Let’s Rename New Orleans

I strongly approve of renaming the racist Lee Circle and tearing down the Robert E. Lee statue. I have complied a brief list of other streets, statues, institutions and buildings that also need to go.

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First off, let’s rename the city New Orleans! Since the city was named after the Duke of Orleans, who had numerous affairs, rumors of murder and incestuous relations with his daughter… He also won the family farting contest and could fart “like a flute,” but to be fair that could be viewed as a positive… But I am most certain that he was probably an elitist and a racist. The name has got to go.

Let’s tear down the Margaret Haughery statue, honoring the woman who worked tirelessly for the city’s orphans and donated thousands to them, because she owned slaves.

Let’s deem any business that uses Marie Laveau’s name as racist because she owned slaves.

Let’s rename the historic Faubourg Treme, the first U.S. residential neighborhood for free blacks (and listed on the National Register of Historic Places) because it was named after Claude Treme, who shot and killed a slave.

Let’s rename Faubourg Marigny because it was named after Bernard Marigny, who despite offering low interest rates to free people of color, owned slaves. And rumor has it his first wife has an absolute “beast” to her slaves. Let’s also eliminate all of the streets he named to be on the safe side.

Let’s rename Wilkinson Street because it was named after James Wilkinson, a traitor and a spy for Spain.

Let’s rename Milneburg (as well as the streets named after Milne) because Alexander Milne, who also gave hundreds of thousands to orphanages, also owned slaves (although he emancipated some and even bought them houses). But he owned slaves – so he’s got to go.

Let’s rename Poydras Street because Julien Poydras owned slaves (although he bequeathed freedom to over 700 slaves and donated heavily to Charity Hospital, asylums, and orphanages) – sorry, he’s out.

Let’s rename General Ogden – he was involved in the White League.

Let’s also eliminate all streets named after planation owners and their families – the list is huge but a good place to start is Bartholomew, Caffin (who also briefly owned the LaLaurie Mansion – before the atrocities, but nevertheless), Delachaise, Foucher, Burthe, Antonine, Dufossat, Valmont, Bellecastle, Robert, Soniat, Avart, Egania, Lizardi, Hurst, Roman, Eleanore, Joseph, Millaudon, Peniston, Poeyfarre, Villere, Clark, Toledano…

For obvious reasons, let’s also get rid of the street names Jefferson (after Thomas Jefferson), Jefferson Davis, and Jackson Avenue (as well as Jackson Square).

The Ursuline nuns owned slaves – let’s tear down their convent and wipe them from the history books as well. Those women have got to go.

Let’s rename Lafitte Street after the pirate Jean Lafitte– come on, who knows how many men he killed, women he raped, and slaves he traded. Let’s also boycott the bar.

Let’s rename Hennessey Street after Police Chief David C. Hennessy, this guy obviously hated Italians.

I am not sure if Isaac Delgado or Judah Touro owned slaves, but probably. They were wealthy merchants and landowners during their time. To be on the safe side let’s rename Delgado Street as well as the community college and rename Touro Hospital and the street. Touro gave thousands of dollars to the New Orleans Public Library but it is not named after him. Phew. But best to get rid of everything their name is attached to, besides, they were Jewish.

Let’s rename Howard Street after Charles T. Howard– he brought gambling to Louisiana and was totally corrupt.

Let’s rename Camp Street – it was originally called “Campo de Negro” where slaves were bought to be sold.

We should probably rename Race Street because even though it was named after a planned racetrack – way too controversial.

Let’s rename Sophie Wright – she was a cripple and probably a virgin since she never married and you know what that means (LESBIAN)!

Let’s rename all of the Muses Streets and anything after Greek mythology – PAGANS!

Let’s rename Magazine Street because many historians believe it was named for magasin a poudre (ammunition warehouse) and I am totally against guns.

How about renaming everything after numbers? Of course, forsaking number 13 and 69 for obvious reasons.

I would suggest naming a street after black Creole Alexander Aristide Mary, who fought against the Separate Car Act and for the rights of blacks during Reconstruction, but… he killed himself and is obviously going to hell.

This is just a small and modest list. I know there are hundreds of others that need to be renamed, changed, torn down, but if anything comes out of this for God’s sake – LET’S RENAME NEW ORLEANS!!

 

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237 Responses to Let’s Rename New Orleans

  1. Anonymous says:

    You forgot Zulu Parade which gets its name from the African Tribe of Africa which enslaved and sold Africans to Europeans. In fact, most if not all African Tribes participated in capturing and enslaving other Africans so the title “African-Anerican” should be banned from being used.

    • Anonymous says:

      This comment is 100% current. If Mitch wants to be politically correct, then he has to believe in equality. His “damn the slave owner” has to apply to the Landrieu voters are well…

      • MissingNOLA says:

        We also need to re-name “The Moon Walk”! Sorry, Mr. Mayor and former mayor, Maurice “Moon” Landrieu, but the word “moon” is slang for “displaying one’s buttocks” and we can’t have people “mooning” up on The River!

      • Debbiedo says:

        I bet if you look far enough back in his family history, you would fingers that great grandparents owned slaves. So how about we get rid of Landreau?

        • Mitch Landrieu is BLACK. He is so watered down it is hard for those who do not know what to look for in his coloring, facial features, whites of the eyes, and kink in the root of the hair. The black features are much more pronounced in his sister Mary Landrieu. Look at the bridge of her nose and the spread of her nostrils.

          HIs father was “Moon” Landrieu. Who was black.

        • dujac says:

          sally is using illogical thought against logical actions; moving the statues of racist, treasonous losers is completely logical and prudent; saying new orleans should be renamed because a french duke had numerous affairs, is just pure stupidity

      • Very well put! Thank You.

    • Anonymous says:

      No more black face it is racist!

    • Eric says:

      Woa, woa, woa, put the brakes on there, Mister. Black people are not racists, so you leave that Zulu parade alone!

      • why should ZULU have an exclusion? Masking in black face should offend ALL PEOPLE! No matter WHO puts the grease paint on! That is part of the problem her. Black people only want to use situations on their own terms! Are we not all AMERICANS? We should ALL be held accountable for the SAME actions in the SAME LIGHT. This is the problem with NEW ORLEANS.

    • Jami says:

      Heres a better idea, GET RID OF MITCH LANDRIEU and all his lap dogs

  2. ELSIE VEILLON says:

    LETS DO IT !!!!!!! lol lol

  3. Donna Latino says:

    You surely have a point! One thing you forgot to remove is all the dvds/rap/music/artist out of the stores, off the shelves, yada yada yada with anything involving offensive language, racial words, comments, etc in it! Let’s be fair and get rid of everything!

  4. Mike Pitts says:

    While we’re at it, let’s rename Austerlitz. I can’t find any negative connotation, but it sounds too much like Auschwitz. And we all know what went on there. Except holocaust deniers, of course.

    And Constantinople. Because… hello! It’s called Istanbul now. And since we’re re-writing history…

    • Eric says:

      Since we’re re-writing history… I feel slavery never existed! Let’s wipe that clean, too, and never talk about it again.

    • Richard says:

      “Austerlitz” was a major battle that Napoleon won in 1805. Napoleon was a general, French emperor, & conquered most of Europe. This is all military, violent, overbearing, & mean. Thus, Austerlitz Street & Napoleon Avenue have got to go. :) Richard

    • Will Uter says:

      It’s Istanbul, not Constantinople! That’s nobody’s business but the Turks!

  5. Laurie Orgeron says:

    OMG – SO perfect! I think it’s time to step back a bit from all the PC crap that is tearing this country apart!

    • Mike says:

      You all are forgetting some of the most important monuments as respects slave owners and those who fought in the Civil Was. George & Martha Washington, individually, were two of the largest slave owners of their time. So, the Washington Monument has to go along with Mr Vernon and its slave quarters. And lets no forget Thomas Jefferson, another large slave owner (with black descendents) so the Jefferson Memorial has to go along with his home at Monticello and its slave quarters. You can’t make any distintion between those who owned slaves and those who fought in the Conferderate Army. Most, not all statues, were erected because of Military sucess, not because of owned slaves.

      • Gary says:

        While we are at it, let’s do away with the National Anthem. After all Francis Scott Key worked in the same office as Roger Brookes Taney. Obviously, since he worked so closely Taney, he must have been a racist since Justice Taney wrote the Dread Scott Decision.

