COURAGE TO MAKE A TRUE DIFFERENCE

Clare Booth Luce once state that "Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount." In 1977 I saw what we thought would be a ladder of courage in front of City Hall and that was Ernest "Dutch Morial", the first American of African ancestry to be elected as mayor of New Orleans. He had faced adversity and had defeated it over the years and had shown to us the courage that it would take to be mayor of this city. There were numerous firsts in this man's life but they came only through struggles and determination. Yes I note that he won because of his voting base but I had hope that this man who had been first to do that which at one time was considered impossible would continue to achieve the impossible. He won without the support of major political organizations. What I saw as a possibility was shortly overshadowed by his giving into the system out of anger at opponenets and a personality that he did not seek to control. He used his own methods of cronyism to develop control of boards, to fill City Hall positions, and to defeat the opposition. While, I would agree with some policies that would seek to eliminate discrimination, I cannot agree with policies that would destroy competency in our city's government. The courage that I had seen as a ladder was being destroyed rung by rung. While I would agree with some issues, such as the strike by police and the subsequent elimination of Mardi Gras in 1979 and the development and diversity in methods of economic gain, we cannot agree to the patronage game being used and the continued vindictiveness against his political opponents. However, those opponents, particulary Sidney Barthlemey, should have held out a hand of peace instead of allowing the anger to destroy this city and what should have been a new vibrance of unity. The ladder of courage was destroyed by the pestilence of anger. Sidney Barthlemey would gain his dream, that of being mayor, but he did not have an iota of the courage that Dutch Morial had at the beginning of Dutch's term as mayor. No one that has followed has had the promise and the initial courage and determination that Dutch Morial had but lost and unfortunately that only led to the continuing decline of this city that began may years before with the failure of Chep Morrison to take the lead in keeping peace during the initial period of integration. The ladder of courage has yet to be shown in the leadership of this city. Next I will address the weakness of a Christmas tree seeker, that I recognized as Sidney Barthelemy.

THE TRAUMA OF POLITICS TAKES A TURN

Abraham Lincoln stated: "The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." Yes in time, when we left with the Morrisson reign in City Hall, there was a need to think anew and act anew". In that era we would see the rise of Maurice "Moon" Landrieu. Many citizens saw that need and in the election of 1970 he was elected by a vote of 90% of the black vote and 39% of the white vote in the primary. It is, in my opinion, wrong to analyze election based on issues of race but it is a fact of life, even today. In the general election against a Republican, he received 99% of the black vote. However, there is no doubt that he rewarded the electorate with various positions. In fact by the time of his second term a substantial change had been made in the employees in City Hall and the question was asked whether these employees and those in other higher positions were properly qualified. The end does not justify the means. Yes it was time to think anew and act anew but it had to be done with reason. It was during his tenure that there was a major attempt to improve the tourism in this city, a factor that the Landrieu younger generation still adheres to even today. The major problem was that there should have been a greater attempt to attract major businesses into the area. Slowly the city began to sink during the 1970's as more and more citizens fled to the suburbs as the city schools began a drastic slide, and as hatred began to show its face in many, many ways. One of the major problems was the issues of schools and the failure of the system to educate even then. Yes time had brought about change but the change was not suitably handled by those who were in charge. The change could have been smooth if there were open employment practices and the best qualified, regardless of ancestry, would have been chosen to be part of the government of the city. During his tenure many scurrilous remarks were made about his heritage, etc. None of which were well founded and were based on the claims of racists only. Yes the new was there but there was no thought given as to how to handle and promote the new. This was unfortunate. This to me was the major flaw in Landrieu's administration and it further added to the turmoil that would follow in years to come.

