Oh Ray Nagin, how you continue to dazzle:
Mayor Ray Nagin on Tuesday apologized for urging residents to rebuild a "chocolate New Orleans" and saying, "You can't have New Orleans no other way."
"I'm really sorry that some people took that they way they did, and that was not my intention," the mayor said. "I say everybody's welcome."
Nagin added that he never should have used the term "chocolate."
No shit, Ray. This is New Orleans. You could've at least used the French term: chocolat. That way maybe Johnny Depp might've shown up and defused the situation with his languorous charm and off-color teeth.
Resident Alex Gerhold called Nagin's remarks "stupid" and "pitiful."
"He used the wrong dairy product to describe us. We're more Neapolitan, not chocolate," Gerhold said. "It doesn't do the city any kind of justice."
Dude, I've been to New Orleans. Many times. The only flavor that would do your fine city "justice" would be called Urine Fudge Vomit Crunch.
And who's the strawberry in your Neapolitan equation, Mr. Gerhold? Hispanics? Gays? Are you really prepared for blood in the streets over a simplistic flavor designation?
On Monday, Nagin said God wanted New Orleans to be predominantly black and said he didn't care what the predominantly white Uptown section of the city had to say about it.
"I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day," he said. "This city will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."
This is the same god that completely destroyed the African-American 9th Ward by pummeling the city with a hurricane and allowing the levees to break in the first place, right? He certainly does work in mysterious ways.
After the statement, he insisted he wasn't being divisive.
"How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about," he said. "New Orleans was a chocolate city before Katrina. It is going to be a chocolate city after. How is that divisive? It is white and black working together, coming together and making something special."
Leaving aside the Pam Grier fantasy this metaphor raises in my mind, Nagin's backpedaling is funny stuff. He probably would've gotten more respect if he'd just admitted he wanted New Orleans to be a primarily black city. As it stands now, his best bet will be to appeal to the vanilla types to come back for Mardi Gras next month.
That doesn't even get to the bit where Nagin talked about God being mad at America.
"Urine Fudge Vomit Crunch."
Oh, yas, yas indeedy. The Cromulent One has captured the essence of N'Awlins in a single, breathtaking phrase. Thass bee-youtiful, cher!
Clearly Nagin is one of those freaks who wants his chocolate studded with FUCKING NUTS.
I actually liked his comments....I felt he was trying to speak to the black folk who were ran off and invite them back. N.O. is a primarily black city...or was until FEMA sat on it's hands and watched it sink. I think that was the Goverments plan.
Let it sink, chase off all the black folk...have a "large Houston based firm that starts with an H" come in and clean it up and make it the Vegas of the South. Plus, there's oil there. I think Nagin may have come off as crazy, but I think he's just so pissed, he couldn't contain himself. More power to him. I want the old N.O. back!
I completely disagree with Don.
There's no excusing the emergency responses on any level of government, whether that is FEMA, state and county services, or Nagin's office itself. Regardless, though, anybody who believes any of these entities' policies were informed by racism has clearly been smoking off the same bong as Conspiracy Brother.
Even in one's most cynical moments, though, it makes no sense for The Man to run off New Orleans' black people. The old artsy, touristy New Orleans is supported by hordes of poor people just out of view, and without them the old New Orleans cannot exist. The Man, whatever else he is, is not dumb. He understands about the working underclass and the need to keep the proles dumb and happy. You don't achieve anything by running off the poor.
Nagin may well have been pissed, but if it made him voice what was really in his head, I don't like the contents of his head much. If he wants to invite black people to come back, why doesn't he just say that instead?
I think he did say it...only he said it in a way to try and appear "hip" to his black contingency.
Maybe I am a conspiracy theorist, but I do know the black community took the FEMA/US Govt. reaction (or lack thereof) personally. It sure seemed awfully "personal" to me as well...but who knows.