      • Jack says:

        While we’re at it, the White House must go because “white” is a race which makes it racist. We should rename it “The Neutral Colored House” or “The Invisible House.”

  6. Donna says:

    The people that are putting up the biggest fight own antiques…. Maybe they are collectors driving up the prices… What’s the political agenda that we are being distracted away from?

  7. Chad Harris says:

    Awesome….

    Let’s close all the banks, ports and all business because at some point in time, they are all connected to oppressing someone…not sure who but I bet someone got the short end of the stick.

    • Gene Poole says:

      Instead of closing ’em all, why not nationalize ’em? Then they’d be operated by the people, for the people, rather than for the profit of a relative few.

      • bucktownboy says:

        And healthcare, and insurance and hotels and bars and restaurants and anything else that makes a profit for a relative few. Man this generalizing sure is fun.

      • Nope, can’t nationalize the banks. You remember what happened when all those big banks were nationalized by Barak Obama after Slick Willie and George W. Bush allowed them to run wild and the taxpayers had to spend trillions to bail them out? Meanwhile, the CEO’s, COO’s and all those other board members continued to get their multimillion dollar salaries and even bigger bonuses. No, don’t even think about nationalizing the banks, because only the common people will lose. Again. Period.

      • Doc Donaldson says:

        You just can’t see it, can you? Once the government gets a hold of something it stops operating for anyone. It is operated by “the people” chosen by the government for their political connections and there being no profit motive, there is no need to work very hard or produce very much. Where have you been? Don’t you learn anything? Wow!

    • Jack says:

      If we blame enough people sooner or later the guilty parties will get what’s coming to them.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The opposition to the Robert E. Lee statue/Lee Circle is based on his historical status as a defender of the Confederacy (a nation which plutocrats tried to create to preserve slavery & by all historical accounts an altogether dumb idea that brought only destruction and no progress), not his personal moral slip-ups or status as a slave owner.

    But cheers for creating a great example of the slippery slope fallacy for all logic professors to use.

    • Anonymous says:

      No “fallacy”, it began with the CBF and now it is moving to the statuary. Next will be all of the things listed in this entry. So sad that many such as you espouse fail to see that (or is it blindness by choice?).

      • Anonymous says:

        I, myself, don’t consider it blindness at all … it’s just refusing to stop to your level of “Chicken Little-ness”.

    • Anonymous says:

      To expurgate or not to expurgate, that is the question. I’d rather see energy devoted to erecting new monents to venerate figures embodying contemporary ideals than see it devoted to censoring our current landscape. Volumes and volumes have been written about the life of Robert E Lee (the most critically acclaimed was written by Freeman, who was hardly a confederate apologist), a man who was revered in both the north and south at the time of his death. It is perhaps simplistic to see him predominantly as a symbol of racist oppression.

    • Edgar says:

      To expurgate or not to expurgate, that is the question. I’d rather see energy devoted to erecting new monents to venerate figures embodying contemporary ideals than see it devoted to censoring our current landscape. Volumes and volumes have been written about the life of Robert E Lee (the most critically acclaimed was written by Freeman, who was hardly a confederate apologist), a man who was revered in both the north and south at the time of his death. It is perhaps simplistic to see him predominantly as a symbol of racist oppression.

    • Anthony says:

      Glad I’m not the only one that noticed it….

    • bucktownboy says:

      Read where Lee didn’t want to fight for the South but all of his family was , so he joined. He even had to pass up a higher rank in the Unites States army from Abe Lincoln. He helped to end the war and freed slaves and did other honorable things after is stint in the CSA. But like this article suggests, forget the good stuff, lets concentrate on what we dislike.

      • Anonymous says:

        U are an asshole Lee was a well known racist and wasn’t shy about admitting it!! So with that being said it cancels out any positive thing he ever did !!

      • Richard says:

        In a quite difficult decision, Lee only joined the Confederacy because his home state, Virginia, had succeeded from the Union. While not being perfect according to 2015 standards, for his times as a Virginia gentleman, Lee seemed relatively enlightened about slavery. The Robert E. Lee Wikipedia article sets forth in pertinent part:

        “A key source cited by defenders and critics is Lee’s 1856 letter to his wife:
        “… In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it however a greater evil to the white man than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence.”
        —Robert E. Lee, to Mary Anna Lee, December 27, 1856

        “The evidence cited in favor of the claim that Lee opposed slavery included his direct statements and his actions before and during the war, including Lee’s support of the work by his wife and her mother to liberate slaves and fund their move to Liberia,[65] the success of his wife and daughter in setting up an illegal school for slaves on the Arlington plantation,[66] the freeing of Custis’ slaves in 1862, and, as the Confederacy’s position in the war became desperate, his petitioning slaveholders in 1864–65 to allow slaves to volunteer for the Army with manumission offered as a reward for outstanding service.”

    • Ryan says:

      In other words, “It’s ok if you owned slaves or killed slaves, but Lee fighting “for slavery”(and disregarding every other possible reason for him and others defending their home and state) is an abomination, and we must remove the statues!”

      Speaking of logic…

      • RJL says:

        I don’t know how to break this to you but Robert E. Lee never owned a slave. In fact when his father in law died and left Lee and his wife Arlington plantation, now (Arlington National Cemetery), you probably didn’t know that either, based on what you seem to know so far. He freed the slaves and told them they could continue to work as free paid employees. The ironic thing about it is that Ulysses Grant did. They served him throughout the Civil War. Don’t take my word for it look it up

      • Dona says:

        Ryan,
        Slavery was not why the war was started. It was brought forth around the 3rd year of the war. Also Lincoln did not free all of the slaves. Only those in the South, not the Million in the North or border states.
        Lee freed his slaves (he inherited) 10 years before the war. His slaves remained with him because of the love and respect they had for him. One, William Mack Lee, went with Gen. Lee during the war to make sure he was cared for.

      • Mike says:

        OK Ryan. Here is your axe and pick. Start chopping down on the Washington Monument (one of the largest slave owners of his time. Then you can “do in” Mr Vernon and its slave quarters. And don’t forget Thomas Jefferson and his memorial along with his home Monticello and its slave quarters along with Andy Jackson along with numerous early Presidents and other noted national figures. The statues of RE Lee and PTG Beauragard are there because of Military history. not because they owned slaves.

      • Doc Donaldson says:

        Lee didn’t fight for slavery. Lee fought against the invasion of his homeland. (Virginia) Read something ! Figure things out! I have said this before, but there is a great book about the “fifth company” of the Washington Artillery. It gives you background on a lot of the individual soldiers in the unit. There were a few officers whose family owned slaves; but there doesn’t appear to be any enlisted men, the great majority of the unit, who owned slaves. All these guys volunteered. The unit fought in the Army of Tennessee until the end of the war. Guys got wounded and cured and came back to the unit. Guys got leave and came back to the unit. These enlisted men from New Orleans spent their first night in Mississippi around Corinth sleeping on the ground in the snow and it didn’t get much better after that. Do you really believe that these young clerks and working men fought all those bitter years for slavery?

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t forget Lee had freed his slaves prior to the war because he believed slavery was not moral unlike the leader of the Union who went on the be president of the United States.

  9. Anonymous says:

    How bout we blow up Mount Rushmore since most of them owned slaves? Why would u change the history of one of the oldest cities in America? The Italians were hung right there in the quarter… Let’s tear it down and make it a parking lot! I’d love for someone to do a survey and ask young black men and women about Lee, and P. G. T., etc., and to hear the comments on who these people were. Italians aren’t trying to tear the history of this city down! Let’s change ur kids names cause their ancestors fought in the civil war! When I think of Lee circle, I’m proud! Proud cause that’s the city we love and never once did I associate it with racism! I watched schools that people were proud of change their names and did anything change??? It’s a shame people can’t put that energy into fixing up their neighborhood or keeping the streets clean. Have u been down Martin Luther King Blvd lately??? How bout we take areas that need attention, and that isn’t already done and make monuments and landmarks and name them whatever “the people” would like and leave the history of this great city alone! Sincerely

    • rhonda says:

      How about lets rename Martin Luther King Blvd…because it offends people!!

      • bucktownboy says:

        And because there are more killings done there or near that street, we should rename that street . This will stop the murders as much as tearing down the statues.

