All I can say is this guy Gallas is a much better man than me to be able to live (I don't actually know where he lives), walk and drive by these structures everyday when they were occupied (in my case, the Lafitte, which in my opinion will be the greatest loss) and not have a visceral reaction to them. In this case, FEAR. Sure they are inanimate objects now that they are vacant, but I'm telling you those buildings were ALIVE when occupied. I wish I could agree with him that cutting streets through them would be an effective solution to the problems that existed in and around them for so many years, but I can't feel it. Intellectually though, I totally agree with his consideration of these buildings (although surely he isn't talking about the Magnolia/CJ Peete projects) and wish there was an easier solution than tearing them down. And, it's that word "visceral" (dealing with crude or elemental emotions; not intellectual) that seems wrong, because to me it is precisely that type of emotion that defines what it is to love New Orleans, or any place. I wish I knew how long and where in New Orleans this guy lives because it just doesn't sync with me just how intellectual his argument is.
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- jimlouis 1-03-2008 8:06 pm