Like Joanne Hilton, I am glad the Argus is covering the experiences of students who went to New Orleans and Mississippi to do relief work this spring. I too was at Common Ground, and I can testify to the truth that it is entirely possible to “come to New Orleans now and not see a thing wrong.”
But what Hilton does not acknowledge is that this is precisely the problem: officials have turned their backs on the neighborhoods that need the most help. Katrina was not just a hurricane; Katrina is the incompetence, neglect, and divestment that continue to characterize the government’s response to the damage caused by the hurricane. While the historic French Quarter and Garden District “are hopping with activity,” much of the Ninth Ward stands empty. There are many residents who would like to return, but lack of support from the federal and local governments means that their neighborhoods lack the infrastructure necessary to make life safe and healthy for families. Along with rebuilding homes, any comprehensive response to Katrina will include strategies for rejuvenating the area’s economy. But treating the devastated areas as an interesting counterpoint to downtown nightlife is not the way to do it.
New Orleans’ devastated neighborhoods are not a relic of the past that you can go visit and photograph as though they were ancient battlefield—he destruction is ongoing. I cannot tell you the pain it causes to see tourists driving around leveled neighborhoods, not stopping to help or to talk to residents and volunteers as they work, but only slowing down to take pictures. This rubbernecking confirms for residents that no one really cares about them, that other Americans see them and their homes as a mere curiosity, something to stare at.
So by all means, go to New Orleans. See for yourself how artists and musicians and small business owners are starting to restore the city’s vitality. But do not delude yourself that spending your money downtown will help the thousands of people whose homes have been destroyed, or commemorate those who died because no one came to help them. If you choose to sequester yourself in the pristine tourist districts, I beg you not to take Hilton’s “side trips” to gawk at the destruction. A flattened neighborhood is not a tourist attraction. Ruined lives are not entertainment.
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