  10. sally says:

    Thank you everyone for their comments – please remember – Let the Irish eat their own children.
    The beauty of history is that we can learn from others’ mistakes and hopefully be inspired by their triumphs.
    I worry about people being too reactionary sometimes – Freedom Fries, anyone? Where do we draw the line? How many books do we ban? How many statues do we tear down? The school named after Marie Couvent (who was a slave who bought her freedom and donated thousands to build a school so black children could have a chance at an education) was renamed because it was discovered that she owned slaves… yet McDonogh remains? Doesn’t seem fair.
    The South hanging on to its heritage is both a curse and a blessing. When the city changed Front Street to Convention Center Blvd in 1983 historians were up in arms and protested, calling it “historical heresy.” And this was a street named after NO ONE. I would rather focus on honoring forgotten individuals who contributed to this city – Andre Cailloux, Tootie Montana, Rodolphe Desdunes, Jeanne Aliquot, Thomy Lafon – to name a few.
    It’s not that I agree or disagree with Lee Circle – it’s just to state that what we need is conversation, debate and discussion – not knee-jerk reactions.

    • CharlieFlynn says:

      Please send copy to mayor man Mitch Landreu. He needs to recognize the fact that his antics to get on the current band wagon makes a joke of Louisiana.

    • Mike says:

      Yep!! They changed the name of Francis T. Nichols High School but kept the name of McDonough High School, named after one of the largest plantation and slave owners of his time.

    • Will Uter says:

      It’s interesting that you mention “freedom fries” in the context of reactionary street renaming. General Pershing St in my neighborhood was originally named Berlin St, after Napoleon’s defeat of the German army at Berlin. During the height of anti-German hysteria of WWI we changed the name, not fully comprehending that it was named after the victory of our ally over our then-current enemy. I have nothing against General Pershing and would support something being named after him, but I’ve always wanted the street name changed back to Berlin. The streets parallel to Napoleon on either side were all named for Napoleonic victories, and the theme works.

  11. Jacki says:

    Love it. Great read. Interesting to think about. You made some great points (that were actually true) Please continue..

  12. Loren says:

    You forgot the Fleur de Lis. It’s been associated with slavery too. Heck even the NOPD cars have a Fleur de Lis on both sides as well as other City vehicles. I guess we will have to rename the New Orleans Saints too. Where will it end?

    • John says:

      They better paint over those Fleur de Lis signs on the police cars, before they become a moving target for the ghetto punks.

    • K Centanni says:

      That’s right. And he wants to rename Jeff Davis Pkwy, to Norman Francis something. Francis was a significant Civil Rights figure in New Orleans and a nationally known advocate of education reform. The first black graduate of Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, Francis turned his career toward education, becoming the president of his undergraduate alma mater, Xavier University, in 1968.
      WHAT???

  13. Linda says:

    African-Americans in New Orleans face real challenges – racial inequality exists in educational and employment opportunities, access to quality healthcare, and treatment by police and judicial systems.

    Symbols perceived to be racist or hateful should never be celebrated, but considering the bigger scope of day-to-day racial issues within the city, I question if a statue of a general who died 145 years ago is really the best focus of resources to address a sweeping, nationwide problem of discrimination.

    If the action to remove certain statues and landmarks is indeed undertaken, hopefully our beloved city can remember that this is a superficial bandaid that does little to change the daily experience of African-Americans that make up the majority of Orleans Parish (59.1% of the population according to 2013 U.S. Census Bureau data).

    • bucktownboy says:

      What “racial inequity” is there in the education system? All have the same chance even to the point that we have bent over backwards to accommodate those “less fortunate” What someone does with that opportunity or does not do results in unequal job opportunities. Go preach your hate to people who listen to such garbage.

      • Dona says:

        My sons went to public school, I was raising them with no help from their dad (after our marriage fell apart.) They graduated high school with honors, graduated LSU with honors and graduated with their Master’s degree with honors. My youngest son went to graduate school at Duke and made 1 B the entire time he was there, all other grades were A’s. Parenting is HARD work. We have to teach our kids respect for themselves and others, and how to grow and become independent, responsible adults. It doesn’t just happen.

    • Solange says:

      This is the only intelligent comment in the entire thread, including the original post.

    • SoTired says:

      If you want more race equality, then tell the black Americans to stop killing each other or riot after something happens they do not agree with. (Because violence solves EVERYTHING.) Show them they can get further with an education than guns. It starts at home. Teach them to stop expecting hands outs and work for what they want and need, not expecting others to give just because they have a certain skin color.

    • Mypetpeeve says:

      I find it insulting for any race to put what ever country their grate grand parents might have been born in to use in front of American !
      I don’t say I’m English American, I was born here so I’m American !
      If you were born here, or have legal status here, that makes you American !
      So when African American is used today … You are wrong !
      Unless you actually moved here from Africa that is one thing, but if you were born here YOU ARE AMERICAN ! If you legally moved here YOU ARE AMERICAN ! Let me tell you why ! If ISIS found out that you were from America, it wouldn’t matter what race you were, only that you were American then they would cut your head off !
      They wouldn’t say well he is African American or Mexican American so on and so forth…. so he is ok let him go !
      No …. they would cut your head off, just as fast as my head so welcome to America , how do you like me now !

    • Robert Bennen says:

      Slavery is alive well and thriving. One difference though. Obama, and the Democratic Liberal Socialist Communist are running things. Open your eyes.

    • Patty says:

      I totally agree with the idea of adding rather than deleting monuments and statues to commemorate those who feel slighted by New Orleans as it is.
      Below, in response to a different blog is the real reason not to do this!! The most important reason not to remove these statues and/or change the names of everything in the city.

      Aside from basically removing our city my biggest problem with this whole situation is the attempt to erase history.
      History is just that!! It is what happened and removing statues does not change reality.
      One very important point which speaks to the subject of removing any sign of the things that offend — we must remember and learn from history to make changes and to ensure that the events in question do not ever happen again

    • Fabienne says:

      How come people from Vietnam, Korea, And central/South Americans countries one to USA with not even 1 cent in their pocket, not talking any language, no relevant education to,fit in USA……however they run successful businesses, get highly educated, etc. get my point?

  14. Denise Rednour says:

    How about tearing down the entire city or burning it to the ground because it was home to all the aforementioned Civil War Veterans and New Orleans itself was a hub of the slave trade. While we’re at it, all plantation homes need to be burned and exorcised of the demons that haunt the black people of today.

    In all fairness, all offensive black organizations, names, monuments, etc. must go!!!! No Martin Luther King Holiday, no streets named after him, no groups such as the NAACP anymore, they are racist!

  15. John says:

    Let’s rename New Orleans. After all it was a Confederate city. Queen City of the South. Name it after one of our dynasty families. Moon City or Morial City or maybe “Reconstruction City.” Instead of the Queen city of the South it could be called Crime Capital of the Nation.

  16. al karon says:

    LET’S RENAME EVERY STREET, EVERY STREET, LANDRIEU AVENUE, TO CELEBRATE THAT INCREDIBLE FAMILY. OF COURSE, NO ONE WILL KNOW WHERE SHE/HE HE/SHE IS GOING IF HE/SHE SHE/HE IS GOING DOWN LANDRIEU, BUT NO ONE KNOWS NOW.

  17. Lynn says:

    Take a short rest and then we will have to go after the all the prominent politicians and religious leaders who, with zeal and righteousness, instituted the Jim Crow laws, shut down Storyville and ran many of NOLA’s most noted jazz musicians right out of town. I mean, after the war New Orleans managed to be a pretty diverse and somewhat more tolerant city for many years until the racist, Christian vigilantes, prohibitionists and general buzz killers got involved.

  18. Nancy says:

    While you are at the renaming point….rename the Roosevlet Hotel? Didn’t slave auctions take place in the lobby? Well just tear it down Might as well redo the French Market area where they sold sugar because they used slaves to cut down the cane and make the sugar. Oh heck….. Let’s just wipe out sugar altogether! Too many memories for people. But that means no candy, pralines, pies, cakes, ice cream, and heavens to Betsy No
    southern Sweet Tea! OH that reminds me…… Get rid of Mint Julips because plantation owners and their wives drank those which were served by their slaves!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Let’s get rid of Tom Benson, Benson Towers, Smoothie King Center, and the Dome. Just like the slave owners of old, Benson’s business model is to seek out the most physically able specimens of blacks, to control and profit off of. Add the Fleur de Lis that he ‘brands’ these specimens with and the fact that their job is basically to entertain affluent whites, and the rubber stamp of racism is all around Mr. Benson’s dubious exploits.

