On one of the forums I read regularly I have been engaged by a member who does not believe in the rebuilding of New Orleans. I thought I’d post the most recent bits of that conversation here and get your take on it. (References to actual names have been removed or changed to avoid whining.) Here we go:
His statement: The hardest part to understand is why people still lived in New Orleans, it has been common knowledge that the place was not a viable place to live for at least 100 years, no one with good sense would choose to live in a place that is below sea level and next to tide water. Today, W stated on TV that “The glorious city of New Orleans would be rebuilt”.
That has to be one of the most stupid things W has said, yet.
At least, when Galveston was undone in 1900, the people remaining,over 6000 were killed, had the good sense to bring in enough fill to raise the elevation some 16′ and build a concrete sea wall with massive groins to provide at least a semblance of protection.
So far at least, it has been enough.
Another problem, the people who are supposed to be running things are having the debris piled up to be burned or placed in a landfill,the pictures on TV show millions of board feet of dimension lumber and hundreds of thousands of square feet of sheet goods as well as durable fixtures, sinks, lavatories, commodes and many other very useful items in the piles, these are going to be in short supply and with very high prices when people do try to rebuild, if the powers that be had the common sense of a ruptured rat, they would create jobs and secure needed materials by putting a bunch of the refugees to work salvaging these items.
I suppose it is too much to expect any pol or bureaucrat to have any common sense, though.
My reply: New Orleans has too much history and culture wrapped up around and through it for Americans to ever allow it to sit and rot. It may not be a smart idea, but then neither was rebuilding San Francisco on a fault line, or Anchorage after the earthquake & tsunami, or Homestead after hurricane Andrew. In fact, logic would say that nothing should be allowed to be built south of Orlando, Florida – or on any south Atlantic or Gulf coastline. The threat of hurricanes is ever-present. No, we will rebuild Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, Biloxi, Gulfport, New Orleans, and every other wiped out hamlet between here and there. Why?
It’s America, and we don’t like leaving things abandoned like that.
The salvage statement has some merit, though I gotta tell you that the now media-common use of the word “refugee” when refering to American citizens in their own Country is becoming dang near a “fightin’ word” over here in Mobile.
My guess is that there will be many a soul from N.O. head straight back into the “Big Easy” ASAP in order to get that city back on its feet. I’ll also bet that the New & Improved levee and pump system will be a wonder of the modern world. The city may never again be as large as it was, but one day I think I’ll again be walking through the French Quarter and hearing little bands playing ragtime.
Him again: Your statement is the absolute epitome of illogical thought, and why should the rest of us be required to pay for illogical people who do not have even a modicum of common sense?
I really have no use for wasting my, or anyone’s else’s money on a project that makes no sense. If you want to spend your time and money on a project that is eventually doomed to disaster, be my guest, but do not expect the rest of us to pay for it.
My latest response: Nobody said it was logical. Indeed, I agree that it is totally ILLOGICAL to rebuild N.O.
What I’m saying is that America, as a Nation, will not let New Orleans go. No more than any other city destroyed in a natural or man-made disaster. By the way, do you feel the same way about Gulfport, Bayou La Batre, or Biloxi? Or Pass Christian? This is the second time those cities will have to be rebuilt due to hurricane destruction. You see, it is also illogical to spend money rebuilding those towns for exactly the same reason. No, they are not below sea level. They are only a couple of feet above it. Those few feet make absolutely zero difference when they are hit with storm surge. Same goes for the great cities of Miami, Savanah, Charleston, etc ad nauseum. Heck, New Orleans is historically one of the safest places on the Gulf coast!
If strict logic is applied, it make no sense to build on any southern coast. Period. However, as Capt. Kirk loved to point out to Spock, logic won’t always be the best or most desireable course – especially to humans. So until green-blooded, pointy-eared dudes land and want to meet our leaders, logic will have to take a second seat to human desires. And in this case, the human desires to live where they wish, accomplish great things, and shape the land to their needs. Right or wrong.
Sir, we also see eye-to-eye on the money end. I don’t like paying for stupid things either. Like Gov’t grants to study the effect of cow farts on the global atmosphere (no kidding!). And what about a welfare system that pays the poorest families to breed children they can’t and won’t take care of while at the same time denying Social Security claims to middle class workers who become disabled on the job? I could go on all night… Yet we are Americans. We may not like where money is being spent, or disagree with policy. That is our right. We do have a solution though. It’s called a vote. Of course, we can always run for office ourselves!
“President Omar”. Sounds good, don’t it?
Well? What do you think? Should we or shouldn’t we rebuild the “Big Easy”? Here’s you chance to speak out in an open forum.
Omar, out!
