Gretna makes Resolution - they agree it's OK to be a racist town

[donsu]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/special/05/katrina/3357471

Police decision to close bridge justified, city says
Some call move racist; Gretna blames violence at mall for blockade


Little more than a week after this mostly white suburb became a symbol of callousness for using armed officers to seal one of the last escape routes from New Orleans — trapping thousands of mostly black evacuees in the flooded city — the Gretna City Council passed a resolution supporting the police chief's move.

"This wasn't just one man's decision," Mayor Ronnie Harris said last week.

"The whole community backs it."
-snip-
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signs should be posted at all entrences to Gretna. warning people that they are entering the racist town of Gretna

[niyad]

1. they are PROUD of themselves for this travesty???

[tom_paine]

17. Being a Bushevik, like being a Nazi means NEVER say you're sorry

History repeats. Kinder and gentler...for now.

[tx_dem41]

34. Sadly, the Mayor isn't a Bushevik, I don't think.

I grew up one town over from Gretna and am familiar with the area. This mayor is a Democrat and has contributed to Democratic candidates. Let's just say politics gets weird in Jefferson Parish and Gretna in particular.

[Neocondriac]

2. Gretna brings on "bad voodoo"

Good luck Gretna!, you're going to need it!

[Lars39]

3. A real AG would be all over this.

[tx_dem41]

32. Give AG Foti (Democrat) a little time.

The thing I would be looking at is that if I understand where the roadblock was ...it was outside of Gretna, either a half-mile in Orleans Parish are (if on the bridge) on State property.

[Lars39]

40. I meant Gonzales at least using what influence he possesses

to lean on these folks.

[tx_dem41]

42. Well the mayor and police chief are...

Democrats, so if Gonzalez wanted to make political hay out of it...he has the door open unfortunately.

[Stephanie]

4. NOLA should block their end of the bridge from now on.

When the racists are in the mood to go in to the city for some good music and food, they can forget about it.

[mmonk]

6. yep

two can play that game.

[glitch]

8. any every other route into town.

Let's see how self-sufficient these heroes really are.

[tx_dem41]

33. New Orleans would be the one in trouble...more than Gretna....

a lot of workers in Downtown Area come over that bridge from the West Bank (Algiers and Jefferson Parish).

[Rex]

5. Class warfare is just a myth! Like global warming!

Which is now way past the point of no return.

[Lerkfish]

7. wouldn't this be considered a hate crime?

I"m just sayin.

[TahitiNut]

26. I believe it's a violation of civil rights - a federal crime.

I'd sure like the ACLU to take the case. I'd be willing to bet that the bridge and highway these people were using was built or maintained with federal funds -- a public thoroughfare. I don't believe local police have the authority to prohibit a citizen from travelling, especially after a 'mandatory' evacuation order.

[pitohui]

30. actually it is perfectly legal to ban pedestrians from the bridge

they are not allowed on the bridge in the first place, nagin only gave permission for them to cross because they were in such extremis and sufficient aid didn't seem to be arriving

like it or not the gretna authorities acted under the technical cover of law even if they have no heart or soul

which is actually pretty unusual for jeff parish, as corrupt a little nest of vipers as i have ever lived in

(apologies to the decent ppl who live there)

[bettyellen]

Link?

[bettyellen]

44. Link?

[Gruenemann]

9. Are we returning to towns posting signs saying

"N-----. don't let the sun set on you in this town!"

[tom_paine]

13. Yes we are, except now being a n****r isn't merely a matter of race

The Busheviks have expanded the term to include "all who oppose us".

Conversely, a Friend of the Emperor, like Rush Limbaugh or Joe Scarborough, can get away with Felony Drug Abuse or Murder almost at will.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. The whole community supports it? I'm not surprised. I have bigoted

relatives (uncles and cousins)in Houma and Baton Rouge, LA. They're some of the most vile and racist jerks I've ever met/known. After hearing the things they have said about the AA in LA., this story is not hard to believe. :(

[AspenRose]

22. It's like an alternate universe

They honestly don't think there's anything wrong with thinking like that. Sad. You can't legislate attitudes or changes of the heart. :-(

[in_cog_ni_to]

23. I know. My dad, many, many years ago, USE to be racist.

He grew up in Oklahoma and it was just the way it was back then. He moved to Illinois as an adult with a wife and 3 kids back in 1956. It took probably 20 years before he realized how bad racism is. He changed and I so admired him for that. He saw the error of his ways. :) With a little help from his hippie LIBERAL kids. :hippie: He ended up being a VERY LIBERAL man. :loveya:


The uncle that lives in Houma, LA. is married to my dad's sister. :( It's THEIR children and the aunt and uncle who are disgustingly racist. I have another uncle (dad's brother) who lives in Texas who is just as racist as they are. :grr:

[TahitiNut]

11. "The whole community" should be denied federal disaster relief.

