Landrieu Pushing His Book on the Backs of the Confederate Monuments

I'm writing this post prior to Mitch Landrieu's appearance tonight on 60 Minutes; I don't plan to watch.

Mayor Landrieu is publicizing his new book which is out March 20 and as the mayor blusters and pontificates all over the media, one can't help but consider how he relished the monument drama as fuel for future book sales.

This week he spoke to the press about his plans for the sites in New Orleans that previously held Confederate monuments.  It's been about a year since Landrieu had four monuments removed: the monument at Liberty Place was taken in the dead of night. In the following days and weeks Landrieu also removed those of  Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard, and Robert E. Lee, leaving blighted public areas and empty pedestals in their place. 

During Mardi Gras, he placed a ring of porta-potties around Lee Circle.

The whole issue still makes me angry when I think about it.  My position has always been that these monuments represent history and to destroy public art does not change that history or make it disappear.  Landrieu never engaged the opposing side in any of his plans, an effort that certainly would have been better for the city and reduced tension.  But that wouldn't have sold as many books.

At these sites, Mayor Landrieu plans to place an American flag where the Jefferson Davis monument stood.  As for Lee Circle, he's deferring that to others to decide.  At the Beauregard site, the City Park Improvement Association will landscape and clean up the area and the pedestal will be removed.  Nothing will go where the Liberty Place monument was.

Landrieu says that those companies who didn't make their equipment available to him to remove the statues were practicing "industrial racism" and he continues to insult the ancestors of a great number of southerners:

"Really what these monuments were, were a lie," Landrieu told Cooper on "60 Minutes. "Robert E. Lee was used as an example to send a message to the rest of the country, and to all the people that lived here, that the Confederacy was a noble cause. And that's just not true."

It's difficult to know what to say to people who refuse to see both sides of history.  And I'm a little embarrassed for him for being so blind and uninformed.

The entire monument removal fiasco was questionable on many levels and many questioned various legal aspects of the project, including who paid for the removal, why city workers were used to remove the monuments, and who was behind the foundation that funded part of the removal.

He said the monuments belong in museums but a year later they are still crated up in some city warehouse.

That Landrieu is kicking the can down the road with regard to the placement of the monuments themselves should surprise no one.  As Mike Bayham points out, Landrieu wants to go on his book tour as the guy who removed the monuments, "not rearranged them."

But you can rest assured that whenever (or if ever) Davis, et al leave the city warehouse, Landrieu will be basking in the klieg lights of the media to criticize wherever they go, because that’s his racket and sole source of relevancy in the national media. 

Instead of transferring the statues to an appropriate historic venue that would secure and maintain them, New Orleans is going to be treated to a new round of acrimonious bickering in shouting matches euphemistically labeled “listening sessions”, with the fringes of both sides being prominently featured by the media. Dragging things out benefits Landrieu’s national stature, though not the incoming New Orleans government, which should be focused on the quality of life matters that will be left festering on their doorstep. 

While New Orleans is one of the most historic, vibrant, and beautiful cities in the South, it has suffered greatly under Landrieu's tenure.  Crime has been out of control and the mayor has made little effort to do anything about that.  He is now a lame duck as he prepares to step aside for the new mayor elect, LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat who won the election with 60.4% of the vote.

One hopes that the incoming administration will deal with this issue with more finesse than Landrieu has done.



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Mitch's Masked Men Scrape Jefferson Davis From his Pedestal in a Failed Effort to Heal NOLA

Jefferson Davis monument removal: NOLA

There is something about New Orleans today that feels like a crime scene, like something terrible has happened there. It is a raw, sort of apprehensive feeling,  like you shouldn’t be there. It's like a gaping wound.

The twenty-five foot bronze statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis was ripped from its granite pedestal about 5 a.m. this morning by city crews hiding behind masks as monument supporters quietly sang “Dixie.” Some stood and solemnly saluted the desecrated statue of Davis as it was moved to the flatbed truck nearby. 

Days before the removal, the monument was virtually imprisoned behind barricades and cyclone fencing after violent clashes between monument supporters and the Antifa/Take ‘Em Down groups.

