That the City of New Orleans Should Be Abandoned Due to the Hazard of Subsidence and Hurricane Threats on the Gulf of Mexico.

It is my contention that the city of New Orleans should be abandoned due to the hazard of subsidence and hurricane threats on the Gulf of Mexico as well as a number of other reasons. For starters, I am a current resident of the greater New Orleans area. Secondly, I am a huge proponent of all of the culture and way of life that is New Orleans. In this paper I aim to provide you with enough evidence to make you realize that abandoning New Orleans due to all of the various hazards is the only practical and feasible solution to solving the current problem. I will present evidence for both sides of the argument and will in turn provide you with enough support to have you realize that this is indeed the best resolution to the issue in New Orleans.

One of the leading arguments against abandoning New Orleans is the concern about preserving the history and culture of this city that flourished for so long. New Orleans has for so long been considered one of the most colorful and cultured places on the continental United States. The concern that if we do not rebuild the city exactly the same as it was, is preposterous. The traditions will never be forgotten but the location of New Orleans should be. The city of New Orleans has been dealing with these issues ever since it was first built. The ways of the Creoles and Cajuns have been fading out decade by decade in other places and New Orleans seemed to be the only place that did justice to these great cultures. It is clear that in the case of this unique city that too much has been destroyed. I have been back to my home city and seen the devastation that has taken over this once beautiful city. The streets are still nearly "underwater." The use of quotations for the word "underwater" is on purpose because it is no longer water. The water has turned to a black-blue color rank, glass like liquid that has been a product of the sewage and gasoline and all of the other various liquids that filled up New Orleans. The area of the Ninth Ward that has been drained by the Army Corps of Engineers is undoubtly a noble effort. But in dropping the water level a few feet, it has left "islands" of scum encrusted crud that reek so badly of something ungodly that being anywhere near the area is unbearable.

The submerged streets of New Orleans run wild with unruly people trying to survive. The people of New Orleans that are still in the area have become so desperate that they are reverting to primitive instincts. Gun shops in various areas of the state have skyrocketed. No one obeys the state ordered law officials or laws, which is not really different than how New Orleans was before the hurricane either but that aside, it is complete chaos. As I am sure that you have seen there are looting, raping, murdering, pillaging, and all kinds of illicit activity going on. Everything about the area of New Orleans says war now. People are simply trying to survive in an inhabitable area. This is in complete contrast to the beautiful culture that once was New Orleans. It will never be the same New Orleans that we came to love and adore.

Another argument regarding the abandonment of New Orleans is where will all of the money raised by private organizations and the government go? It will go where it is supposed to go, to the people. If New Orleans is to rebuild in the same location there is no doubt that city officials and corporations will use this influx of cash to run out the low income people of New Orleans and turn the city into a tourist attraction only. Schools, hospitals and homes were falling apart before the hurricane, why rebuild them when the people can't afford to take care of them. According to Jordan Flaherty who is a New Orleans based labor organizer, the reputation of New Orleans is that it is "a great place to have a vacation but don't leave the French Quarter of you'll get shot."