Gulf Coast Politics
During my last trip to New Orleans, my father & I took a ride down to Biloxi, Mississippi to see what was left of "Casino Row." I was absolutely amazed to see everything I knew of the Gulf Coast completely wiped away. All the pictures, all the stories, they don't do it the slightest bit of justice. You simply have to SEE it with your own eyes. Huge, beautiful plantation homes completely ripped from their foundations. Casino barges pushed almost a mile inland. Absolute destruction.
But... the street we traveled on was wiped clean of debris. Everywhere you looked, there was some type of heavy machinery pushing, ripping, pinching, hauling something away. And across Hwy 90, the main road that parallels the beach, the freshly-sifted, gleaming white sand beckoned invitingly.
It's almost unfair to Mississippi. Across the state line, New Orleans is sending out reports of dead bodies still being found. But Mississippi is quietly, and SUCCESSFULLY cleaning up their own mess. You don't hear the mayor of Biloxi in the press begging for help or money. The mayor of Gulfport hasn't been on CNN lately with some off-color comment. And you don't hear Mississippi politicians being investigated for pocketing Katrina money.
What is it about that state line?
But... the street we traveled on was wiped clean of debris. Everywhere you looked, there was some type of heavy machinery pushing, ripping, pinching, hauling something away. And across Hwy 90, the main road that parallels the beach, the freshly-sifted, gleaming white sand beckoned invitingly.
It's almost unfair to Mississippi. Across the state line, New Orleans is sending out reports of dead bodies still being found. But Mississippi is quietly, and SUCCESSFULLY cleaning up their own mess. You don't hear the mayor of Biloxi in the press begging for help or money. The mayor of Gulfport hasn't been on CNN lately with some off-color comment. And you don't hear Mississippi politicians being investigated for pocketing Katrina money.
What is it about that state line?
posted by Kristie at 10:03 AM
3 Comments:
The problem can be summed up in one word.
Louisiana!!!!!!
Ya, that bothers me too.
~Jef
I've been thinking about this post all week. I didn't want to buy into it because I didn't like what it said about me if I did, but then I realized something.
You're absolutely right, and it's not our perceptions that are skewed, it's just the way that it is.
And it's WRONG.
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