New Orleans Faces "The Nation"

It's holiday time and we probably all want to be thinking about something other than bloodshed and disaster. But the editors at The Nation feel otherwise. In the January 5 issue, they've run a long investigative piece on perhaps a dozen unsolved shootings of African-American men in the largely-white New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers Point in the days after the event shorthanded as Katrina. It's a lengthy, painstaking piece of work.

And, just like the work of much of the mainstream media about the disaster in New Orleans three-plus years ago, it lies.

Not about the shootings. Nor about the white vigilantes who brag about their activity in shooting, or at least shooting at, black men in the days following 8/29/05. But reporter A.C. Thompson, who says he (she?) spent eighteen months in this investigation, repeatedly mischaracterizes what happened in New Orleans to set the chaos and hatred he portrays into motion. It's neither denying nor justifying what the piece reports to point out that, absent a catastrophic man-made flood, this nightmarish flood of racist reaction might never have been unleashed.

The mendacity starts in paragraph 2:

It was September 1, 2005, some three days after Hurricane Katrina crashed into New Orleans...

Some "crash". Reporting from New Orleans on August 29, most observers agreed that Hurricane Katrina had "spared" New Orleans, that the city had once again "dodged a bullet". While coastal Mississippi lay flat, relatively minor wind damage -- we recall the Hyatt Hotel's windows blown out--was the worst sign that Katrina had dealt the city a glancing blow. Later, the National Hurricane Center, in its final report for the year, was to revise downward its estimate of Katrina's strength as it passed by New Orleans to either a strong Category 1 or weak Category 2 storm.

Maybe Thompson made a clumsy mistake in paragraph 2. Five paragraphs later, it gets worse.

When the hurricane descended on Louisiana, Algiers Point got off relatively easy. While wide swaths of New Orleans were deluged, the levees ringing Algiers Point withstood the Mississippi's surging currents...

A reader might take from that passage the idea that a "surging" Mississippi was responsible for the flooding of New Orleans. In fact, zero river flooding occurred anywhere in the metro area. Algiers Point is protected (not "ringed") by exactly the same river levees that protected downtown, the Quarter, the Garden District, and every other New Orleans neighborhood abutting the Mississippi, which is why New Orleanians refer to the slim parts of the city that escaped flooding as the "sliver by the river".

Thompson's at it again later in the story:

Around Algiers Point people say they rarely saw cops during the week after Katrina tore through Louisiana...

What is it Thompson, and the piece's editors at The Nation, refuse to say? Simply that, according to at least two respected forensic engineering reports (here and here), ultimately confirmed by a semi-confession from the involved agency, the flooding of New Orleans was caused by a series of design and construction flaws, stretching back over decades, in the supposed Hurricane Protection System overseen, in all details, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people drowned and otherwise perished in the flooding, white, black, rich, poor. Did The Nation ever do an eighteen-month investigation to find out why such a system, mandated by the Congress to protect New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Betsy, went so terribly, catastrophically wrong?

Or, like the mainstream media, did it content itself with a crime story that used the Katrina disaster merely as a fulcrum?

I write a post this long, and this harsh, because New Orleans has enough problems, self-inflicted and otherwise, without a respected national magazine asserting that the city had or has a race war. There are racists aplenty in New Orleans, white and black. Yet, after two decades of knowing the city pretty damn well, I'd venture to say that day-to-day living in New Orleans involves more casual, easy, frequent interactions between people of all backgrounds and colors than I see, say, in LA, NY, or DC. Flood 80% of any of those cities, flood the airwaves (local and national) with fearful rumors -- after those same airwaves have been gleefully saturated with grotesque images of rappers glorifying thuggery -- and see what latent emotions come to the surface.

But analyzing the systemic problems of the Corps of Engineers -- upon whom New Orleans is now forced to place its hope for future safety, barring a sudden change in federal policy -- apparently doesn't jibe with The Nation's agenda. Is this the best a wounded city can expect from liberal media?

