WHEN LEADERS PUSH The somewhat confusing words of Mayor Negan recently which set forth his idea of what a restored city of New Orleans might be were disturbing. Many others have plans which are quite different from his overly opportunistic, fix-it plans. Had anyone else used the tired term “chocolate city” they would have been media vilified no-end and to purposely repeat it called for intense mental mismanagement.
Such cute terms so often have within them divergent ideas which are not at all in keeping with many of the people one may cause doubt and lack of confidence in any such plans. The texture of such announcements must be acceptable to a majority support. Certainly any ideas which seem to have a set purposes of making things better for any one group – racial, political, religiously, social, economy or any such division is bad.
Leaders in our time cannot truly lead in our multi-faceted society by favoring one group over another. We must believe in and unification concepts rather than divisions and special advantages for any section of our society.
The mayor's declared intention sounded as if it might be an invitation for any and all blacks to make New Orleans their home so they could re-build it to their liking. He also ad-libbed a reference to God and punishment for which he later apologized but he did not with include his invitation. Even it really “unintentional” it was, no doubt effective for intensely religious segments of blacks in various sections of the country. Such a plan would, no doubt, be favored vocally by such stalwarts as the reverend Sharpton-Jackson-et al - standing, at the ready, for such a project.
The Old New Orleans must have been a real patchwork quilt concerning ownership. I dare say much of the shoddy repair and maintenance work which never seemed to get finished in the city stemmed from elsewhere-ownership and lack of interest or concern. Judging by the financial plight of the city today, it will be many years before it can get on its own and completely out from under from under federal, state and other assistance programs. Ownership will probably be corporate in nature rather than parceled out to small holders.
Certainly “leaders” will be needed to - again-and-again - point out the best of perplexing pathways to prosperity for all.
A.L.M . January 20, 2006 [c410wds]
