New Orleans

I love New Orleans. The first time I visited, I was 15 and it was the summer of 1984. The World's Fair was in New Orleans that year, but in that city, it was just another thing to do. There was the same nonchalant attitude the last time I was there in 1997 for the U2 PopMart show at the Superdome. The U2 show was a small sideshow in the city of New Orleans, just as the World's Fair had been.
Summer of '84, on a bus tour with about 60 other hormonal teenagers, and New Orleans was the last stop on our three week cross-country tour. It was basically too late to get into trouble and be "sent home", so we were emboldened to join in the spirit of New Orleans and imbibe some (OK, many) intoxicating beverages before our group met up at the Jimmy Buffet concert at the World's Fair. (The pictured statue was part of the main entrance) The stage backed up to the river, and steamboats rolled by in the background. One of my friends who was well over the limit sat behind me. He somehow managed to throw up into my shoes. Wafts of smoke from the Parrotheads mixed with the smell of beer & urine....ah, New Orleans! The city has more flavor than the food, and that's saying something there. Brennan's Eggs Benedict does wonders for hangovers.
Fast forward 13 years to 1997, I fly into New Orleans solo, to see U2 at the Superdome. It's my third U2 concert on the PopMart Tour. At Clemson, I had been fortunate enough to shake Bono's hand and share some words before the concert. (link) I arrived the morning before the concert and stalked out the Superdome early in the day to try and improve my ticket, but the place was all closed up. I wandered down to the French Quarter after circumventing the Superdome and found my way to a bar. Not difficult! I made small talk with the bartender, and he told me another customer was trying to sell their extra ticket....bingo! I bought the 8th row center ticket for face value and it was amazing being right there. Not as cool as "inside the heart" (link) though.
After the concert I made my way back to Bourbon Street and ended up in an Irish Pub, drinking Guinnesses and listening to a gentleman play Irish folk songs all night, not giving a damn that those Irish paddies U2 were in town. I heard Michael Hutchence had died from a radio while walking down the street.
The streets in the downtown area were crowded with police and homeless people. Some other U2 fans and I ended up being involved in a scam down by the river, basically robbed... New Orleans has never been a safe town.
Racism, classism, whatever -ism you want to call it, there was something festering under the surface there, something I also felt when visiting Jamaica and other Carribbean islands. It's a bit scary to see society unravel like it has down there, and it is a shame we weren't more prepared to meet the basic needs for our fellow citizens. I can't help but think of the resources we are wasting in Iraq, while this is happening at home. But the real problems do stem from racism in New Orleans. Enabling Democrats are just as blamable as your conservative Republican budget cutters in creating the systemic poverty in a city that has 30% of citizens living under the poverty line (and 40% illiteracy rate).
George W. did slash funding for the levee 3 years running. And admitted that the money was needed for Iraq.
I have fond memories of New Orleans, but I don't expect to ever see it again now, and that's sad.