Comments

[JimBozo]

Let's not forget that actual armed law enforcement personnel in neighboring areas turned NO flood refugees back. New Orleans itself is one of the least racist cities I've ever spent much time in, with mostly harmonious relations. Unfortunately, it's surrounded by extremely red-neck racist communities. Those are the areas which voted for Bush and whoever else the right wing candidate happens to be. New Orleans, being more enlightened and metropolitan, usually votes Democrat.

[Deparis]

Mr. Shearer,

Thank you for your piece, the substance of your point is well taken. Nonetheless, every author has a latitude in selecting a theme on which to work. It is true in journalism, print and broadcast. As someone suggested, you could have written about your point much earlier. You seem to know New Orleans better, having been or lived there over two decades. You seem to have the sources and expert reports for the facts you advance. But, until today you sat on a relevant information about understanding the tragedy that was Katrina. Why did not you write about earlier? As the after storm devastation unfolded, there were news reports on print and broadcast media about racial tension following it. Why did not you take offense then? HINT: It was not a relevant story/theme or priority for you.

A. C. Thompson, whose gender seems to be a matter of curiosity to you as though that was relevant to her or his report, chose a story s/he considered important to her or his readers. That's the point of authorship: Freedom of choice, from the theme to the timing and medium of communication or publishing.

Lastly, racial tension/racism or lack of racial integration in all other major cities does not exonerate New Orleans and New Orleaneans from being racially inclusive, tolerant and accepting. An act of racism or any form of bigotry in New Orleans is no more or less outrageous simply because it exists somewhere else.

[GrainOSand]

Excellent. Mr. Shearer is detectably riled and it reflects (I think) his love of state and city.

[acanthus]

Yeah, just like Lester Maddox reflected his love of his state and city.

[Raven]

Deparis, when you say to Harry,

"But, until today you sat on a relevant information about understanding the tragedy that was Katrina. Why did not you write about earlier? As the after storm devastation unfolded, there were news reports on print and broadcast media about racial tension following it. Why did not you take offense then? HINT: It was not a relevant story/theme or priority for you,"

you're just so very off the mark that you actually prove Harry's point: if one aspect of the story is false, doesn't it all deserve scrutiny?

Take a look at Harry's many posts during and after Katrina. It was always relevant for Harry. That's why some of us have great faith in his ability to sniff out bullshit now.

Maybe things happened in Algiers exactly as presented. That's certainly the way it appears.

But Harry has proven to us - over and over again - that when it comes to wild stories of anarchy and racism after the flood, things are not always what they appear.

That's a valid point.

Scrutinizing the story is not the same as dismissing it. And before you dismiss Harry's motives so easily, a little research might be a good idea. You'd quickly find that you're completely wrong.

[Deparis]

Raven,

Please keep your comment for yourself. I am schooled enough to understand reading comprehension. Harry and you are missing the BIG PICTURE in the Nation's article. The main issue in that article is about some alleged racial crimes committed in New Orleans during Katrina, crimes for which the alleged perpatrators are walking free and bragging about as if their acts were ones of bravado. Also crimes that apparently the authorities are refusing to investigate.

Whether the allegations are true or false, let the appropriate authorities do the job taxpayers' money pay them to do and if the allegations are fishy, let them tell us that. Last time I checked Mr. Shearer's whole point is not whether these allegations are true or false, but rather that: (1) the Nation is reporting on these alleged crimes and in their reporting, are misrepresenting the cause and nature of the hurricane, (2) New Orleans is a very racially inclusive state and is better off on bigotry and racial crimes than most metropolitan cities in the union.

What I'm saying is that: (1) whether the devastation of Katrina was a result of a natural disaster as opposed to a human failure (engineering design defects) was not the CENTRAL POINT of the article, (2) any bigotry or racial crime committed in New Orleans is no more or less outrageous simply because New Orleans is more racially inclusive than most other big cities in the country where these crimes also exist. COMPRENDES?

