Recently, New Orleans' Mayor Ray Nagin was quarantined in China in order to prevent the possible spread of the swine flu from a passenger near the mayor on his flight to China. The story itself is not particularly entertaining unless you have felt held captive by the mayor like some of us have.
First, let me say that I don't wish any ill health upon our mayor. I hope that he comes through this with flying colors. However, I can tell you that some of us find a smile spreading across our faces at the idea of the of the Chinese government's actions. It may sound mean or cruel, but it is what it is. It feels like he's gotten a little taste of his own medicine.
I moved back to New Orleans one year after Katrina because it is my hometown and the city that I love. I only left because the company that I worked for at the time relocated to Houston. The job I took to come home was a step down from what I was doing before, but that was a price I was willing to pay to come back. I had no way of knowing what was in store for me.
The upside is that I'm home. The downside is that being home means having to deal with certain unpleasant circumstances. Crime is horrible, recovery is slow and jobs are lacking. Add to that the fact that some of us feel constantly duped by our mayor. Never mind semantics and stupid speeches, a lot of us are forced to live under less than ideal circumstances while we wait for our government to permit us to be released.
Mind you, I know I live here by choice, but I still feel held captive by a man I think has his own agenda. I'm not sure exactly what his agenda is, but there must be something else there. His speeches are more like sermons and he constantly tells us how we pick on him. Well Mr. Mayor, guess what? We feel picked on too. Sure, you don't check my work schedule, but my boss does. And you know what? We're your bosses. You work for each and every one of us. We have the right to know your daily activities. Certainly I don't think I have any right to know what you do in your personal time and you are definitely allowed to take a vacation, but don't tell me that I don't have the right to know what you do on a daily basis to make my life better. That's not true. It's my duty to hold you accountable. That's what makes this a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I know that I could leave, but I love my city and I want to be part of the solution.
So pardon me, Mr. Mayor, if I am apathetic about your quarantine. I feel like I've been quarantined in my own hometown for the last three years. You don't have any control? Well, neither do we. You aren't happy with the way the government is handling this? Well, neither are we. Is the Chinese government leading you astray? Gee, I hope not. It really sucks when government officials tell you what you want to hear without regard for what is actually true,
I guess the upside for New Orleanians is that at least we know our release date.
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