Photo Essay: A Weekend In NOLA

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by joepole

I just want to make sure people don't forget the real New Orleans, the one with drug addicts, urine, and grinding poverty caused by its own residents, a population by and large too inept to lead its own life.

Around 1969 I was about 10 years old in New Orleans and saw another kid about 12 years old pick the pocket of an old drunk man and stick the wallet into his shoe shine kid and cover it up with a rag really quick. I was amazed at the speed and skill this kid had at stealing. He obviously had a lot of practice and resulting talent. The man spun around and looked at me. My parent quickly defended me and as we were walking away, the 12 year old kid was helping the man look for his wallet. "Did you take this man's wallet?" "Did you take this man's wallet"? All the while I was pointing at this shoe shine box.

My point Joe is that your point is nothing new at all. New Orleans was that way before we were born. You can thank each and every mayor and governor since Huey Long to present.