it “used to”. Ray must not want to get hung up with all that founding father nonsense; after all, confiscating guns from ignorant homeowners was for their own protection and locking down their ability to move freely is for their own protection as well.

I’d stop there except “Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to share more information on trailer residents with police, especially in New Orleans.” The good Senata’ wants to see into private files, see who’s messin’ ‘round based on privileged information. Maybe I’m reading more into this than there is; has New Orleans turned into a police state? I envision pictures of crossing gates on roads leading into town, boarder crossing guards standing next to their gate houses going through the trunk of your car looking for god only knows what as they check the list of known hooligans and round up the usual suspects. Fog shrouds the airport as Ingrid Bergman escapes leaving Bogart talking with…

If ever I was thinking about visiting that cesspool they call a city just to see the lowlife on Bourbon Street and get fleeced in the French Quarter I’d have to say no; or is that naw to Nawlins. I suppose a statement like that might hurt my chances of running for office on the national scene; maybe not, I don’t think those folks can read anyway, look who they put in office.

No comments: