Don't Weep New Orleans!..

by Mehmet Ali SULUTAS

As a sensitive man, I cannot stay still and just observe what’s happening and what’s going on in a hurricane-ridden region of the world. For that matter, no one can sit back as a spectator and watch what has happened in New Orleans as if viewing a movie. It is the birthplace of the world famous jazz that is weeping. It is the living place of the poor Negro people that is crying…

My dream of seeing Mississippi River began in 1950 when I was a grade five student in Silifke, southern Türkiye, by the Mediterranean Sea. Mississippi River and the region was my elementary school graduation assignment in geography. I used a wide table with a glass-top display-cabinet on it. I spread sand over the table and shaped i! t into a North America map and used ribbons to show Mississippi River. In spite of the limited source of information, my performance was very well rated. I did not miss to talk about Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer.

For me, then, Mississippi River was a large size of Göksu River in Silifke; the Gulf of Mexico was the Mediterranean Sea and the city of New Orleans was my home town Silifke. After my immigration to Canada in 1968, my desire of seeing Mississippi River was even augmented with a new desire of visiting New Orleans and taking part in the annual world renown ‘Mardi Gras’ festival in the heart of the French-Spanish-Africa influenced city.

I was so excited when I saw for the first time in Ontario, near Ottawa, the Mississippi River sign, while driving along Highway 7. I got off my car and had a photograph taken next to the sign by the bridge. New ‘Mardi Gras’ stories passed on to me by folks who visited one of the most encha! nting festivals have accumulated in my mind for so many years.

Finally, my turn came along late January and near the start of ‘Carnival’ when I visited my honorary niece Defne and her husband Salih in Tallahassi, Florida, in 2004. They draw me to New Orleans for a weekend time-off.  The 3,779 km long, up to 2.! 5 km wide, 1/10th of Amazon, Mississippi River was winding down the Gulf passing gracefully through the city of New Orleans. Although our visit was for just two days and the water of Mississippi River was rather grayish, muddy and smelly, I enjoyed and shared my 60-year old desire with my dears.

We draw around like crazy, walked around like hazy, talked around like angels to people and nature. We did not miss to visit the neighborhoods with interesting houses and buildings, and even cemeteries which were carrying the architectural and cultural values and beauties of the Mediterranean regions of Türkiye, Greece, Italy, France and Spain.

In New Orleans on the banks of Mississippi River, while watching the sea gulls’ attractive shows of catching foods after the sailing boats, I dreamt of my town Silifke, Istanbul, the Bosphorus, Göksu River, Mediterranean Sea, the familiar houses and the climate. Sunshine was reflecting from the brownish-grayish smelly water of New Orleans’s Mississippi River at day time and the sounds of liberty, the ‘Blues’ was echoing at night.

In a hotel room overlooking the city lights and Mississippi River, I was inspired by my inseparable angels to translate poems of a famous Turkish poet Ali F. Bilir, from Turkish:

On the River Bank

Tell me where to stand / here, on the river bank / how dark and wet / the road we walked // here, stands still / at the doorstep / the key under the doormat // whenever a bird passes / over my head / I turn my face towards the mountains

Love and Death

Get inside my heart / in the valleys, / up on the mountain tops / you, bare-footed love / that I kiss silently //that's enough / pull out your lance / death, the brother of pain, / pierced in the deepest soul / embrace my body with affection

New Orleans and the hinterland are composed of French, Spanish and African culture. This is so because the land first was under French and later Spanish sovereignty. Somehow, in 1803, the USA purchased the land, just like the Manhattan Island in New York and Alaska.

The Gulf Coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana states were hit hardest by Hurricane Catrina on Monday, 29 August 2005. In fact New Orleans is the eye of Catrina. Since the city is situated below the sea level, she was the most affected area in the region.

Thousands of dead bodies have already been recovered and thousands are missing. It is feared that the dead tall may rise to 10 thousand. Not counting the other living creatures, tangible, intangible and moral damages and losses are innumerable and incalculable, for now.

I would never think of such a disaster in New Orleans. To think of a social disorder, looting, shooting and even raping is insane. The Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin and the Governor of the State of Louisiana Kathlene Blanco are feeling themselves in boiling water, not in the cool sea water. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes…

On 1st September, ‘The International Peace Day’ was observed and celebrated all over the world. I wonder how was the ‘Day’ observed in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, as well as in the US in general and specifically in Iraq? I wonder how the Americans felt about this? Nature knocked down the tin roofs, killed the poor innocent people in New Orleans.

The US army tore and still tearing down dwellings and killing the poor innocent people in Iraq, as they did in Afghanistan and elsewhere…

What nature did in the USA, the American soldiers and their guns are doing the worst in Iraq. I think everyone in the USA is concerned with the American invasion in Iraq for an unreasonable reason. They are questioning the Bush administration for the massive American involvement in Iraq. The taxpayers’ money spent in arms and ammunition are now under lens.

Not only the nature’s unfortunate act, in other words, the ‘Act of God’, on top of these disasters, the acts of gunned bandits have to be fought. It is said that this is the curse of nature. Will the USA take lessons from this Act of God and fresh terrorism?

Why the floodwaters that caused so much misery and death were pumped so late and so little into Lake Pontchartain? Why the humanitarian aid for the black citizens of the US in New Orleans was delivered so late? Was this not a discrimination and racism against Negros?

Since the USA was unable to cope with the mass after nature’s warning, the world nations and such international organizations as UN, NATO offered help and aids. Among them are Canadian warships and Coast Guard vessels set sail for disaster-stricken New Orleans, packed with relief supplies and every berth filled by soldiers and sailors ready to help the city recover from Hurricane Katrina.

The American President Bush seems to be strong, capable and successful abroad but, very weak, incapable and unsuccessful on this hurricane disaster. He was only able to go to the region five days later than the mishap. However, he was careful in not to be seen by the victims. The American imperialism is now damaged and wounded, no question about that!..

If your next door neighbors are hungry and are in need, that’s what happens!..

Former presidents Clinton and Bush are coordinating a fund raising campaign and they are asking for donations. We are mediating and promoting this humanitarian 'first-aid' activity. So, please do as generous of a contribution as you can to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.

Bill Clinton pledged as follows:

"On Monday, Hillary and I met with survivors who are being temporarily housed in Houston, and I can tell you that these people desperately need our help.  Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, grandparents and cousins have been separated in this devastating tragedy."

We wish much of endurance to the survivors of the deadly disaster in the region. God bless all the deceased ones.

Affectionately,

E-mail: malisulutas@yahoo.com 
Wed, 07 Sep 05