  20. George W. Simmons says:

    And we must not forget the LSU tiger, since it was chosen as the mascot to honor the Louisiana Tigers, a unit that was formed and fought for the Confederacy. Mike’s got to go.

    • bucktownboy says:

      Oh man now you’re really getting into history. And we all know now , we are trying to eliminate history.

  21. David says:

    Let’s make it simple. Since Andrew Jackson(was once a slave trader and at one time owned 200 slaves) saved the city from the British we just give the city back to them. Then we won’t have to change any names. Prince Harry can rename everything. He’s always changing jobs anyway.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are so right, Linda. We need conversation and not knee jerk reactions. There can be too much of everything, racism (even though everyone says they aren’t, some still are), political Correctness, government control telling us what’s best for ourselves and our kids, etc. we need to fix crime, homelessness, corruption. Concentrate on fixing what’s been broken instead of breaking things that aren’t.

    • Will Uter says:

      The only trouble is, New Orleans was never for a single second of its history under British rule. Their two attempts to take it both ended in failure (English Turn, Battle of New Orleans). Never tell an Englishman this, though. They seem convinced that North America in its entirely was once their colony.

  22. A.J. says:

    THANK YOU for giving me hope that there are sane people that consider context and time! When many in the South wanted to continue the war, Lee insisted that we needed to restore unity. In that light, he is one of the greatest Americans in our history! Eisenhower referred to him, correctly, as one of the noblest of men. Lee can NOT be compare to a Nathan Bedford Forest. That would be like equating Erwin Rommel to Hitler.

    • Mike says:

      On word that the war was over, Ol Abe made a short speech from the balcony of the White House in which he also preached unity and requested, in that vein, that a certain song be played. The name of that song was DIXIE. You can look it up.

      • Dixie Holiday says:

        Wait a minute..what about all the girls named Dixie? Do we change our names? Actually,since you tore down my beautiful Canal Street..I’m not going back home until I die..then I will be placed at the end of Canal Street in the family mausoleum, that’ll work for me!! Good luck with your history rewrite! When it’s all done, nothing will have changed..you’ll still be you!

  23. Rockwell Livingston says:

    For now, let’s just focus on the Mayor’s proposals. He is leading in the right direction.

  24. I am cackling with laughter at the number of you who took this renaming of everything in NOLA seriously. Lame!!!!

    • Richard says:

      Willy, no one took the article seriously. We’re simply mocking the thin skinned leftist useful idiots.

      • Gene Poole says:

        Who are “we”? What is a “leftist”? To whom are “useful idiots” useful?

        • Scarl1999 says:

          Funny how this is all rather lopsided! Let’s blame the friggin statues and flags. How bout we use the millions to remove criminals and put in jail irregardless of color? How about everyone stop blaming their problems on events happened hundreds of years ago? Be accountable for actions and responsibilities and work to be paid? Laundrieu is leaving thank God after Obama but Orleans parish will elect another lame politician trying to make a name leave his legacy of lameness!! It’s gonna get worse until they get to work on real issues. Hell the State police makes way more arrests than NOPD. It’s a sad double standard the whites have no rights yet they pay the taxes.

    • Mike says:

      Brother Vogel — it IS serious since the Mayor and Council are actually proposing that something be done to make such changes. Better open your eyes. Slavery existed in this country. You cant change that fact. Renaming or tearing down a few statues (most of which were erected because of Military reasons) is not gonna change one darn thing.

  25. anon says:

    Or how about we all just grow up and stop acting like a bunch of children who’ve had they’re little baby feelings hurt. My parents taught me that infamous saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” The past is the past, stop acting like it’s really affecting your everyday life and start being an adult. All this, oh, he said, she said, this hurts my feelings, that doesn’t take into account my relatives of 5 generations ago…give me something to make up for it…! waahaaa….
    there are way more important things in the world. if a statue in the south bothers or offends you, then grow up, and gt the hell out of the south! you got 49 other states to choose from hipster!

  26. Kimbrelina says:

    LOL! I am laughing out loud at all of you who are so butt hurt! This article had me belly laughing, but your whiney comments are a hoot!!! Good Lord people don’t take yourself so seriously !!! Peace out!!

  27. debbie tassin says:

    Seriously I can’t believe the Mayor wants to erase HISTORY. Does he think that these statues and monuments he want to remove make a difference? Does he think that the removal with stop the crime and murder in this city? I guess he thinks once the he removes part of our City’s and Country’s history everything will be ok. What kind of Mayor did the people of New Orleans elect? The money it will take to remove these historic monuments could be used to fix some of the streets in this city not one street in this city is even passable. I got it lets rename the city POT HOLE since every street has one. No matter what is remove somebody somewhere will determine they are still be discriminated against and is offended by someone or something. To tell you the truth I am offended by many things in this city like all through the city you see men walking around in public with there pants hanging passed their butts. I get offend that I have to look at their underwear when I am eating, or driving or walking in the city, yet nobody does anything about that. isn’t there a law in this city regarding indecent exposure . Mr Mayor do something about people walking around the city with their asses hanging out of their pants! because I am offended

    • Anonymous says:

      Perfectly stated Debbie. I with you on this.

    • Will Uter says:

      Landrieu doesn’t care one way or the other about the statues. He’s just trying to stir up trouble so we’re at each others’ throats over trivial nonsense instead of paying attention to his abysmal failures. He wants to gorge himself at the public trough without people questioning it too much. The main topic of discussion should be the culture of corruption the citizens of New Orleans have suffered under for over a century. Nothing will change without a complete top to bottom overhaul of City Hall, likely with lots of Federal oversight.

  28. Beatle Pat says:

    Hell in a hand basket

  29. Christina says:

    What if we tear down all of the buildings built with slave labor… Starting with the plantations and moving into the city?

  30. Anonymous says:

    I kept waiting for someone to say, “Let’s ban Cotton.”

  31. oliver says:

    Let’s be real here. Nobody is trying to “erase” history, just because we choose not to honor or respect it. Yall speak of slavery as though it was a minor inconvenience and the good that these people did somehow erases that. Slavery was (and is) a great evil.

    And it’s making us confront a lot of our history that us Americans would rather just ignore, not just slavery. I think it’s also causing us to reflect on current events and how we are complicit as a people in the tragedies of this reality.

    • Dona says:

      Let’s not forget, slavery is still alive and well in this world today! No one mentions that, just that there was slavery here 200 years ago. Slavery didn’t only happen in America. Many countries have had slavery throughout history.
      Those who so oppose slavery should seek to help people in slavery today. Leave the past in the past and work together for the betterment of ALL people today.

    • Human says:

      Your white guilt is showing……

  32. Matt McKnight says:

    Let’s rename new Orleans “chocolate city” that’s not racist and rename Lee Circle nagins square. I hope mitch Landrieu doesn’t run for governer. He would change the name of Baton Rouge because it offends Indians.

  33. Marigny says:

    Oh, and ban cotton. Everyone in New Orleans or whatever we rename it, has to wear polyester or wool in August from now on because slaves picked cotton.

  34. Anonymous says:

    All monuments that have European-American aka white people on them must be taken down across the country, not just Lee circle. If not all of the founding father’s were slave owners, surely thier monuments must be removed. All war monuments honoring serivce members must be removed, because 90% or more depict white man on these monuments which today equates to every white persons ancestor were slave owners. Surely by looking at these monuments any American can tell difference between slave owners or Europeans who came to this country after slavery and gave their lives for this country before becoming a citizen. Monuments or any symbol from the past is history, to move forward we must learn from the past to not make the same mistakes. These monuments are the only American history the young can learn from, by clearly watching the media today and the failing education system both are distorting American history. If the points and ture history in the article were being tough in school today, this discussion wouldn’t take place.

  35. Paula says:

    I really did enjoy the article. So many good points were made especially about our Mayor. What is going to happen to the history of New Orleans, the history of these United States? I’m glad that my mom doesn’t understand what’s going on. She was a school teacher and loved this City.

  36. Giselle Richards says:

    BRAVO! LOL! You are right on the money!

  37. Giselle Richards says:

    BRAVO! LOL! You are right on the money!!

  38. John doe says:

    I wonder if Mitch will rename Robert E. Lee Blvd out by the lake front since he is taking down the statue. Speaking of the lake front maybe we should rename Lake
    pontchartrain since it was used to transport slaves.

