New Orleans Kicks Out 2005
31 Dec 2005
I suspect the people of New Orleans would really like to forget 2005. The hurricane season brought their worst nightmares to life. They lost everything, people died, and the government’s slow response emphasized that they were not ready for the disaster they had predicted for decades. On December 31st, four months after Hurricane Katrina shattered their world, they find their city still very much in ruins.
Many people would throw in the towel and called it quits. What did the people of New Orleans do on New Years Eve? They partied! The events were a mixture of rememberance and revelry. Their was a Jazz funeral procession and memorials in rememberance of hurricane victims, parties, and concerts. Even the worst parts of the city where cleanup has yet to begin there was a midnight ceremony.
Participants had mixed feelings. So many people still are without homes and it’s hard to find a native of New Orleans who was not touched by the death of a friend, family member, or loss of property. They share a common bonds besides residency–they’ve lived through the worst. 2006 will bring them so many challenges, including rebuilding their entire city. Perhaps they deserve a party. They are alive and they survived. That’s enough reason to celebrate.
