When the Levees Broke: Part II

Acts III and IV where on HBO last night. The second part was not as good as the first part. But I think the weakness was inherit in the story. Let’s face it; politics can get messy and dirt. So when our political structure breaks down basically it’s a he said- she said match and nobody win. And it makes for a pretty weak storyline, too.

Spike tried to keep the emotions in the story, for example when he focused on the many bodies still being found in the houses after Katrina. One story in particular kept me awake last night. I tried to imagine what it would be like to find my mother dead under a refrigerator after four months, when search and rescue was suppose to have checked the house! That’s a true nightmare; one in which you are awake and can’t escape.

One thing I’m wondering about is, after such utter devastation, people still want to go back to New Orleans. WHY? Your house is destroyed, your livelihood is destroyed, and everybody left. I mean I can understand why those who have property would want to stay and give it a try. You’ve invested in a home for 20 years, so walking away is not your first option. But for the thousands who don’t have property, why go back? There is nothing there. New Orleans as they knew it, no longer exist.

I was left last night with the feeling that New Orleans will come back, but it will not be like before. There is going to be some changes, not just in the racial make-up of the city, but in the spirit of the city. New Orleans was a corrupt place (interesting Spike didn’t bring that fact up). and I think now that everything is exposed that corruption can’t happen anymore (or at least at the level pre-Katrina.) Why its so hard to get things done now is because officials can’t operate like the ‘good ol’days’. Those days are over. Welcome to the 21st century, New Orleans!