[Pearlswan]

What about the victims of these hate crimes? Do you think they and their families care about the context of the "Nation's" story? The fact is that these people were brutally murdered by their neighbors while they were seeking to ensure their own survival from Katrina. During the 1989 California earthquake, people tried to help each other survive. The earthquake did not become an opportunity to go around lawlessly shooting other survivors because they were black and, therefore, likely to be a looter. No one would have tolerated such blatant lawlessness in the Bay Area. The anger in this blog is misdirected toward the reporters of "The Nation" rather than at the arrogant haters who stood before a camera and professed that their hatred was reasonable and justified! Worse of all, the attitude of these perpetrators seems to have gone unchallenged for 3 years!

[andvoodoo2]

The 1989 eathquakes?

Remind me again what happened after the Los Angeles riots of 1992. Thousands of people in the Los Angeles area rioted over the six days following the Rodney King verdict. Widespread looting, assault, arson, and murder occurred, and property damages totaled one billion dollars. Many of the crimes were racially motivated or perpetrated. In all, 53 people died during the riots.

[Pearlswan]

A riot is not a national disaster, therefore, not a good analogy. All I am saying is that we did not see vigilantes walking around shooting people because of the color of their skin here in the Bay Area after the big earthquake. I can't speak to the riots in LA because I don't live in LA. And, those riots were sparked by injustice, not a natural disaster. I speak to what I know, not what I think I know. If we had seen people walking around with guns shooting people and dead bodies rotting in the street it would have been unacceptable, not tolerated and covered up. That's all I'm saying.

[Metoyer]

When the Cypress Expressway collapsed in Oakwood, some in the neighborhood stole the wallets, purses, and jewelry of those trapped in their cars and made no attempt to help the wounded. You are flat out wrong.

[Pearlswan]

No one shot the survivors. I didn't say things weren't stolen. But I didn't see anyone walking around with guns in my Bay Area neighborhood. Did you?

[Paralogos]

If you knew what you were talking about, you'd know it was Oakland, not Oakwood. I was in the area at the time. I don't doubt that there might have been some ghouls in West Oakland that evening - it was a very tough neighborhood - but I never heard about it, and I lived just north of there.

[andvoodoo2]

Thank you, Harry for calling attention to some of the glaring examples of major inaccuracies in a story by a reporter who couldn't get facts straight after "18 months" in my city.

I am from New Orleans but I have lived all over this country and in several foreign countries. I lived in the D.C. area. I lived in K.C., MO, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and on the West Coast. I have never lived or visited anywhere that is as racially diverse as New Orleans. I have black friends and white friends and everything in between. My children have friends of all races. These are not just people I know, these are people I socialize with.
New Orleanians are often portrayed as racist and, while there are exceptions, this city is less racist than anywhere I've ever been. Anyone who doesn't believe this should visit us and see for themselves.

[Deparis]

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG... because New Orleans "is less racist than anywhere" you have been does not make the heinous acts and crimes perpatrated by some New Orleanians against their fellow New Orleanians during an already catastrophic event of historic proportion more or less outrageous simply because the same crime is more or less likely to be committed somewhere else.

[andvoodoo2]

Did I say anywhere in my post ANYTHING about the allegations in the article?

[Pearlswan]

One racist anywhere is a threat to all people everywhere.

[andvoodoo2]

And ignorance anywhere is a threat to knowledge everywhere. Educate yourself about NOLA before you try to discuss it.

[artandcolour]

bravo. thanks for the insights.

[kevin2323]

Great article as always. The most discouraging thing I've found after the storm, is that the vilification of New Orleans has been largely a bipartisan effort.

At the top, Democratic leaders are reluctant to defend a city (or the idea of a city) that polls so poorly after Rove was allowed to dictate the talking points and frame the discussion on Katrina to turn perception against those affected. (especially through a racial filter)

On the blogs, & around the water cooler, I hear a lot of liberals talking about New Orleans as a racist city in Dixieland, who voted Bush into office twice. True, the empathy has been worlds greater coming from the left, but it's things like this Nation article that really reveal the cartoonish, dehumanizing view many have of our region that is latently felt, but seldom expressed.

