Jack Shafer

So apparently Slate editor Jack Shafer decided to brave the cruel retorts of the politically correct by publishing an article about why New Orleans does not need to be rebuilt. I'm guessing he's unaware of any of the positive facts about the city that Alan AtKisson brings up in his piece, pro-reconstruction, that I linked to a while back. He also seems to completely ignore the city's strategic location as a major port at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Early on he asks what kind of place New Orleans really is, in an attempt to dissuade his readers from their enthusiasm for rebuilding. His big two leading points are "It's a poor place" and "It's a black place" which apparently means it is unromantic and probably no fun at all. I don't know if he asked any actual poor and/or black people about this before he wrote it, but I'm guessing not.

It's also kind of bizarre how at the end he "apologizes" to the select New Orleans natives he can think of who aren't welfare mothers, minimum wage earners, or just generally the type of lazy bastards he seems sure that the city is filled with. The weird part about the apology, to me, is that I guess he actually means to offend all other people from the city/region.

I'll refrain from analyzing any of the rest of his arguments since they seem unfounded and not very well put together. I'm no opponent of controversy for controversy's sake, but this is mostly just sad.