THE LEADERSHIP CONTINUES BUT THE CITY WILL CRUMBLE

Julie de Lespinasse stated “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity”. Chep Morrison’s failure to face the reality of integration and take the necessary steps to avoid the expression of hatred by many who were simply ignorant and unknowing led to the initial determination of many leaving the city for the suburbs. For some it was the hatred that the ignorant had shown for others it was fear for their children. When Chep left to become U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States, the City Council elected Councilman Vic Schiro, then Councilman-At-Large, as interim mayor. Schiro would be an avowed segregationist and also inherit the helm of the Crescent Democratic Association (which would eventually disintegrate). However, this man would not allow the fiasco created by integration to control the opening of a new school year. He dealt with the issue to preserve the integrity of this city and used law officials to avoid an occurrence of events that had happened under the reign of Morrison. While he remained a segregationist, he would take some but not enough steps to halt the devastation that would be created by the continuation of the discord created by this issue. Yes there was much that could have been done but not to avoid the issues that would arise. He would defeat others and he would bring vast improvements to this city but there would be another issue that would haunt his term and it name was Betsy. The haunting would be that we would not learn from that storm. However, credit must be given to Schiro for what he did more than forty years ago. Yes he did get President Johnson to visit the city on the day after the hurricane; Johnson and Schiro visited the Lower Ninth Ward and an emergency shelter. There would be packages for those who suffered and some would claim that he used this to gain re-election. However, he did get the Saints and the beginning of a new Superdome. Give him credit for what he did, including the code of ethics for city employees, the various public buildings, etc. However, this insurance man, who had a varied background, did not face the reality of what would destroy this city – he continued the foundation of what would be the hatred that this city faces today and would create the beginning of the decline in education and race relations that haunt this city today. It would have been better, if he followed the admonishment of George Bernard Shaw: “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.”

THE SIREN’S CALL OF NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION

Yes this is the basis for the past and for the present. Do your research on the mayors of the city beginning with Martin Behrman, the child of immigrants and born in New York, to the present day mayor, Ray Nagin, born into a Creole family. Yes, indeed, that very term Creole is used in many, many ways. It ultimately comes down to a question of family lineage. Yes read about the RDO and the ward bosses. Read about the man of wealth and prominence, Thomas Semmes Walmsley, a member of the Boston Club, a rival of Huey Long. Attacked by Long, Walmsley supported by the elite of New Orleans Society and the city’s political machine, attacked back. Walmsley later passed an ordinance banning the spread of "anarchistic, communistic, or radical doctrines" in New Orleans. He also fired almost two thousand black city employees by enforcing a Jim Crow law banning the employment of non-voters. Walmsley's term as mayor continued an alliance between the city's social and economic elite and the city's most powerful political machine. Owing his political success to his membership in the Old Regular machine's Choctaw Club, Walmsley benefited from their ability to turn out votes and dispense patronage. Yes the fight between Long and Walmsley was bitter and it showed that the votes of the citizens really did not matter once you were in power. The battle would be between the elected and their cronies.
When Walmsley resigned, he was succeeded by Robert Maestri. Read about this man, with a third grade educate, who amassed a fortune, who became mayor with the support of good old Huey’s cronies support. Yes Huey had been assassinated by this time. Maestri did recreate the city’s structure but he did use a system of patronage that would continue into his second term. The second term was different in the manner in which he governed but the corruption and favoritism that already characterized his administration grew even further. Deals with mobsters resulted in the expansion of gambling and prostitution. This brought forth a different person, a reformer by the name of DeLessepes Story Morrison, Sr. into the mayor’s office.
While Morrison did much he also used patronage and corruption as part of his governance. After his election Morrison quickly built his own political organization, the Crescent City Democratic Association. Modeling itself on the Old Regular system of ward and precinct captains, the CCDA began finding its supporters jobs in City Hall and in municipal construction contracts. Morrison also faced the issue of integration in a typical political manner – doing little. Morrison’s lack of action stemmed from his political need to avoid alienating black supporters while at the same time retaining a segregationist stance. His error was that in failing to stop the hatred and violence he would create the beginning of the hatred and mistrust that would create the collapse of his beloved city of New Orleans. Morrison would never gain the governor’s mansion, yet he would be given a federal position. However, his stay in office as mayor was besieged by issues of nepotism and corruption. The game of politics was played. Yes the story will continue. However, the story would begin to extend further and further into issues that would create more than just corruption and nepotism but also the issue of hatred. The basis as noted above. Today I end with a quote from Booker T. Washington – “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” It is unfortunate that these words of Mr. Washington are not taken seriously by so many. In this city the hatred is based on one issue alone – ethnic background