[radicalcentrist44]

It seems that the story discusses what happened in Algiers and not what caused the flooding and damage. Not every single story has to address the design flaws, COE or any other topic which Harry mandates must be included in any story about New Orleans. If you want that, write it yourself.

[andvoodoo2]

I think Harry's point is that, if you subjected any other major city with the flooding of 80% of that city and left that floodwater in place for 3 or more weeks and subjected that city to national press coverage that vilified that city, it's leaders and its citizenry, you would find yourself with a city with far more problems, racial and otherwise, than New Orleans has ever exhibited.

[castrochavez08]

Yes radical.

I have appreciated all of the reporting on New Orleans by Harry, until this piece.

The Nation focused on a very small part of the story, the white vigilantes who took this as open season on African Americans.
I read it and was outraged. Mainly because the Nation piece looks at this in the context of the never ending stream of mass media coverage focused primarily on "black people gone bad"
The worst rumors and lies from the Dome had people thinking every black man in there was high on crack, raping and mugging his neighbors. The Nation does a great job debunking the one sided coverage, and offers up the truth about racist murders which received ZERO in the way of media attention.

The Nation also takes shots at media for their lack of balance, truth and guts.
Maybe Harry thinks they were shooting at him. I sure didn't think of Harry when I read the Nation piece, but I did curse CNN and especially Anderson Cooper.
I considered Harry's focus on Levee's, corruption, Army Corps of Engineers etc. to be relevant and important. I never would have thought about judging Harry for missing the murder spree by white racists. But Harry sure seems to dig hard to find fault with the most tiny details.
Katrinna, slammed, rolled, hit, grazed or came close to New Orleans. Who gives a F*&^? about adjectives? Harry does, for some strange reason.

[radicalcentrist44]

The Nation story is very powerful and covers an important part of what happened in the flooding aftermath. The message would have been hidden by even a passing reference to the leveees and COE involvement. Also, the author's use of "crashing" in the first paragraph regarding the hurricane is a great use of words when read in context to the next sentence talking about the shot gun "blast." It is a use of words for effect, which works really well. Everyone should read the Nation article. As an artist, I would expect Harry to better understand this. I am far from artistic but I understand what they author is conveying.

[Deparis]

Good point.

[buggedabouttheus]

There was no massive damage until the flooding occurred. Anger still flows at the U.S. Corps of Engineers whose job it is to design, build, and maintain the levee system that prevents off exactly what occurred...massive flooding and a loss of life that exceeded the Oklahoma bombing tragedy. Residents are vulnerable to the weakest of hurricanes coming ashore.

Does it mean that The Nation was wrong in its report about the murder of black men because they were black? I say no. Does it mean that racism is intricately laced in the community where one can kill black people with apparent impunity? I say yes.

Like the Emmett Till case 30 years from now some writer will dig up the the story about men killed by (by then) dead vigilantes pointing out how justice was denied. These men are known and free. There will be no trial and certainly no conviction because a black life in New Orleans, in Louisiana is worthless and that is the ugly truth.

Louisiana operates in a racial atmosphere that still believes that it is the 19th century. New Orleans, the place of my birth, where I was educated and lived for most of my over 50 years is stuck in the 1950's progressive in comparison to the rest of the state. Black life in both eras is valued less than that of whites. The very sad part is that the Algiers Point vigilantes demonstrate how true this remains.

[HoppinHill]

You should write longer posts more often. This was a perfect Christmas piece.

I am a petite white woman, and I can go anywhere in New Orleans and feel welcome. Anywhere. If race were the same here as in say, DC, that would be impossible. I fill my tank and pick up tasty fried chicken livers at a gas station on Claiborne Avenue and I am always the only Caucasian in the place. And I feel both welcome and safe. New Orleans isn't perfect, but it's not what The Nation portrays.

And btw, Harry, Happy Birthday!

[andvoodoo2]

Let me guess: Man Chu on Claiborne and Esplanade?

[HoppinHill]

Actually the BP near Napoleon Avenue.