They shouldn't allow any tax money in that town that might have been 'soiled' by being paid from a black wallet.

[Karenina]

21. Money purity!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[DBoon]

12. did Federal money build this route?

If so, I do not ONE PENNY of federal money going to help this town.

Make the highway one way out of NOLA and into Gretna.

Let them take the back roads into the city.

[noonwitch]

14. The spirit of Orville Hubbard is alive in Gretna

Hubbard was a racist mayor of Dearborn, MI in the 60s or 70s. His spirit actually lives on also in the Dearborn Police Department and in the security guards at Fairlane Mall.

[aquart]

15. I never doubted it for a second.

All Christians, too?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Nominated.

[progressoid]

18. It's nice to seem men coming together in a time of crisis.....

ummm....white men, that is.

:mad:

[Junkdrawer]

19. NPR did a pro-Gretna authorities piece last week...

Why, their actions kept out the "looters" and allowed Gretna to return to normal far ahead of New Orleans. And Racist? Why, some of the Gretna police were black, so how could it be racist...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4847872

[niyad]

20. time to boycott gretna? is there anything there WORTH anything?

[Nictuku]

24. Any and All Federal Funds that Gretna Receives

Should be be refunded.

[pitohui]

25. if you're from the area you already know it!

sorry to say

there is long standing bad blood bet. jeff & orleans parish & sadly a lot of it race-based

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. That'll make it convenient for the civil lawsuit.

The whole town can pay.

[pitohui]

28. good luck w. that

the courthouse is in gretna, & as nasty & corrupt a little group of paid-off judges you will never see

there will be no lawsuit heard in this matter

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. This is a federal matter.

T'would be interesting to see how a Robert's court would handle it.

[warrens]

29. Good, then the whole town can be indicted

assholes

[pitohui]

31. see my post #28

ain't gonna happen

[tx_dem41]

38. Pitohui....I'm from Algiers....I assume you know the area...

where EXACTLY was the roadblock. Gretna City Limits don't start until Terry Parkway and Westbank Exwy...EXCEPT that a portion actually goes very slightly under the bridge near the levee.

[daninthemoon]

35. I have an image in my mind, maybe soneone can tell me from where,

back in the civil rights marches of a big clash on a bridge somewhere in the south. Am I imagining, does anyone have a pic or the whole story?

[tx_dem41]

36. Selma, AL....Edmund Pettus Bridge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Pettus_Bridge

[daninthemoon]

37. Thank you, I think that's it. we've come a long way, haven't we?

[roguevalley]

41. hurt them back where they live. send them the bill.

by the way, i hear a lot of the people there make about 9 grand a year.

Poverty and racism are going to kill us all.

[fishnfla]

43. Well, there's 2 sides to every story I guess

and I suppose that I will be alone in stating that I can understand why they made the decision. I'm not saying I support it, but I can understand it.

My brother's business was in Gretna, so I was trying to follow developments there as closely as possible. Here's the way I remember it:
NO mayor Nagin was at his wits end trying to take care of NO residents, so he told them to walk across the CCC to the West Bank. The problem was they were unable to take care of the evacuees there in Gretna, they didnt have any facilities or food and water either. (This is when Maestri, the Jeff Parish president got real angry with the feds).5, 000 people for a police force of a small city(17,500)

The small police force was overwhelmed and a period of lawlessness ensued, homes and businesses, which had survived the storm, were being looted.At first the cops did nothing, no arrests, they had no jail facilities. On Thurs Sept.1st,The Oakwood Mall was broken into and set afire, not looted, just set on fire in multiple locations. The FD showed up, but there was no water pressure, so they just watched the place burn down. I dont know how you can explain that. The NYTimes reported that the FD was shot at when they responded. Other reports say they apprehended the culprits.

On the JeffParish west message boards from WWL, residents of the area were incensed. Can't say as you can blame them: They did as they were told, evacuated. Then they were hearing of their homes and businesses survived the storm being looted with impunity. So they were raising holy hell and the police had to crack down.

My personal opinion is, that this is why some people refuse to evacuate, fear of looting while they are gone. Its foolish to be sure, but I've seen it here with the 'canes we had.

maybe shutting down the bridge was not the best option, but the whole thing was a clusterfuck from the beginning.