Crews gathered around the statue just after midnight last night, partially wrapped the statue’s mid-section in green bubble wrap, tied a thick yellow strap around the torso, and lifted the statue, which was slowly spinning, Davis’s arm pointing at both demonstrators and supporters as the statue twirled in mid-air.  A makeshift crate was placed around Davis and crews lowered the statue onto the back of a flatbed truck and hauled it off to an undisclosed warehouse.

Arlene Barnum at Jefferson Davis monument

The pedestal is another matter – it took the untrained city contractors and firefighters several more hours to figure out how to remove the heavy granite pedestal which sat most of the morning with a limp strap around it while engineers phoned into television stations warning that if it was lifted it would probably tip over. It is as if Jefferson Davis himself was mocking them, declaring his right to be there as the inscription on the pedestal reads, “His name is enshrined in the hearts of the people for whom he suffered, and his deeds are forever wedded to immortality.”

Arlene Barnum was there last night. She came to New Orleans as soon as Mayor Landrieu had Liberty Place monument removed two weeks ago; she’s been there standing guard at the Jefferson Davis monument day in and day out with her battle flag and a growing crowd of supporters. 

Arlene is a 63-year old black woman from Oklahoma, an Army veteran, and a woman with Confederate ancestors from north Louisiana. She felt that as Davis was “the one and only president of the Confederacy,” she was obligated to stand with him. As she stood at the monument, Arlene has been called a variety of racial slurs: “Aunt Jemima” seems to have been the most offensive to her. Her truck tires were slashed, her cell phone was knocked from her hand as she tried to live stream, and she has gone without much sleep.

Pastor Larry Beane

Arlene has been dubbed “General Arlene” by some of the other monument supporters standing guard with her, and they have followed her lead. She has encouraged peaceful protest and non-violence.  “Fly those flags high,” she would shout, “Keep ‘em up! Don’t let that flag touch the ground!” Last night she had Pastor Larry Beane from Salem Lutheran Church lead the crowd in a prayer service before the city workers came to dismantle the monument.

Mitch Landrieu spent the evening hobnobbing with donors at the home of Mary Matalin and James Carville for Mitch Landrieu’s NOLA Pac.

This morning Landrieu issued a statement:

After nearly two years of planning and court battles, City officials began the process today of removing the three remaining monuments that prominently celebrate the “Lost Cause of the Confederacy.” The statues that are being removed were erected decades after the Civil War to celebrate the “Cult of the Lost Cause,” a movement recognized across the South as celebrating and promoting white supremacy.

There are four prominent monuments in question. The Battle of Liberty Place monument, which was removed three weeks ago, was erected by the Crescent City White League to remember the deadly insurrection led by white supremacists against the City’s racially integrated police department and government. The statue coming down today is the Jefferson Davis statue on Jefferson Davis Parkway. The statues slated to come down next include the Robert E. Lee statue at Lee Circle and the P.G.T. Beauregard equestrian statue on Esplanade Avenue at the entrance to City Park. 

“Three weeks ago, we began a challenging but long overdue process of removing four statues that honor the ‘Lost Cause of the Confederacy.’ Today we continue the mission,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “These monuments have stood not as historic or educational markers of our legacy of slavery and segregation, but in celebration of it. I believe we must remember all of our history, but we need not revere it. To literally put the Confederacy on a pedestal in some of our most prominent public places is not only an inaccurate reflection of our past, it is an affront to our present, and a bad prescription for our future. We should not be afraid to confront and reconcile our past.”

Steps of Jefferson Davis monument

This is a terrible slippery slope and there will be no end to it. Soon New Orleans will be no different and no more unique than any other city in the country once it is cleansed by Landrieu and his cronies. Well, except for the highest murder rate distinction; there's still that. It's clear by his statement that Landrieu totally misunderstands the purpose of the monuments. They were not erected to promote white supremacy but to honor the dead who fought to defend their homes and families.

It's not only that Landrieu is trying to rewrite and erase history, which as we all know is a mistake and impossible, but the fact that he cares so little about the constituency in New Orleans that is troublesome.  Remember, this issue was never put before the voters but was decided by a city council after very limited public input sessions. The outrage and protests on both sides have ripped the city apart and caused many to vow to boycott the city.

