Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Anne Rice: Interview with an Idiotarian

Anne Rice gets testy with America:
Why did America ask a city cherished by millions and excoriated by some, but ignored by no one, to fight for its own life for so long? That's my question.

I don't remember asking New Orleans to do this, but it's possible that I did and then forgot. I'll ask Ernie if he did. He probably did, knowing what a bad man he is.

"They didn't have any place to go," she wrote. "They are the poor, black and white, who dwell in any city in great numbers; and they did what they felt they could do--they huddled together in the strongest houses they could find.

They roasted marshmallows over a fire and made S'mores. Then they sang campfire songs. Meanwhile, the buses that could have been used to take them to safety ... didn't. I wonder whose fault that is.

Rice, who now lives in the San Diego area ...
So by her own logic she's a part of the America that ignored New Orleans.

Anne: Anne, why did you neglect New Orleans? That is my question.

Anne: Because, Anne, I'm a bad person who hates black people and poor people.

Anne: I knew it! This country is backwards and racist. I'm so glad I live in San Diego far away from ...

Anne: Away from ... what? Other parts of the country like, say, Louisiana?

Anne: Don't confuse the issue ... I'm attacking racist America for not helping out racist America in a time of need. Wait, did I say that out loud?

Anne: Yes, you did.


Anne does some more scolding:
But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us."

It's rather galling to be lectured by a victim-by-proxy who got out of Dodge long ago and moved to one of the least gothic places on the planet. But I suppose that being from New Orleans, her moral authority, like Cindy Sheehan's, is somehow absolute. Unless you live in the real world.

"You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras ...

I do like some jazz, but I don't particularly covet goofy, pagan festivals that encourage Dionysian frenzy. I'm more of an Apollonian kind of guy.

... you want our cooking and our music," she continued.

Now food I can relate to. But really, the only cajun food I like is andouille sausage. Otherwise, I prefer Mexican and Asian cuisine.

"Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying on the weak among us, you called us 'Sin City,' and turned your backs."

Ok, that's it: who is she talking to? The usual leftist nonsense is that the racist Bushitler didn't care about all those black people, but Rice seems to be blaming the entire country. Yet given the response of Americans to the disaster, her blame game is just ludicrous. Volunteers were turned away from the Astrodome, because they came in droves. Americans everywhere are stepping up to the plate just like they did for 9/11 and just like they did for the tsunami. Does she expect the average American to get his helicopter out of the garage and start rescuing people? And why doesn't she place blame on the "leadership" of New Orleans and Louisiana?

Let's re-cap. A category 4/5 hurricane hits a city that is below sea level and surrounded by water. City and state officials knew that a disaster of biblical proportions was possible, if not probable. They had plans to bus the poor out, but didn't put those plans into action. To boot, New Orleans is one of the most corrupt cities in our country. So how is America to blame for the disaster?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That was good, Wish I had your insights. dw