Reply #19: Don't forget the coast--again! [View All]

I loves me some New Orleans (see monniker) but the Mississippi Gulf Coast also continues to suffer the loss of its culture, its historical landmarks and much of the tourist draw, not to mention HOME for many generations of people. The fact that it was more of a natural didsater there so people can't get up in arms over the dramas of levee failurt and racism, both absolutely real problems that need addressing, makes it less dramatic and so less of a soap-seller.

I lived in and love NOLA, but grew up in Biloxi and the surrounding area, and let me tell you, it was wiped off the face of the earth. Imagine all the landmarks, all the flavor and identity shaping elements of your home town simply gone one day. You can't. It's unimaginable. But it's real. Casinos, about which many of us are ambivalent but they're there getting everyone's hard earned money back in circulation, aren't really a sign of growth and health on the coast. People continue to be poor and need help.

I hate to be cynical but I'd like to see concentrated attention, and not just around the anniversary of the devastation.