Interestingly, it's not the African-American constituency that it so outraged by the monuments but white, liberal young people who mostly make up the Antifa crowd and who have been the most vulgar and violent in all of the live-stream videos we have seen. If it is this group of people we are "cleansing the city" for, they can have it; I want no part of it.

It took no time at all for Google to change its page on the Jefferson Davis monument; by 11:15 or so it was already altered to "Permanently Closed." 

It will of course be interesting to see how fast the murder rate drops in NOLA now that two of the four monuments are down. 

Which will be next? Lee or Beauregard? Anyone want to make bets on how long Andrew Jackson gets to stay? Despite ones feelings about the message the monuments may or may not send, all of these are works of art that were commissioned by the people of the period, paid for by private donations and fundraisers, and presented as a gift to the city. They have stood for decades and have become part of the landscape and pay homage to those who came before us. 

Nothing is left of Liberty Place monument or the Jefferson Davis monument but an ugly concrete slab and ugly videos of TEDNola and Antifa acting in an ugly fashion.

What an improvement.

Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mitch Landrieu Begins his Plan to Erase History in NOLA (4/24/17)
Mayor Landrieu's Plans to Remove Monuments in the Dead of Night Exposed (4/17/2017)
The Slippery Slope is Now Open (3/27/17)
A Disappointing Ruling from the 5th Circuit (3/13/17)
Still Fighting the Civil War (2/5/17)
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)



Previous Posts on This Blog:
In Defending Jefferson Davis, Arlene Barnum is a Class Act (4/30/17)

List of Offensive Monuments, Streets, Names in NOLA ...is Puzzling (4/23/17)
Confederate Monument Removal Scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday (4/22/17)
The Confederate Battle Flag Rises Again in South Carolina (2/6/17)
Can the Violence in NOLA be Alleviated with Equity Circles? (12/26/16)
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)

The Battle of New Orleans v.2017

And so it begins.

Mayor Landrieu is cleansing the city of New Orleans of its diversified culture and rich history.

While you were sleeping they came in Kevlar and face masks, license plates removed from their vehicles, in the dead of night and cut one of the targeted monuments into four sections while guarded by snipers who were prepared to shoot down citizens who might protest too vehemently about the dismantling. The sections were loaded onto a flatbed truck and hauled away to some unknown storage facility.

In a statement this morning, a smug, beaming Mayor Landrieu promises that the rest of his master plan will

Sniper guarding contractors at Liberty Place

be executed in the following days with removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, P.G.T. Beauregard monument, and the Jefferson Davis monument.

Of course that will not be the end of it.

Now that the instigators of this travesty, Take 'Em Down NOLA, have gotten this affirmation of their cause, nothing will stop them from renaming everything in New Orleans to their satisfaction including Touro Hospital and Tulane University.

New Orleans will soon be as sanitized as any other town anywhere else in America with little to define its rich cultural background.

As I've said before, if you don't think this can happen where YOU live, think again. What's to stop them from taking down similar monuments in Washington?

If these NOLA monuments celebrate white supremacy as they say, are the plantation homes next? Why should they be allowed to stay? Weren't the plantations symbols of white supremacy, too?  Just bulldoze them all into the river. Take Dixie beer off the menus of NOLA. There literally will be no end to this.

The mayor's actions are now, finally, gaining national attention both pro and con; from The Wall Street Journal:

Mr. Landrieu said the memorials don’t represent his city as it approaches its 300th anniversary next year. The mayor said the city would remove the monuments, store them and preserve them until an “appropriate” place to display them is determined. “The monuments are an aberration,” he said. 

“They’re actually a denial of our history and they were done in a time when people who still controlled the Confederacy were in charge of this city and it only represents a four-year period in our 1000-year march to where we are today.”

From The New York Times:

Professor Robin A. Lenhardt, a law professor at of the Center on Race, Law and Justice at Fordham Law School, said in an email that city officials should be concerned about where to go from here. “Simply to remove the statutes without a plan for community engagement and discourse would be a mistake, a real missed opportunity,” she wrote.

ABC News gives their story this rather biased and inflammatory headline:

New Orleans takes down white supremacist monument.

And then this from Breitbart:

“The removal of these statues sends a clear message that New Orleans celebrates our diversity,” Landrieu said. “What is done is done. We will no longer allow the confederacy to be put on a pedestal in the heart of our city.” Back in 2015, Landrieu had the monuments declared a “public nuisance” in order to push for their removal. Unrest in the city did not come until after Landrieu demanded they be removed, however.

Word is that the next target is the P.G.T. Beauregard statue tonight.

It's an absolute travesty to destroy these pieces of art and history.

 Help stop this! Make contacts! 

Lt.Governor Billy Nungesser : 225-342-7009 or email at lt.gov@crt.la.gov

 Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry: 225-326-6079,225-326-6757 or email at ConstituentServices@ag.Louisiana.gov.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards email, or call 225-342-7015.

President Donald Trump: whitehouse.gov/contact/

Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mitch Landrieu Begins his Plan to Erase History in NOLA (4/24/17)
Mayor Landrieu's Plans to Remove Monuments in the Dead of Night Exposed (4/17/2017)
The Slippery Slope is Now Open (3/27/17)
A Disappointing Ruling from the 5th Circuit (3/13/17)
Still Fighting the Civil War (2/5/17)
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)



Previous Posts on This Blog
Battle of New Orleans v.2017
List of Offensive Monuments, Streets, Names in NOLA ...is Puzzling (4/23/17)
Confederate Monument Removal Scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday (4/22/17)
The Confederate Battle Flag Rises Again in South Carolina (2/6/17)
Can the Violence in NOLA be Alleviated with Equity Circles? (12/26/16)
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)

List of Offensive Monuments, Streets, Names in NOLA as Designated by TEDNola is Puzzling

Touro Infirmary historical marker NOLA

A few weeks ago a Louisiana blog The Hayride posted the list of monuments, structures, buildings, street names etc. that the radical Take 'Em Down NOLA group wants changed or removed because they are "symbols of white supremacy in New Orleans."

Let's take a moment to look more closely at some of those "symbols."  I can't quite fathom the reasoning behind some of them.

The World War I Memorial Arch: a history of the Arch can be found here. What TEDNola finds offensive is that there are four tablets on the arch and the names are "segregated."  This excerpt is from the history page:

The monument is a handsome granite structure 28 feet 6 inches high, 21 feet 2 inches wide, and 7 feet thick. It will bear four bronze tablets, one to contain the names of those who died in service, two the names of white men who served, and a fourth the names of negroes who served.

The history of the monument is intriguing. It "was originally located in the center of Macarty Square, bounded by Alvar, N. Rampart, Pauline, and Burgundy Streets. In 1951 it was moved to the

WWI Memorial Arch NOLA

edge of the square near Burgundy Street, where it remains today."

Much of the funding was raised by door to door canvas in the Ninth Ward:

The idea originated with Dr. E. S. Kelly, a prominent citizen of the ward. He organized a committee which obtained $8000 through a house-to-house canvass, personal subscriptions and several entertainments, all the money being raised within the boundaries of the Ninth Ward.

All 1,200 names on the arch can be found here, yet according to TEDNola, the monument must come down because it is a symbol of white supremacy. Never mind the sacrifices and lives of those 1,200 people. That means nothing, apparently.

This is unfathomable.

Another targeted site is Touro Hospital - the name is offensive because it is named for Jewish philanthropist Judah Touro who built a cemetery and a synagogue in New Orleans as well as an infirmary for soldiers suffering from yellow fever, which later developed into the largest free hospital in the state. His charitable donations covered the entire nation, and even extended to Christians being persecuted in Jerusalem, yet his name is offensive and must be eradicated because according to TEDNola, he was "a Jewish slaveholder."

According to the Philanthropy Roundtable, Judah Touro was influenced by his former abolitionist boss and bought slaves to manumit them.  Max Kohler's essay in Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society affirms this. One of Touro's bequests was $10,000 to his Haitian born clerk, Pierre Casanave, who parlayed that bequest into his own personal fortune.

Perhaps TEDNola should do more research?

