An Army-McCarthy Moment
Update: Anti-Crime March & Rally – Media Roundup.
It is poetry. “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” The anniversary of the Army-McCarthy hearings came and went in 2004. Since then I’ve longed for an Army-McCarthy moment.
At long last, on this day, I witnessed a turning point in American politics. Quite possibly the end of governance through press release.
And so today I want to say shame on you, Mayor Nagin, Superintendent Riley, District Attorney Jordan. You’ve really let us down. You have failed us. The criminal justice system and the government is broken. And I want to communicate to you the level of outrage that my friends and neighbors are feeling, because we don’t think you get it. Families that have lived in New Orleans for over 300 years are talking about leaving. People displaced by the flood are saying they are afraid to come back. That is the level of hopelessness and despair. They’d like you to step up and just do your jobs — but they don’t think you can. They’d like you to step down and resign — but they’re afraid you’d be replaced with equally incompetent people.
Here is the full audio of the speech, courtesy of New Orleans Indy Media.
- Bart Everson’s Speach via Geoffrey and New Orleans Indy Media.
Before he gave his speech, he posted it on his blog. Give Bart your comments on Bart’s blog post Speech.
You can see the Anderson Cooper 360 video at Scout Prime.
After some rest, I’m going to expand this post, and gather more media to SilenceIsViolence.org.
Update: It was a delicate dance. It felt as if Ray Nagin was about to pop up onto the stage. Reverend Rafael created the perfect opening for the anti-Violence march that we all know. The one were we march against Mr. Violence, that big bad guy, and ask him to please leave our city.
When I heard that Nagin has invited Baty, Helen and Ken in to meet with him and Riley, I was aghast. They were wondering what would happen at that awkward moment when they dissappeard into City Hall like Dorthy, Toto and the Tin Man to see the wizard.
On the day before the march, the headlines at Google News were all about crackdowns and checkpoints. To the national media, it appeared as if the lawless New Orleanians were getting their due. To march to City Hall, to be received by this mayor, would give allow him to maintain this authority. Headlines would talk about citizens seeking reassurances from their Mayor.
It was surprising that he chose to come down from City Hall to stand with us, but there had been no plans for him to speak.
Thus, Helen stood on the podium, and Karen Gadbois was thrust onto the stage, and the tone of the gathering switched abruptly to accountability.
Here is Karen’s speech.
- Karen Gadbois by Geoffrey via New Orleans Indy Media.
Who here knows Karen Gadbois? Who can deny that she does not keep an eye on things. She spends her time at every civic meeting, she records the historic homes that are threatened by demolition in a blog that she created (through ThinkNOLA), SquanderedHeritage.com.
She spoke about the murder of Stephen Riley in an blighted house at the end of her block. Despite calls to absentee landlords, the police, and her City Council member, that house remains open, the blood from the murder still on the sidewalk.
- Text of Karen’s Speech at Squandered Heritage.
- Update: New Orleans Indy Media provided all of the audio above. You can hear all the speeches at New Orleans Indy Media posted by Geoffrey.
- Update: At the blog American Zombie, there is “a must-see video of the march. The New Orleans bloggers were out in force, bearing witness to the events. The video includes a few words by Oliver Thomas.
- Update: Here is a growing list of blogger commentary on the March of No Confidence.
- everyneworlenian by Dangerblond — I couldn’t be prouder to know Bart and Karen Gadbois. I don’t think either one of them set out to be spokespeople for a bunch of pissed off New Orleanians who feel like we have been put through hell, but they have risen to the occasion. Of all the talking I have heard in the last 17 months, they are the ones who most truly represent my feelings. Thank you to both of them.
15 Comments | 6 Trackbacks |
comments feed  |
Comment Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
Comment Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
FYI. We attended the march at the St. Bernard housing projects yesterday, some of my fellow bloggers. I’m busy now blathering about Storm Bridge. I’m finding that it really helps me to meet new people to think about the shared experience of the storm and the failed recovery, that pretty much everyone here has been though a similar experience. When I think of Public Housing, I think of Broadmoor or Gentilly, neighborhoods that were going to get “Greenspaced”, inexplicably, and that one needs to look at St. Bernard mindful of the arbitrary way in which decisions have been made.
It feels like an uphill battle sometimes, to explain to people that personal responsibility is fine, but we do not live in a just world, not everyone gets their due. Racism happens automatically. You don’t have to be racist. It’s the ghost in the machine. That’s why “Gentrification” is such a damning word. It evokes this passive racism.
Oddly, the people who are stung by the word, the fact they are stung, means that they could have been approached to make things right, rather than to have thier noses rubbed in what’s wrong.
What gets me about the St. Bernard march is that, there was an opportunity to invite more people from within the city to participate. But, instead some dude named Jay Arena accused those of us as part of the anti-Violence march of being part of the problem. Fine, but he’s not a public housing resident himself, is he? Who is he to chase us away?
He attacked Bart Everson, twisting his words until he made it should like call for a crackdown. If you listen to the speeches, no one called for more police power, the called for accountability.
Anyway, if Jay Arena had wanted more people to show up, he’d have asked the organizers of the anti-Violence march to rally again, rather than chase them away.
I don’t know who Jay Arena is. He has a lot to learn about organizing, but then again, so do I.
[...] This morning I was on on the theNew995fm.com on the Jim Brown morning show. Jim Brown wanted to talk about what we could do to follow up on the anti-Violence march, or as I like to call it, the March of No-Confidence. I suggested that we “adopt a criminal”. [...]
[...] Compulsory civic activism brought us to a milestone in January 2007, with the crime rally that brought thousands of people to the streets. Me, I dropped by the coffee shop to listen in when it was being planned, but couldn’t march as I had to work. The day of the rally, I rushed home hoping somebody, anybody had marched because crime has impacted my life greatly since Katrina. I was blown away to see I wasn’t alone in my anguish. There was Rev. Jones: “We have come to declare that a city that could not be drowned in waters of a storm will not be drowned in the blood of its citizens.” Karen Gadbois: “To quote our Mayor, I am pissed!” And later, even words from the Mayor himself: “I heard you loud and clear. I heard everything you said.” [...]
[...] Compulsory civic activism brought us to a milestone in January 2007, with the crime rally that brought thousands of people to the streets. Me, I dropped by the coffee shop to listen in when it was being planned, but couldn’t march as I had to work. The day of the rally, I rushed home hoping somebody, anybody had marched because crime has impacted my life greatly since Katrina. I was blown away to see I wasn’t alone in my anguish. There was Rev. Jones: “We have come to declare that a city that could not be drowned in waters of a storm will not be drowned in the blood of its citizens.” Karen Gadbois: “To quote our Mayor, I am pissed!” And later, even words from the Mayor himself: “I heard you loud and clear. I heard everything you said.” [...]
[...] outrage prompted a march on city hall. A march that ended in speeches by citizens with our city leaders in quiet attendance. None of them [...]