  39. louie says:

    maybe all the white population should move to Jefferson,st, Bernard, st. tammany or one of the other nearby parishes and see how the remaing population can exist without us

    • Anonymous says:

      Go right ahead! The remaining population would probably be better off without narrowed minded thinkers like you! How dare you think that some people shouldn’t be offended. I am sick of under cover, card carrying sons and daughters of the conferacy taking this situation overboard.

      Instead, think of how ALL people make New Orleans a great place. Think of how many people of color prepared the very food you ate! Oh, yea, that’s right, you think that is where they belong anyway!

      What is sickening is that the same folks that you have this insane bias about have doctors, lawyers, network analysts and so on that contribute to our area everyday to make it thrive. Just think, the doctor that may perform your next survey may be a person of color! Oh that’s right! Your stupid behind probably would rather go to heaven! Oh by the way, a lot of black people made it in up there! I guess you just rather go the other way! Just sharing my head of the foolery of YOUR people who is NOW the minority!

    • Mike says:

      Can’t move to Jefferson Parish because it honors Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner. As for the comment by Solange and leaving the South, we are all happy to see you go.

    • Palemone says:

      Can you say “Baltimore”?

  40. RME says:

    When will all the atrocities in Washington DC be removed, i.e. the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. Looks like beaucoup states/counties/parishes/towns will have to be renamed to protect those who are rabidly seeking to be victimized and insulted.

  41. Randy Ping says:

    Wow, some people sure do love their symbols of white supremacy.

    • bucktownboy says:

      And thats your problem if thats all you know about these men honored. Or what was TOLD you to believe.

  42. td says:

    Replace Andrew Jackson or Robt E. Lee with Marilyn Monroe. I don’t think she owned a slave, and she would be eye candy.

  43. Dave says:

    I agree if you take down one or change one. Change them all. As a matter of fact any house in New Orleans built by slave labor should be torn down. Hell take it another step further the country even. The railroads while we are at it…
    Here is point to ponder, I hear how Orleans has limited funds. Why are we wasting money on this! If you have the finances to make all the changes, then use it to fix the streets.

    • Will Uter says:

      Renaming streets is much cheaper than fixing them. Besides, fixing the streets is something we can all agree on. City Hall would have to come up with another issue to divide us and pit us against one another so we’re paying less attention to what an awful job they’re doing at pretty much everything.

  44. Maria says:

    In the early 80, a friend of mine brought LSU foreign student from Iran to NO for a tour and nice time. When he showed him the statue of Robert E Lee at Lee Circle and gave him the history, the Iranian student said, ” What a wonderful country. You even have statues of the losers” I love that sentiment. We do have a wonderful country. Can’t rewrite history. Don’t polorize it.

  45. Tom says:

    You forgot removing “Amazing Grace” from all churches since it was written by John Newton who was involved in slave trade, even captain of a slave ship. He mistreated slaves and “had his way” with female slaves. And since Obama sang Amazing Grace we should remove him from office too!

  46. sally says:

    Once again, thank you everyone for your comments. I welcome opinions, suggestions – and obviously even sarcasm. One note, any blatant name-calling (against me or others) or alluding to my death I will not post. Sorry, just my rules.
    And while I acknowledge that not everyone is receptive or appreciative of satire, sometimes I feel it is the best way to communicate certain situations – particularly modern politics and topical issues. Some disagree and I respect that. And some just don’t get it.
    To be honest, I did not expect all these responses. I frequently write and lecture on New Orleans’ history and have never experienced anything like this. Some people are angry/supportive of me because they think I am mocking the people who want to take it down and others are angry/supportive of me because they think I am mocking the people who want to leave it up. It’s really a non-win situation. I guess, for better or worse, it builds discussion. Some other interesting points raised on a private post I did suggested only removing any statues or changing street names after Confederate Veterans who fought in the war to maintain slavery. Others thought anything commemorating plantation owners should go as well, regardless of their contributions to society. (No one yet has mentioned the politicians who enforced/wrote these laws). Others suggested anyone who owned slaves (black or white) should be removed from New Orleans’ history. And then there is the “all or nothing” theory that I satirized. There is also the discussion on which is more powerful – an individual (such as Robert E. Lee) or a symbol (such as the Confederate Flag). And what happens when an individual becomes a symbol? And how do we rectify the past? How do we make amends, heal, and move forward in a positive manner? How can we be sensitive to all members of society? These are important things to be discussed – not reduced or trivialized by name-calling or broad generalizations.
    Like I said, all opinions welcome. Just please be respectful of others. I am not used to the “trolling” phenomenon and don’t really understand it or approve of it. Especially the “anonymous” ones.

    • Sunshine says:

      very well written blog, Sally. This PC business is ridiculous. landrieu is trolling for votes for his next campaign. And to obfuscate the real issues of crime and potholes.

    • Human says:

      “How do we make amends, heal, and move forward in a positive manner?”

      Amends aren’t needed….the events being discussed happened 150 years ago and none of us were there. Heal and move forward….erect new statues and monuments that reflect how far we have come. Let both sets of “art” be used as a tool to teach rather than divide.

      History is never perfect, no matter the time period. Heck, look at some of the current events going on in our city. What do you thin folks will say about us in 150 years? It is ludicrous to judge the past on our current sensibilities. Even Abe Lincoln felt that blacks were beneath whites and wanted to ship all the freed slaves to Central America!

      I don’t know…. maybe more stock should be put in teaching American history. There is so much to be learned from understanding the past.

  47. Gary Gautier says:

    Amusing, thought-provoking, well-written and well-researched entry on a topic that requires more case-by-case deliberation than my liberal brothers and sisters (allies in most things) might grant.

  48. Pingback: Lets Rename New Orleans! | Catahoula Chronicles

  49. Tracey Howard says:

    :-)

  50. John M says:

    St. Louis probably did something bad over in France. Let’s rename the Cathedral something less offensive, such as Old Square Cathedral.

  51. karl seemann says:

    What about Congo Square?

  52. MCBizarro says:

    SOUR GRAPES.

  53. Becca says:

    Maybe we can get David Copperfield or David Blaine down here to make all of them disappear. They can be relocated on our ranch close to MS Gulf Coast, as long as you don’t mind passing the US and MS flags on your way in….

  54. Dorothy Benoit says:

    I had a lot of faith in Mitch, as he was an OK guy when he would visit the law office I worked at, and for him to entertain such detrimental actions that would destroy our fair city of New Orleans monments is disgraceful! Use the funds you will spend on this project and fix your streets. You have too many problems in this city to waste time on such foolishness.

  55. Georgia says:

    Also, shouldn’t Morial Convention Center be renamed, didn’t he die while at his mistresses house? Isn’t that adultery? Also, Hattie MacDaniel’s Oscar should be removed post-mortem as she won for being a mammy – not a good reflection.

  56. Wayne says:

    Moon, Mary and Mitch offend me so any public space that is used for their name, a photo, a plaque should be removed.

  57. Pierre-Yves says:

    Oh yes, let’s do as the talibans did with the Bamian’s Buddha: let’s blow out everything done sinfully! Was any builder sinless? Let’s destroy every house then. Let’s not try to build a better future! Let’s better try to blow out the past! And then what? Is our life going to be better if suppress all names and statues of imperfect people in New Orleans? All houses because they are built with slave money? Do we really want to destroy Art for the sake of Politics? Isn’t it exactly what slavers did? You don’t fight stupidity with stupidity, do you? No. You just go on and try to do better, as intelligently as you can.

  58. Joe Harper says:

    Must be hundred thousand plus young confederate soldiers in national cemeteries with headstones. As a military school cadet we observed Confederate Memorial Day by march to one of their cemeteries.

  59. Gonzalo De Sola says:

    Really ??? I thik all is historic and useful to remember how all changes for the youths ,I love all names and DIXIELAND as progressives as rebels who make changes .

  60. Jan says:

    As a woman, I’m “offended” by MLK Boulevard and say it needs to be renamed. Afterall, MLK was a womanizer.

    This insanity must stop! Being “offended” by everything is nothing but a sign of pride…foolish, destructive pride.

  61. John Hopkins says:

    Weather you like it or not its New Orleans history, You people have no clue what that flag even stands for or why that war was fought.. I suggest you do a little homework. If you don’t like the statues and what they stand for, I suggest you move out the fucking state.. I would try to educate what caused this war, slavery was a extremely small part of it..

  62. saint roch says:

    you are part of the problem, not the solution. absurdio ad reductum is not a useful debate point. yanqui, go home.

