I have heard some conflicting reports thus far about Hurricane Isaac.
On the one hand, many were quick to point out that the hurricane is "only" a category one, and that it will leave only limited damage in it's wake.
On the other hand, this is evidently a very slow moving storm, and it seems to be hovering right over New Orleans, of all places. That is the one place that could really still use a break from the devestation of that last, epic hurrican, which hit the crescent city seven years ago on this day.
That said, I heard someone else today on NPR, and he was mentioning that the water has already spilled over the levees (although they did not break, as they did seven years ago with the infamous Hurricane Katrina. This guy was saying that the water levels were so high, that the only place that people could actually stand were on top of the levees.
That was the only really horrible news that I specifically heard about, but it would stand to reason that if things really are that bad down there, we'll be hearing about it in the very near future. I will keep up with the news, with the hope that it will not be as bad as all of that, although time will tell.
I have always wanted to visit New Orleans. It is the only city with a European district (an old town in the Old World style, that is) in the United States (although there are some in Canada). The city has a rich history, and much cultural diversity.
Lousisiana overall is a bit different than many other states. It is a southern state, and even a part of the Deep South. It guards the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River, and thus, was a very important and attractive location. At points in it's history, after it had long been home to natives, it was taken over by various powers, including Spain, France, and the United States. Thomas Jefferson was the President when Napoleon, who was busy with the wars in Europe, decided to sell it, and Jefferson jumped on the opportunity. The Louisiana Purchase was the largest peacetime transfer of land in history, although it should be noted that it was not technically legal on a couple of levels. Firstly, the French had been essenially borrowing the land from Spain, so did not own the land outright. Also, Jefferson did not possess the authority to buy this land, and the purchase was, in some respects, a breach of the Constitution. Jefferson violated some of the same laws that he had helped to devise in the first place. Still, it went through, and the Louisiana Territory became a part of the United States. In the State of Louisiana, the legal system still is the Napoleonic Code, the only state in the Union where that is true.
Louisiana's Cajun country also makes it stand out as unique, and this, of course, includes New Orleans. It is a large part of the draw of the place. They have their own distinct way of living, and it is also well known for the cooking and the music. In a land where uniformity and conformity are often seen as strong virtues, having a place that is so different spices things up, literally and figuratively. There are traditions here that are of another era, and might remind people of the Old World. It certainly stands out within the United States, and that is a strong measure of it's charm.
New Orleans, of course, is the most famous place in Louisiana, and has a distinct history itself. It was the site of a battle during the War of 1812, when Andrew Jackson drove the invading British away. Technically, the two nations had already signed a peace treaty, and so this being the final battle of the war, it left the impression among many Americans that they had won the war (although on many levels, this was not, in fact, the truth).
Yet, New Orleans was often viewed by many Southerners as the city of sin - although it remained a popular tourist destination for a long, long time now.
As I said earlier, I have long wanted to visit New Orleans, but that pleasure has not been mine yet. I still hope to get the chance to go there someday.
In the meantime, I do wish the place well. It has already been the site of some horrific and unprecedented devestation following a storm, and it would really be tragic to see it happen here again, of all places. Especially so soon after the last time. We all remember the aftermath of Katrina.
So, although not the most religious man out there, I will keep the city and region in my thoughts, and hope you do the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment