The problem with relying on local govt (or yourself)

Gretna.

Disaster strikes. You decide to evacuate. When you hit the border of the city, you are met by police. "If you attempt to cross, you will be shot."

At this point there are only two entities that can legitimately intervene. State government, and federal government. You take matters into your own hands, and most likely if you are black you are out of luck.

Comments

[cnulan]

the baseline assumption being that there are no highly skilled, tactically sophisticated, and heavily armed members of your local interpersonal.

if Iraqi irregulars can serve up the best of the best of the best like hotcakes, do you seriously believe that all enclaves are new orleans helpless?

[Lester Spence]

who'd be ok? detroit. maybe gary. i love baltimore but the demographics aren't quite right. saint louis would be up the river. east saint louis MIGHT be ok depending upon where they went. help me out.

[cnulan]

I wish I could help you out mayne. If you don't already belong to it, it's probably not there. No time like the present to begin mapping and igniting as many new relationships as possible - based on what you find in your proximity. Fraternity, Umoja, Church, and NOI - in that order - would be at the top of my organizing list. You have shared interests with these folks. I'll look into NBUF resources in your geography and see who we can put you in touch with.

I'm genuinely not concerned with who has what where in the abstract. Seems to me that ensuring local, robust, and highly available community systems - is the whole shooting match.

[Lester Spence]

I don't need that type of help. I AM connected. For me this argument is intellectual. But at the same time...NOT.

We can and should organize. But we've got to get the state involved. Otherwise, the only places that can survive a gretna-like experience are ones that have a LOT of black people.

[cnulan]

What precisely leads you to suppose that the state has any vested interest in the survivability of black people?

What invisible lever do you intend pulling to get more governmental responsiveness than what is already evident?

I mean dayyum, New Orleans had a black majority and according to Old School Steve, a degree of connectedness second to none. Let's have the conversation about connectedness on that day when you can ring up 20 cats who regularly drink beer together and at least occasionally go out and play paintball.

is that Front St. just around that signpost up ahead?

[Lester Spence]

which brings us back to the real question. the one you asked. if we are talking about military protection? i think with maybe six exceptions most places are unsafe for black people the way new orleans was unsafe.