  63. Dianna Sullivan says:

    If you are purging anyway… Why not eliminate all Catholic references? The church, in the name of the almighty committed quite a few faux pas, past and present day. I noticed they were skipped over.

  64. Anonymous says:

    Thank you!!! Well said!

  65. Tricia says:

    Let’s remove a star on the American flag for each state that was involved in slavery. Then that state would not be “American”.
    And…since we no longer are a part of America, let anyone who wants to change anything about New Orleans, pack their sh#t and put down new roots north of the Mason-Dixon line.

  66. Sunny says:

    I WANT TO HAVE THE MOON WALK RENAMED TO THE “SUN WALK” BECAUSE I PREFER TO WALK THERE DURING THE DAY !!!!! AND I THINK IT OFFENDS THE SUN….. ANY THOUGHTS? LOL START A PETITION RENAME THE MOON WALK NOW _____________ SIGN

  67. Taylor Henry says:

    Be careful what you wish for.

  68. Nola says:

    Oh my gosh…this was PERFECT. I have been saying many of the same things you listed in your blog! As someone previously mentioned, Zulu must go! What could be more racist than a bunch of wealthy white men in black face throwing coconuts off a float on Mardi Gras Day for the whole world to see?…….Oh, and what about the Mardi Gras Indians? They must certainly offend our Native American citizens – black people parading around like a bunch of Indians…ooops, Indians, is politically incorrect too, isn’t it?

  69. NOLA is just a snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. Heading North across the lake is Slidell, named for John Slidell. He is a former U.S. Senator that resigned because of the war and he then accepted a diplomatic position from … guess who…. Jefferson Davis! Slidell needs to atone and shall be renamed “Sherman’s Bayou”. Millions of Winston Smiths will need to be hired for this purge!

  70. Brian says:

    I live in and work in Saudi Arabia. As the holiest country in Islam, the country of the 2 holy mosques, there are no statues of living things allowed. The streets are named after royal family members, or other cities or towns. There are no photos of people, actually sometimes photos of the King, or past kings, but that’s it. No crosses are allowed. Only the crescent moon. No one is allowed to worship people, therefore, no statues. If he is allowed to take down monuments, then I say they all should go. Oh, about tourism, there is none. Only people here to work or do business are allowed entry into the country. No crime in the country compared to the city of New Orleans. You lose a hand for theft and a lot of other things, and a head for murder, rape, or being caught with drugs – any drugs! No guns, no alcohol of any type- not even vanilla extract. No sales tax, no income tax, banks do not charge fees, and they don’t charge interest. The malls are packed, more Mercedes Benz and Range Rovers than in Europe, and some of the best Hospitals and medical care (American Medicine is practiced without insurance companies dictating to doctors what can and cannot be done), and oh by the way, no nursing homes because it brings great shame to a family if they don’t take care of their elderly! No baby daddies or mommas because both lose their head if someone not married ends up pregnant, another shame on the family! Men support their families, and extended families live together. Maybe this is Mitchie’s plan! Instead of one segment worried about how he views things, he ought to experience the world and realize that he makes a lot of money and he should spread the wealth instead of packing it in his own pocket. That’s for you my musical friend! How much in “Saudi Dollars” have you given? 50%, 75%… I’m sure you’ve donated turkeys, school supplies, or musical instruments, but that only means you’ll burn in hell over here for not taking care of your own! It’s the same God everywhere, and you’re not fooling anyone dividing the people with this Bullshit!

    • Vicki Becker says:

      Brian—I just have to chime in here. It is NOT “the same God everywhere.” The Bible proclaims that there is ONE WAY to Heaven; and His name is Jesus—not allah. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes unto the Father except by Me.” (I did not write that—it is in the Bible.) The Bible contradicts the teachings found in the Qu’ran. Only one can be true—and Jesus says that HE is the truth!

  71. Anonymous says:

    Don’t forget…James Audubon and his family profited from slave ownership. So close the zoo and free the beasts. Huey Long’s family too…so damn the torpedo and get rid of that bridge quick! The Port of New Orleans was where large numbers of slave ships moored and unloaded their trades…so close the port too! Let’s leave no stone unturned.

  72. Ashok Pullikuth says:

    We will have to “undeclare” independence and revoke the ‘Declaration of Independence’ and tear down our ‘Constitution’ and ‘Bill of Rights’ since many who participated in drafting those documents and signing them were slave owners and a few of them had affairs with their slaves as well. So everything’s got to go, and let’s start from 1490s for starters!

  73. Mary Jackson says:

    About Robert E Lee—-his father, Gen Light Horse Harry Lee, was a great cavalry officer and George Washington’s best friend. He was a major part in the colonies winning the fight against the British. The 13 states in effect SECEDED from Britain. REL was more than a Confederate ———-as a West Point graduate, he designed and oversaw engineering achievements and fought military actions for the US Army, which he served in from graduation in 1829 until outbreak of the Civil War. His wife, Mary Custis Lee, was the daughter of George Washington’s adopted son. When Mary Lee and REL inherited Arlington plantation, they freed all the slaves. So, REL did not fight for that. Hard as it is for many to comprehend——the US Constitution allows for states to secede. Still! Another thing Landrieu and his ilk don’t acknowledge is the absolute fact that there were companies of Free Men of Color in Mouton’s Brigade wearing the uniform of Confederates proudly and fighting bravely in the battles. Many of them owned slaves themselves! Their descendents are members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
    Landrieu is a panderer and a politician looking for whatever he can gain by ignoring history. Ignore him!!

  74. mary says:

    Since Islam condones slavery, and has from its beginning, and still practices it today, surely all mosques in the U.S. should be bulldozed and banned – just as people wish to do with other monuments.

  75. Vicki Corona says:

    what if we just use the catch phrase made popular by the “Artist Previously Known as Prince” ! Use that to describe all of our landmarks!!
    The “Circle Previously Known As Lee!”

  76. NOLArtist says:

    I bet if they don’t remove the monument,
    then go ahead and build that “Daiquiri Circle” around the statue… offer a free Daiquiri every Monday to all those who are offended…lol…bet they’d line up around old Gen Lee in a heartbeat for that free Daiquiri.

  77. Fulton Wirt says:

    A true New Orleanean would just grumble for a coupla days and then drink and dance till the bullshit passed. Get over your selves and other peoples problems

  78. Jeff says:

    Let’s not forget that we must burn down all of the Plantations lining the Missippi River because they housed slaves.

  79. Anonymous says:

    Instead of Lee circle, it should be call LeRoy Circle

  80. exactly. I found out the same thing with a little research. Nothing will ever be enough. And when it’s all done, these same individuals will still be standing saying they want more. The hole just can’t be filled by sticking your finger in the dam!

  81. Dave Doskey says:

    You neglected to re-name all of the streets that are named after Saints. Also, the Parishes that are named after Saints. Some people are offended by religious stuff. Do away with Mardi Gras, also, as it has ties to the religious season celebrated by Christians. Since there are so many offensive names of things, perhaps we should just number everything, including people.

  82. Peter says:

    Instead of renaming all of these parts of the urban landscape named after white supremacists, I think it would be better to get history students from the local universities to generate text for plaques that could be placed throughout the city that explain what the person did during his or her life, how he or she was a product of and a perpetuator of systemic, institutionalized racism, and how important it is to realize how difficult it is to separate American history from its legacy of oppression and destruction of black lives. I think this would be a lot better than whining about the plain fact that America is a racist nation with a racist history and a racist social, economic and cultural legacy of white supremacy from which white people continue to benefit today. The truth is always better than trying to cover the truth.

  83. J.McDonald says:

    Although the ideas, work, and actions of people like Lee and Jefferson Davis, and other s are offensive, instead of destroying them, use it as opportunity to teach others how hate can harm. If we destroy this, we forget and we allow similar evil people take over again. Keep them around so we can learn from past mistakes, not hide them!

  84. VICTORIA says:

    Is it not true that during the Civil War the people of the South disagreed with the government and wanted to Succeed? Then the government made war against them. Is this what our founding fathers wanted for our country? A government that rules by force? Slavery was but one reason for the war. Economic differences and a need to squash the Southern independence we enjoyed was part of the reason to war against us.
    It is frighting to me to think that we do not have the right to disagree in masses without having our government be violent against us. The way that the South was treated after the war was appalling and we have still not recovered economically and educationally!!!
    To remove the symbols of our fight is just stepping on us again, showing who won!!!
    My Southern families lost everything and many Blacks were left homeless and starving!!!
    Should have been a better way to end slavery then destroying half the nation and killing all those people.