THE SIRENS CALL HAS EXISTED FOR CENTURIES

Yes the leaders of this city have each had their own various sirens that would encapsulate and imprison the people of New Orleans. It goes back in time, times of horror, times of slavery, times of sickness that destroyed the city, and the times of immorality. One can read about the notorious district called Storyville, named after the alderman who wrote the legislation establishing the area. From the cheapest of brothels to the most magnificent of mansions, the men of New Orleans and the visitors could have their choice. Yes the politicians knew how to entice, to sing the song of immorality, to degrade the women of all ethnicities who would labor in these sites. Some were eventually buried in major cemeteries of the city – who can find the tomb of Josie Arlington – can you? This siren, this district, was destroyed in 1917 by action of the Feds but as the mayor of the time, Martin Berhman, said "[y]ou can make it illegal, but you can't make it unpopular." One could even purchase a “blue book” describing the services available from the cheapest of “cribs” to the most expensive of mansions in the district. Later it was destroyed and public housing built instead. However, prostitution would remain throughout the city and remains even until this day. Yes the siren of immorality, supported by leaders of the city, became a major part of the continuing destruction of the City once call the Queen of the South. Oh what stories the older buildings of this city could tell and how many prominent families of today would know the truth of the lives of their ancestors and yes of their lineage. However, we must remember that immorality comes in many forms and this is but one. Can we ever really destroy the world’s oldest profession? Illegal as It is even today, it can only be stopped if the customers’ names are disclosed along with the prostitutes themselves. Punishment must be in place for both parties. Yes, this siren can be controlled and the call can be eliminated, if but for the politicians who still will not take a stand. Oh so many sirens, so many issues.

THE ODYSSEY OF NEW ORLEANS

The Odyssey of literature, Ὀδύσσεια, is the story of the ten year voyage of Ulysses from Troy home to Ithaca and his family. The Odyssey of New Orleans is a much longer s story, beginning with its establishment by Jean Baptiste La Moyne, Sieur de Bienville in 1718. It was established because of its location and as a means of a way to control the wealth of the North American interior. Its location caused the French to refer to it as the “Isle d’Orleans” for indeed it was and it became both a cultural and physical island. As authors McNabb and Madere described it “New Orleans, then, began as a cultural as well as a physical island, an island poorly connected with the immediate hinterland, but with superb connections with the larger world. As an oasis of civilization in a hostile swamp, New Orleans came to feel itself a very special place. Having conquered the dismal swamp, New Orleans was confident of a brilliant future.”
Yes it was and still can be brilliant future, the resulting Odyssey of many cultures and ethnic groups – French, German, African, Italian, Irish, etc. However, as Odysseus and his men were intrigued by the Sirens of his story - Sailors who sailed near were compelled by the Sirens' enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast – so have the citizens of New Orleans been compelled by the promises and platitudes of policitians (modern day Sirens) which has resulted in the destruction of New Orleans. Katrina was not the cause of this city’s destruction but it was its leaders over the years that have caused the self destruction of this city with its once brilliant future. Now we are faced with the debacle and the daily recordation of death and mayhem.
From the days of its beginning, through the days of slavery and the reign of King Cotton, through the wars that have occurred over time, we are now faced with the war of hatred and contempt created by the leaders of this city, who have used and abused the citizens for years. Over the coming days and weeks, I will post looking at what I see as the various wars that have caused the destruction of the city that once had such a brilliant future.