The list goes on and on and even includes offensive lamp posts on Rampart; some of the targets designated by TEDNola have more obvious ties to Confederate history than others, but the point remains the same - where does the slippery slope end?

The Civil War was part of our American history and cannot be denied. But beyond that, where does our offended culture stop? Once you allow one "offended" group to succeed in removing and renaming historic elements of our culture, you can't deny other offended groups the right to do the same. It is a two way street.

Who gets to decide what is offensive? If we decide football is barbaric, causes lifelong health hazards for participants, and evokes painful memories of Roman gladiatorial games where slaves were used, are we going to tear down the Superdome? What if I'm offended by animals held in cages and denied their right to live a life of freedom, are we going to do away with the Audubon Zoo? Ridiculous, yes. But the point is the same.

Mayor Landrieu is under the impression that these four targeted Confederate monuments cause racial division in the city. Apparently he believes that once removed this division and tension will go away, but he would be mistaken. TEDNola has no intention of stopping with these four and will continue to push their agenda through whatever means necessary.

Mayor Landrieu is a fool if he allows himself to be manipulated by this hate group.


Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mayor Landrieu's Plans to Remove Monuments in the Dead of Night Exposed (4/17/2017)
The Slippery Slope is Now Open (3/27/17)
A Disappointing Ruling from the 5th Circuit (3/13/17)
Still Fighting the Civil War (2/5/17)
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)



Previous Posts on This Blog:
NOLA Confederate Monument Removal Scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday (4/22/17)
The Confederate Battle Flag Rises Again in South Carolina (2/6/17)
Can the Violence in NOLA be Alleviated with Equity Circles? (12/26/16)
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)


If you like this post, please Share!  If you LOVE this post, please donate!

NOLA Confederate Monument Removal Scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday

P.G.T. Beauregard monument, NOLA

In the continuing drama of the New Orleans Confederate monuments, it seems the matter is finally coming to a critical point.

Last week, Mayor Mitch Landrieu planned to remove at least two of the four targeted monuments in the dead of night, but his plans changed at the last moment when word was leaked to the public.

His plans are now back on track for this weekend. Reliable sources are suggesting that Landrieu will remove the monuments at 1:00 a.m., Monday although this is not officially confirmed by Landrieu's office.

This all began in mid-2015 when Mayor Landrieu decided the monuments were offensive and went to the city council to begin process of removal.   The four targeted monuments are: Lee Circle, P.G.T. Beauregard statue, Liberty Place monument, and the Jefferson Davis monument.

The city council voted 6-1 in December 2015 to approve removal of the monuments.

Immediately, a Facebook group called Save Our Circle was formed; they started a petition to save the monuments and collected over 29,000 signatures.  The petition was delivered to Mayor Landrieu to no effect.

The project was put out for bid and the removal contract was awarded to H&O Investments, contractor David Mahler but he pulled out of the contract after his Lamborghini was found torched in January 2016.

The quest to preserve the monuments has worked its way through the courts, all the way through the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals who ruled in March 2017 that the monuments can be removed.

The group instigating the monument removal is Take 'Em Down NOLA and has made it clear they will not be satisfied with simply removing the statues. They want school names changed, street names changed, and even the name of Tulane University and Touro Hospital changed.

Lt. Governor, Billy Nungesser, appealed to President Trump in early April 2017 to intervene, citing the American Antiquities Act of 1906, but there has been no response from Washington.

Only one contractor, Couzan Services, Ltd., has responded to the call for bids this time and his bid of $600,000 is far and above what the city's $170,000 budget.  Who is making up the difference?

Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, takes the position that the monuments are a local issue for New Orleans and that the state should not be involved.  I find this position preposterous coming from a man elected to represent the entire state.  By that logic, a flood in Bossier Parish is a local issue and requires no response from the governor.

And so, here we are.

If you think, like Governor Edwards, that this is just a local issue, let me suggest to you that it is not. This is a slippery slope of epic proportions and serves only to divide us even further.  The Antiquities Act of 1906 would suggest that as a country we are interesting in preserving sites and artifacts that define us; like it or not, the Civil War is part of our history. To remove these monuments would be an attempt to hide part of our history.