  85. BigggDoggg says:

    Rename LEE CIRCLE for SHERIFF HARRY LEE not for Robert E. Lee!
    … That way it will always remain LEE CIRCLE and I won’t forget to meet my peeps at 5:00am at LEE CIRCLE for Mardi Gras.!!!
    Geaux NOLA Proud!

  86. While you’re at it, why not just re-write the whole history of New Orleans???? Some people have many ideas that are not feasible. Taking the statues down is not going to change anything. Maybe the whole of America should wipe the slate clean and start afresh? This is not something that should be done. History is history and our children’s children should learn about how this country was formed. I have a friend who lives in England and they had slaves way before the colonies had them. Yet, they have no racial problems over there. Why?

  87. R J H says:

    Louisiana had a very different colonial experience from the rest of what later became the USA because the colonial power was France (and later Spain). Yes, there was slavery – but it wasn’t like in the English colonies where slaves were exclusively Black and owners were almost exclusively White. There were many Black slave owners in Louisiana and many slaves were Asian (not Black). The type of slavery was also not as poisonous and there was – as an example – no prohibition on slaves receiving an education in Louisiana (until it became an American territory).

    The really awful version of slavery practiced in the USA was also one of the reasons why the population of Louisiana was not exactly delighted when Napoleon sold the colony to the Americans in 1803.

    Note that the reality of Blacks owning slaves in pre-Civil War America is a huge sore point for radical modern-day Black activists. The historical fact greatly damages their position that 1) Only Blacks were slaves, 2) Only Whites owned slaves, 3) Therefore all Whites owe all Blacks repatriations for slavery.

    It also results in some very strange activity by radical Black city administrations, such as changing the names of buildings (ex. public schools) named after benefactors who were black slave owners. The efforts are not always successful as the decendents of the slave-owner benefactors are often still a politcal factor in New orleans politics and they blcok the changes. They are also quite aware of the fact they are not the descendents of slaves and are often proud of it.

  88. Willie says:

    How do you learn from your mistakes if you remove all of the reminders ? Might as well burn all of the History books*****RENAME NEW ORLEANS ****WHAT A CROCK !

  89. June S. says:

    I am sooooo tired of all the racist B.S.! They need to get over it,already.Don’t they realize that it was their people who sold them out.Also,if we wouldn’t have brought them over here,they would have never had the opportunity to make something of their selves if left in Africa.They wouldn’t be holding scapels and gavels,but spears!!!!

  90. Weezie says:

    How “racist” can the Black Lives Matter theme used by certain groups be? Why are black lives the only ones that matter? It should be ALL Lives Matter. Who are the ones committing most of the crimes killing, robbing, stealing? If they’d put as much effort into fighting crime as they are on the Confederate monuments, flags and protesting/rioting we’d be a much safer society.

  91. Jfr says:

    The name of New Orleans has nothing to do with the Duc d’Orleans (by the way which one, because there is an actual Duc d’Orleans). It has to do with the city of Orléans, in the center of France. Europeans used to call cities around the world using old european cities or regions names : New Brunswick (Canada), New York, New Orleans, New England, New South Wales (Australia).

  92. Boyd's friend says:

    Surprised to see the ignorant slurs towards Nathan Bedford Forrest. Nothing more than propaganda perpetrated by those who could not defeat him in Battle. Thus these propaganda liars are trying to kill him after he’s dead and in the grave. Lies Only to be believed by mental midgets at present as above. This Nation should be so lucky to have him General Lee, Stonewall Jackson, And Jeb Stewart fighting for Liberty and freedom for all. As for another day and time I have no doubt that they would come down of the side of liberty and Justice for all. Just like me.

  93. Wayne says:

    I’m just so happy that our Mayor and City Council can concentrate, spend time and money to fix these issues, like smoking in bars and tearing down statues of civil war figures. I mean now that we no longer have a crime problem, our streets and city infrastructure has been improved, and our school system is finally tops in the nation. Go us!!!

  94. sharie smyth says:

    Thank god someone started putting it all in place. Ok. History is history and trying to make changes because it offends some is a disgusting abuse of politics, racism (running both ways), etc. Should we now look to rename our airport again? Louis Armstrong Park? Hmmm.

  95. vicky bayley says:

    What about tearing down all the plantations too and the buildings in the French Quarter -who knows maybe the whole French Quarter has to go – slaves must have been everywhere. Heck, so much for the tourism industry!

  96. Yah says:

    I’m so sorry you feel like your entire world is collapsing because nobody wants to celebrate racism with you. I hope you’re able to get over it soon.

  97. Jen says:

    while article creative and interesting the comments are all censored to reflect what the writer wants to-much like the news so they aren’t an accurate representation of all. How immensely disappointing so removing from my page and won’t be reading any in the future by this author. BUMMER

    • sally says:

      Sorry, Jen. I post almost all comments -agree with me or not. I got bombarded with comments when I was in the middle of doing the final editing of my next two books. So I put them on the back burner until I had time to go through them. As long as it is not profanity ridden or filled with racist name-calling, I will approve.

  98. Will Uter says:

    We also need to rename the state of Louisiana, which was named for King Louis XIV of France, who was well known to be a complete and total dick. How many French peasants did he tax into starvation to build his palace at Versailles?

  99. Ray says:

    If you want to tear down symbols of hate, go after the “big one”, the worst ever known, and demand all churches remove all images of the Crucifix and Old Rugged Cross, on which Christ sacrificed His life to save ours. Then go to synagogues and tear up all Jews for killing Christ. Or if we open our eyes and hearts to see how far we’re drifting from our “One Nation Under God” foundation, we’ll be able to reset our moral compass and return to a state of sanity. At the war’s end, President Lincoln asked, “… with malice toward none, charity for all, let’s bind the nation’s wounds ….” No mention of “white”, “black”, North” or “South” – only peace and unity. Who needs new wounds?

  100. Jim says:

    By Federal act of Congress (May 23, 1958) all Confederate veterans are recognized as Unites States Military Veterans, and deserve all the rights and honors pertinent to such service.
    Public Law 85-425: “Sec. 410. The Administrator shall pay to each person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War a monthly pension in the same amounts and subject to the same conditions as would have been applicable to such person under the laws in effect on December 31, 1957, as if his service in such forces had been service in the military or naval forces of the United States.”
    Approved May 23, 1958 –
    SOURCE: US Statutes at Large
    Volume 72, Part 1, Page 133-134.
    ” Every soldier’s grave made during our unfortunate civil war [sic] is a tribute to American valor… And the time has now come… when in the spirit of fraternity we should share in the care of the graves of the Confederate soldiers… and if it needed further justification it is found in the gallant loyalty to the Union and the flag so conspicuously shown in the year just passed by the sons and grandsons of those heroic dead.” …President William McKinley, 14 December 1898

  101. David Naccari says:

    Re: Our Monuments, the Nuisance Ordinance, and Political Correctness

    It was a nuisance when I was the victim of attempted armed robbery. It was a nuisance when my cousin was carjacked at gunpoint. It was a nuisance when my elderly neighbor was murdered.

    It was a nuisance when I taught at a middle school and was punched in the eye by a seventh grader receiving permanent injury to my retina. It was a nuisance when I later taught at an elementary school, grades PreK – 5, where each year 2 – 4 teachers would be attacked by students and sent to the hospital or medical clinic, some with permanent injuries never to return to work again.

    The list of violent crimes committed against myself, my friends, and acquaintances goes on and on.

    Our monuments didn’t commit 97% of the homicides in New Orleans. Our monuments didn’t give birth to 95 – 100% of children out of wedlock. Our monuments didn’t give New Orleans a homicide rate more than three times the national average for a comparably sized American city. Our monuments didn’t turn our previously peaceful community into one of the murder capitals of the world.

    If I could significantly reduce the murder rate without removing any monument, I would do it; and if I could significantly reduce the murder rate by removing all of the monuments, I would do it; and if I could significantly reduce the murder rate by removing some of the monuments and leaving others alone, I would also do that.

    But we have yet to live in a nation where all people are judged by the content of their character, and so his dream remains unfulfilled.

    So now our beautiful monuments are at risk, even though millions have enjoyed and celebrated the United Negro College Fund’s art collection “Great Kings and Queens of Africa” many of whom owned slaves; and even though each year numerous New Orleanians joyously dress in the garb of Native Americans at Mardi Gras time even though many Native Americans owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy.

