Sometimes you can’t go home.

I have family who lived in Michigan during the GM years, when a person with a high school education could learn a trade, put his or her kids through college, and retire with a house and a boat. Then in the early 80s, GM, which was the most profitable company ON THE PLANET at the time, decided they would start laying off workers to left, right and middle. Cities that depended on General Motors like Detroit and Flint were never the same. Anybody interested should see Michael Moore’s Charlie and Me. It pretty much puts it out there.
But as I was saying, most of my family members up north who, by the grace of God, are still working for GM, recently took the buyout and are moving down South. Why? Because it just isn’t the same anymore.
I’m beginning to think that New Orleans is like that. Especially when I heard about the killing of that developmentally handicapped man who was running away from the cops, and the fact that his brother JUST GOT OUT of jail because the testimony that put him there was bogus. Then I read this. I know that Louisianans are resilient. Shoot. Sometimes, though, you have to go to places where law enforcement works. After the hurricane, I knew it would be a while before I was ready to go to New Orleans to visit friends or anything, but at this rate, I might just have to live with my memories of the place that, like all of those cities made by the auto and manufacturing industries, no longer exists.