It's not clear what Mayor Landrieu plans to do with the monuments; why is he in such a hurry to remove them when he has not articulated a clear plan to the concerned public about where he will put them? As pieces of art, this is a grave concern.  One reason he may be in such a hurry is that there are three bills in the legislature right now that may preserve them and perhaps Landrieu wants to get ahead of them.  There has been rumor that Whitney Plantation might be their destination, a decision disturbing on many levels.

Confederate era monuments were in large part erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who raised money for them through private donations, bake sales, and other fund-raising events for the purpose of honoring their ancestors. Many of these monuments are beautiful works of art and sculpture and are priceless.

What can be done at this point to stop Mayor Landrieu's 1:00 a.m., dead of night, removal?  Make contacts:

Lt.Governor Billy Nungesser : 225-342-7009 or email at lt.gov@crt.la.gov

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry: 225-326-6079,225-326-6757 or email at ConstituentServices@ag.Louisiana.gov.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards email, or call 225-342-7015.

President Donald Trump: whitehouse.gov/contact/

ADDED:  To be clear, and realistic, it's unlikely that Landrieu could remove all four monuments in one night. His approach will likely be the Jefferson Davis monument and Liberty Place first.  And remember, these are still rumors; strong rumors, but the last round of strongly supported rumors of removal last week were true.  It is still critical that you contact officials for support to stop this before the monuments are in fact gone.

Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mayor Landrieu's Plans to Remove Monuments in the Dead of Night Exposed (4/17/2017)
The Slippery Slope is Now Open (3/27/17)
A Disappointing Ruling from the 5th Circuit (3/13/17)
Still Fighting the Civil War (2/5/17)
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)



Previous Posts on This Blog:
The Confederate Battle Flag Rises Again in South Carolina (2/6/17)
Can the Violence in NOLA be Alleviated with Equity Circles? (12/26/16)
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)


If you like this post, please Share!  If you LOVE this post, please donate!

Can the Violence in NOLA Be Alleviated With "Equity Circles"? Mitch Landrieu Thinks So.

This blog post is a revised and updated one from my November 28, 2016 column at DaTechGuy blog. With the decision from the 5th Circuit imminent on the Confederate Monuments, I wanted to bring my work at DaTechGuy over to this blog so it is available both places. At the bottom of this post I've linked previous columns on the subject. You can read today's post at DaTechGuy.

“It will be back to business as normal. Nobody cares.” That statement from a woman who has worked in the French Quarter for six years is simply tragic.

 “Nobody cares.”

 Early Sunday morning, November 27, around 1:40 a.m., ten people were shot near the intersection of Bourbon and Iberville in the historic French Quarter. The gunfire sent tourists and locals running in panic. Some of the clubs closed their doors to keep out the violence. One of the reported shooters is dead and there are several arrests. It’s a tragedy all around but the sad thing is that this happens in NOLA more often than not – it’s only when it gets close to the tourist areas that you hear about it.

 New Orleans is a beautiful, culturally diverse, fascinating city. Under the guidance of mayor Mitch Landrieu it has degenerated into a violent, lawless disaster. I hate to say it because I love New Orleans. It’s a city that gets in your blood and lures you back. The food, the music, the eclectic street vendors, and the people above all, are for the most part intoxicating.

Sadly, the policies of Mayor Landrieu are going to kill the tourist trade if something isn’t done. Landrieu is more focused on things of lesser importance than the blood in the streets, things like removing monuments, for example. Landrieu spent much of 2015 fighting against the four major Confederate monuments in the city. I’ve written about that issue here, here, and here on DaTechGuy blog. Once that issue was safely nestled into the lengthy court dockets and appeals process, Landrieu moved on to gun control laws. A decision on the monuments is imminent from the U.S. Court of Appeals and tensions are already high.

In April 2016, Landrieu proposed a new series of gun control laws which was passed and signed into law in September. Most of the ordinances are already on the books so it was an exercise in redundancy at best. New Orleans had 165 murders in 2015, up from 150 in 2014. As of October 17, 2016, NOLA is on pace to meet or exceed that number with 134 murders. Note that number does not include shootings that don’t end up as murder statistics, such as those nine non-fatal victims in this most recent shooting. As of today, December 22, that murder number is now 172.

