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This Independence Day we in New Orleans have much to be thankful for. Coming off the entire month of June, designated as “Pride Month,” we note that the once hidden and repressed LGBT community has never enjoyed more freedom and tolerance. The rainbow flags that represent the many diverse layers of its membership fly daily and proudly in shops and restaurants in and out of the Vieux Carr\u00e9 and Faubourg Marigny. Attacks on members of the gay community, which seemed daily occurrences some years ago, have ceased for the most part due to vigilance of the New Orleans Police Department and acceptance from the Greater New Orleans community-at-large.<\/p>\n
The Essence Festival, which continues and concludes today, is another banner success for the city. With the exception of 2006, this series of concerts, seminars and discussions designed to empower and enrich the African-American community has been held here every year since it began in 1994. Attendees have seen the likes of Diana Ross, John Legend, Chaka Khan and others perform, while well-known celebrities like Jada Pinkett-Smith, Spike Lee, Queen Latifah and Oprah Winfrey have appeared to speak on subjects of interest to the thousands who have traveled to the city to enjoy its hospitality.<\/p>\n
This follows the rancorous month of May marked by protests and division within the New Orleans community over four Confederate monuments marked for demolition and removal by the mayor and the City Council. That highly charged month was beset with emotions flowing on both sides of the argument for and against removal, but thankfully, even that controversy has died down. The city looks to celebrate its tricentennial without some of the trappings of its Confederate past as it looks forward to beginning its fourth century in 2018.<\/p>\n
The New Orleans Jewish community anxiously awaits the arrival of Arnie Fielkow as its next executive director of Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. With a new designation as CEO, Fielkow clearly wants to signify that his position will be one that employs a business model to address and respond to the needs of the Jewish community.<\/p>\n
All of this would seem to be a source of pride for New Orleans, but there is one factor in our community that continues to remind us of how far we still need to go. That is the alarming rise in crime and shootings and murder in the city. <\/p>\n
While New Orleans’ murder rate is nowhere near the unacceptable numbers registered in 1993 through 1996 during the height of the “crack wars” waged in the streets, we still rank as number three in percentage per 100,000 residents behind Baltimore and St. Louis, respectively. A month ago on June 4, 13 people were shot in one day, breaking the previous ignominious record of 8 shootings. <\/p>\n
In recent days, several videotapes released via police and shown ad nauseam over social media and TV, showed visitors and residents being assaulted and robbed. One visitor remained hospitalized in critical condition following his attack much to the horror of those who would promote the city for its safety and its reputation as a playspot.<\/p>\n
So, while there is much to be proud of and to look forward to this July 4th holiday, there is no joy in New Orleans. We are “The City That Care Forgot,” but we still need not to forget to be the city that cares. We must continue to support the police and involve ourselves wherever we can to report suspicious persons and keep an eye out to alert the authorities to potential dangers. We need to do this in the same manner that we would for our own families, because in a sense, all of us are part of a great family that loves to live here. When we celebrate our freedom this July 4th holiday, let us consider the responsibility that such freedom brings.<\/p>\n