To some, it may seem callous to mourn the loss of buildings in New Orleans--cemeteries, even, and antebellum plantations. Most architecture in the city isn't even close to being on anyone's historic monument list, in fact. Across the Mississippi from the French Quarter are (were?) miles and miles of shanty barracks that served as minimal housing. Atrocious slums. Yet of all the smaller cities in the US, New Orleans probably has the richest history, the most vibrant living culture, and the most distinctive style. Many of those lost "shotgun" cottages were original slave shacks. (Same throughout Mississippi. Lost, too?) Who'd mourn the loss of slave shacks, and of plantations? Good riddance to them, no? No, not if you've spent any time in the South, or if you recall that destroying all signs of a conquered culture's physical presence is in the finest tradition of Chinese warlords. Who needs warlords, Bush or al Qaeda when we've got nature? And who needs nature when we've got a population that, when under siege and threatened, shoots each other instead of lending helping hands? Gotta appreciate the attitude of New Yorkers in a crisis, after reading about the dog-eat-dog stuff going on down in the bayous now. Disgusted today, Carol ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Evans" <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 4:03 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Essay on New Orleans > Update > > Allan Toussaint got a bus and is on his way to Houston. > > Re aid: the Houston Food Bank needs supplies > > > > > > > > > -- > > mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, > digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html