Recently a commander of the police department issued a warning to women not to travel alone after dark in the city due to a rising number of robberies and car jackings:

 “I would suggest to any female, if they can prevent it, do not travel alone overnight,” said Second District Commander Shaun Ferguson. “If you absolutely have to, stay on the phone with someone and let them know where you’re going. Keep them abreast of your whereabouts.” A female college student from Tulane was carjacked early Tuesday when another car struck hers from the rear. As she got out of the car, three men from the other vehicle got out and one of them pushed her to the ground. That man got into her car, while the other two jumped into their vehicle and fled. 

The Confederate monuments are clearly not the problem; the problem lies in Landrieu’s failure to address the violence in the streets in any meaningful fashion. In recent protests at Lee Circle after Trump’s election, vandals were tagging the monument and other prominent buildings with paint, setting fires on the lawn at the circle, blocking traffic, and running rampant through the streets. Unconfirmed reports were that Landrieu told police to stand down and let them “peacefully protest.”

 There is a small group of private citizens who watch over the monuments in New Orleans. They patrol nightly to ensure that no vandalism is occurring and should someone tag one of the monuments, the group removes it quickly. Citizens are policing their own city because the mayor has ginned up such hate and divisiveness that it’s the only way to protect the history and culture of the city.

And the locals are worried: with Mardi Gras season just around the corner, how will the increased violence affect tourism? Will it be safe to go into massive crowds to attend parades? The comments on news reports of the most recent shooting indicate people’s anxiety:

 “And this is why we no longer stay in NOLA…..Mayor Mitch Landrieu and his city council need to concentrate on crime and not on tearing down history….We will be staying in Biloxi next weekend for the Saints game! So sad……” 

 “New Orleans is out of control. Our Mardi Gras is going to be a blood bath if things don’t change and I don’t see a change coming.” 

Landrieu's latest plan to combat the violence? Equity Circles. No, I'm not kidding:

On Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, the Carrollton Circle of the Welcome Table New Orleans (WTNO)—Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s citywide initiative focused on race, reconciliation and community building—will unveil a newly-constructed seating area on the neutral ground at Jefferson Davis Parkway and Cleveland Avenue called the Equity Circle.

At 2 p.m., the entire community is invited to participate in the unveiling of the Equity Circle. In collaboration with the Department of Parks and Parkways, the Equity Circle is designed to bring together diverse groups of New Orleanians to share stories and experiences, build relationships and learn from each other. The Equity Circle will create a more attractive neutral ground for the community and enhance the beauty of one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. It will bring residents of all backgrounds and experiences together for one reason—to create a better, stronger New Orleans. 

 
 New Orleans is stuck with Mitch Landrieu until 2018. That’s almost 200 more lives in the balance.



Previous Posts at DaTechGuy blog:
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Solution to 172 Murders: Equity Circles (12/26/16)
Removal of Historic Confederate Monuments in New Orleans Thwarted -- For Now (12/21/2015)
Report from Louisiana: Update on the Confederate Monument Removal Controversy (1/18/2016)
The Lives of My Ancestors Mattered Too (2/1/2016)
The Ongoing Battle of the Confederate Monuments: An Update (4/18/2016)
Confederate Monuments and Unintended Consequences (6/27/16)
Report from Louisiana: Revisionist History and Confederate Monuments (9/19/2016)
Report from Louisiana: Mass Shooting in New Orleans While Landrieu Fiddles (11/28/2016)

Previous Posts on This Blog:
Shreveport Work of Art Still Needs Funding for Restoration (10/22/16)
Can You Help Clio? Restoration Fundraiser is Now Underway (9/5/16)
Epperson Demands UDC Remove Confederate Monument Within the Year (7/6/16)
Epperson's Continued Attack on the Confederate Monument (6/22/16)
Report from the Caddo Commission Meeting in Which Ken Epperson Blasts "Jake-Leg Bloggers" (6/9/16)
Caddo Parish Confederate Monument Under Attack (5/19/16)
Joseph Welsh Texada's Life Mattered Too (1/31/16)
The Heartbreaking Removal of the New Orleans Confederate Monuments (1/17/16)