[Deparis]

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG... sorry, but because New Orleans "is less racist than anywhere" you have been does not make the heinous acts and crimes perpatrated by some New Orleanians against their fellow New Orleanians during an already catastrophic event of historic proportion more or less outrageous simply because the same crime is more or less likely to be committed somewhere else.

[Nardwilly]

I believe you misunderstand DC. There are and have been places in DC similar to what you describe that are frequently by petite white women, Bens Chil Bowl on U Street (before U street was cleaned up), and The Florida Ave. Grill, come to mind.

Also where petite white woman can safely travel in black commercial areas is absolutely unrelated to where large black men can travel in residential white areas.

[DaveMacaray]

Harry,
How the hell do all these responders know your birthday? Do you have groupies?

Nice article by the way; something that, clearly, needed to be said.

[Bitsko]

Excellent commentary, Mr. Shearer. I've been to Algiers Point many times over the years and never saw a single cop.

[fishgirl26]

Thanks Harry. Light needs to be made of the problems down there. By the way, Happy 65th Birthday. (I just said that in my best Mr. Burns voice:))

[karela]

If Mr. Shearer thinks an in depth article on the Army Corps of Engineers and New Orleans is needed, he might write one. Nothing he said effects what happened at Algiers Point. Years later, people who murdered black men for nothing more than walking toward a designated area of safety are bragging about their exploits of video and saying that they would do it all again. There is no statute of limitations on murder and these crimes must be addressed unless we want to see more of the same the next time a storm hits. Because one thing is certain; there will be other storms along the gulf coast.

[dajuice7]

Racism goes to the heart of the response to Hurricane Katrina, from the federal response (or the lack thereof), the media coverage of blacks (often referred to as "refugees"), and the clashes between those evacuating the city and those in the surrounding neighborhoods and neighboring states. Evacuees were met with skepticism, fear, hatred, jealousy and more in Texas and in other states where they fled from the storm, and the response was no different in many majority-white suburbs where fear and hatred led many to take up arms against "looters." Don't deny the racial tension that is right in front of your face for fear of New Orleans losing some of its saintly luster. If anything is to improve in the city, racism is one of the major factors that must be addressed.

[juliette23]

hear hear!

[noam4prez]

Harry, it seems as though you're saying we shouldn't worry about racism in New Orleans because there is comparable racism elsewhere in America. But if we use that reasoning, we will never worry about racism anywhere.

This is a story about human failure. The associated government failure is an entirely different story.

[Harry Shearer - Huffpost Blogger]

It may be a different story, but it shouldn't be airbrushed out of existence in setting the scene for this story.

[Clavis]

But Katrina *was* responsible for the problems in NoLa! I know, I read it on the Internet that Al Gore claimed to invent, right after reading about how Obama won't say the Pledge of Allegiance and how Ronald Reagan freed the Iranian hostages with the power of his mighty oratory!

What is it they say about how fast a lie can move, relative to the truth?

[Deparis]

Mr. Shearer,

Thank you for your piece, your point is well taken. Nevertheless, as a writer/author you select a story and write about it. It is the same with journalism, print and broadcast. As someone suggested earlier, you could have written about your point much earlier. You seem to know New Orleans better, having been or lived there over two decades. You seem to have the sources and expert reports for the facts you advance. But, until today you sat on a relevant information about understanding the tragedy that was Katrina. Why did not you write about earlier? As the after storm devastation unfolded, there were news reports on print and broadcast media about racial tension following it. Why did not you take offense then? HINT: It was not a relevant story/theme or priority for you.

A. C. Thompson, whose gender seems to be a matter of curiosity to you as though that was relevant to her or his report, chose a story s/he considered important to her or his readers. That's the point of authorship: Freedom of choice, from the theme to the timing and medium of communication or publishing.

Lastly, racial tension/racism or lack of racial integration in all other major cities does not exonerate New Orleans and New Orleaneans from being racially inclusive, tolerant and accepting. An act of racism or any form of bigotry in New Orleans is no more or less outrageous simply because it exists somewhere else.