Also, I don't think the people in charge of fixing N.O. want "old New Orleans" back. I think they're glad to be rid of many of the poor who now have no reason to come back. Hell, they even tried to get around prevailing wage on the rebuild! How's that going to keep the poor "dumb and happy?" People who had been out of work and lived their whole lives in N.O. could not only have had a hand in rebuilding their city, but they also could have made some money to fix their home or get a new one.
I think real estate in New Orleans-especially downtown- is going to be reaaaal attractive and cheap once they get it cleaned up. Poor black folk need not apply.
Ya gotta love the way Nagin apologized without really apologizing simply by blaming others for taking his comments the wrong way. I think Nagin, formerly known as Mayor, has Katrina'd himself.
There are those who believe in equality. And there are those who believe in inequality in their favor, for a change.
Nagin is clearly an example of the later. To make such a display on MLK Day - a man who is honored because he epitomizes the former - is simply discraceful.
Yet Hillary taking the time to compare the Bush Admin to "plantation owners" on MLK day flies under the radar. Point taken, denny.
H. Clinton's poorly crafted comment hardly flew under the radar of the media (liberal or otherwise). And it wasn't tasteful or appropriate. Nor was it the point of the particular blog entry to which we are replying. If you'd bother to ask my opinion on the matter, rather than sniveling to your preconceived conclusion about whatever it is you think I think, you'd have known that. Though, I suppose I do owe everyone an apology for only being able to lambast one race-bating political opportunist at a time. I'll try and work on that.
You should...and I don't snivel, I snizzle.
To smooth everything over, all Nagin had to do was get an endorsement from the all-knowing prophet and sage, George Clinton. The brotha-man would be pleased, and whitey would be quelled into submission.
For, lo, it was Clinton and his parliamentary disciples who foretold the coming of the Chocolate City!
--*--
Chocolate City (1975)
"Uh, what's happening CC?
They still call it the White House
But that's a temporary condition, too.
Can you dig it, CC?
To each his reach
And if I don't cop, it ain't mine to have
But I'll be reachin' for ya
'Cause I love ya, CC.
Right on.
There's a lot of chocolate cities, around
We've got Newark, we've got Gary
Somebody told me we got L.A.
And we're working on Atlanta
But you're the capital, CC
Gainin' on ya!
Get down
Gainin' on ya!
Movin' in and on ya
Gainin' on ya!
Can't you feel my breath, heh
Gainin' on ya!
All up around your neck, heh heh
Hey, CC!
They say your jivin' game, it can't be changed
But on the positive side,
You're my piece of the rock
And I love you, CC.
Can you dig it?
Hey, uh, we didn't get our forty acres and a mule
But we did get you, CC, heh, yeah
Gainin' on ya
Movin' in and around ya
God bless CC and its vanilla suburbs
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya! (heh!)
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
What's happening, blood?
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
Yeah!
What's happening, black?
Brother black, blood even
Yeah-ahh, just funnin'
Gettin' down
Ah, blood to blood
Ah, players to ladies
The last percentage count was eighty
You don't need the bullet when you got the ballot
Are you up for the downstroke, CC?
Chocolate city
Are you with me out there?
And when they come to march on ya
Tell 'em to make sure they got their James Brown pass
And don't be surprised if Ali is in the White House
Reverend Ike, Secretary of the Treasure
Richard Pryor, Minister of Education
Stevie Wonder, Secretary of FINE arts
And Miss Aretha Franklin, the First Lady
Are you out there, CC?
A chocolate city is no dream
It's my piece of the rock and I dig you, CC
God bless Chocolate City and its (gainin' on ya!) vanilla suburbs
Can y'all get to that?
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
Easin' in
Gainin' on ya!
In yo' stuff
Gainin' on ya!
Huh, can't get enough
Gainin' on ya!
Gainin' on ya!
Be mo' funk, be mo' funk
Gainin' on ya!
Can we funk you too
Gainin' on ya!
Right on, chocolate city!
Yeah, get deep
Real deep
Heh
Be mo' funk
Mmmph, heh
Get deep
Bad
Unh, heh
Just got New York, I'm told."
--*--
Damn, that's some serious funk.
And who wouldn't want Ike Turner in the Cabinet?