    Political correctness is a disease which pretends to solve problems and instead creates them. It appeases and placates to the lowest common denominator in our society. It thrives on racism and hatred while pretending to promote fairness and equality.

    It loves to control through bureaucracy rather than by allowing a free people to arrive at meaningful solutions. It promotes divisiveness rather than unity. It fosters ignorance rather than knowledge. It is quick to criticize but unwilling to accept responsibility.

    It is political correctness that prevents teachers from removing disruptive and violent students from their classrooms and hence dooms children of poverty to an inferior education.

    It is political correctness that deprives at risk children of the supervision of a caring, responsible father by financially subsidizing births out of wedlock, which common sense dictates directly contributes to New Orleans appalling murder rate.

    It is political correctness that intimidates and silences meaningful dissent and constructive criticism when only through the give and take of engaged discussion can we solve our problems and resolve our differences.

    It is time for New Orleanians to unite by values rather than be divided by race – to reject the false prophet of political correctness and see it for what it really is – an ideology that pretends to liberate but in fact enslaves Only then can we and all Americans be free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last.

    Sincerely,

    David Naccari
    Native New Orleanian

  102. OH SALLY! You are soooo shortsighted!!!!! The French BROUGHT slavery here, so we must also change the name of the State, the name of the French Quarter and the French Market!!! The Spanish continued slavery, so EVERYTHING associated with them must GO!!!!!!!!

  103. LWool says:

    Unbelievable! So many educationally ignorant people. Do you really think you can REWRITE HISTORY? Just as many have already stated, slavery was an accepted practice around the world. Africans captured their own and sold them into slavery. That is a fact. So you morons really think that if all the monuments, all the statues, all the books, all the documents, all the buildings, schools, streets, anything that has some historical significance is torn down, burned, destroyed, that those actions are really going to fix things. If you are that disillusioned with life in general, stick your butt on the next rocket to somewhere else and leave.

    • Cliff says:

      Actually, slavery had been abolished on 1 August 1834. Slaves became apprentices until 1 August 1840 when slavery was no longer legal. France abolished slavery in 1794 but it was briefly reinstated by Napoleon in 1802. I’m not sure about the rest of Europe or the world.

  104. madame you or no one else has the right to erase history for the sake of “feelings”.these events happened to make our country stronger.for your information the war started over the rights of the states over that of the federal government.there was far more reasons for the war than slavery.this issue was used as a tool for that north to justify their side of the war.for your information Gen Lee freed the slaves of arlington after he recived that estate from his father-in-law after his death.you would do better to know “all” of the history before you go starting movements.Gen Lee was a great man. I understand that black americans don’t feel the same about the war as i do.I still thank god we are one nation and not two. but no one person or group has the right to erase our history

  105. Jay says:

    How pleased with yourself you must be as you make fun of those who are rightfully offended by the honoring of traitors and racists. What a narrow and ugly picture of New Orleans you and most of the commenters here paint. Ugly, racist, reactionary. I am sure that Tulane is happy with your work.

  106. XamuXamu says:

    The pyramids have a spotty history. Egypt better keep an eye on those too.

  107. JDM says:

    Guess good ole Mich is getting Naggin his “Chocolate City” after all.

  108. Open minded says:

    This blog astounds me. You talk about being politically correct and the offend several minority groups. You are clearly close minded and don’t understand the culture of New Orleans. The people there are some of the kindest and most generous you will meet. I sincerely hope you learn some perspective taking…

  109. RJC says:

    Black Bay needs to be added to this list because if you don’t know the history of it you should do some research.

  110. JohnySS says:

    History… like it or not, it is what it is. Erasing history is the way of NAZIs, Soviet Communists, and George Orwell’s relatively accurate 1984… but, he was only off by 25 years. So… yes, this blog is leftist propaganda. If anyone who agrees with Sally, and are on the left? Why would you not agree? Embrace your leftism and lay it out for all to see. Here is your place to discuss erecting Obama statues to make things more inclusive in America.

  111. Vanna McGuire says:

    We might as well rename New Orleans, because if they take down our monuments and try to erase our history, it would no longer be “OUR NEW ORLEANS”.

  112. djaz says:

    Years from now when all History has been erased – good and bad – no one will know who suffered, or. who prevailed from the difficult times.

    Instead of renaming streets, perhaps, we could use that same money for the people who need their lives remade.

    BTW All Confederate soldiers – black and white – are US Veterans by Congressional decree. I guess, you want that fact erased, also.

    • djaz says:

      My comments are directed to those who really and truly believe this is a great idea, because I don’t believe anyone who can type without help would be blogging in this manner.

      Probably, many would have to change their first and surnames, too…

      This is going to be tricky.

  113. Susie says:

    Oh C’mon everybody !
    There’s blood on the sidewalks and the streets … Statues ???!!!!
    Our children are dying and killin’ people !!!!

  114. Ignorance is sad says:

    The comments on here are a perfect example of how far WE as citizens of the U.S. have to go so the world will stop laughing at us. WE can’t get along with each other simply because of skin color. OUR history is trenched in negativity. None of our ancestors are truly from the U.S., except the Native Americans. They all came from other countries, some willing and some by force. Instead of being proud that New Orleans is taking the 1st steps of correcting wrongdoing, we’re again finding fault. My post will even be subjected to comments from those still caught in the past, those taught that they are better, those that want to keep the same backroom thinking that has us falling behind so many countries, and that’s okay
    We all have our opinions, but just sit back and think from where you got them. Were you taught certain things growing up or did you yourself experience something that cultivated them.

  115. AL says:

    I didn’t have time to read all comments. Sorry if already suggested.

    The existing French Quarter buildings have or had slave quarters so the entire FQ should be bulldozed along with all of these politically incorrect street names, monuments and other stuff that offends the cupcakes.

  116. Jessica LeBlanc says:

    How about we use the money that will be spent taking down these statues on something else, LIKE EDUCATION!!!

  117. Jim says:

    Let’s go one step further. Let’s blow up and remove the faces of Washington and Jefferson on Mt. Rushmore. They both were slave owners at one time or another.

  118. Rollie Fingers says:

    Yeah! I mean, if we send people to death row who commit bad crimes and we kill them then let’s just kill people who commit any crimes!

  119. Derrick says:

    Now the conflation of issues begin. We are not talking about who did wrong, or who farted. We are talking about who fought on the loosing side of a Civil War. We are talking about treasonists still getting their way through the terror of black citizens for 150 years after loosing the war. No, we are not renaming New Orleans. And New Orleans was named after a city, that was named after a man, thus Nouvelle, not after the man directly. Tear down every statue that has anything to do with Confederates. They lost. Period.

  120. Bonnie Braud says:

    Let’s investigate whether the Landrieu family ever owned a slave. If so, it is only fair that he resign in disgrace.

  121. Jack Blanke says:

    Really enjoyed “Let’s Rename New Orleans.” Eloquently done, Ms. Asher. Will look forward to more of your works. Consider me a new fan.
    Jack Blanke

  122. Cliff says:

    We don’t need to change Jackson Square just add Michael in front of it…

  123. ron martin says:

    If the mayor of New Orleans thinks that taking down ” ANYTHING CONFEDERATE ” is going to stop the race problems in New Orleans, he’s living in some dream world….the blacks are killing the blacks, robbing , stealing, car jacking and not even following their own slogan…..”BLACK LIVES MATTER “. The Mayor also need to close down the New Orleans Ice Cream company because of their latest ice cream…..’CHOCOLATE CITY’……it’s chocolate ice cream with “WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN IT”……EXCUSE THE HELL OUT OF ME……….” THAT IS RACIST ” !!!!!!!!!!

  124. EricM says:

    Interesting, that there is a frenzy to “rename”….. if these things are true and they do seem accurate, why wouldn’t the good Mayor aim to level and raze these horrible monuments, houses, buildings and Prior Black Lives Matter structures and start anew? Surely, the mere presence of all of the city is built on a terrific barbarism by white colonialists. So true intentions would dictate that the entire city except for the buildings of the last Katrina 10 years should be put to the blade and made fully gone…… oh but then what would he tax?

    Politicians = Phonies …….

  125. zoe abrusia says:

    I agree! I think that anyone having any relations to killing or owning slaves!

  126. Pingback: GiveNola Day Hit List: Proposed New Orleans street name changes | NolaVie - Life and Culture in New Orleans

  127. john waters says:

    Its funny how everybody always says he is racist, but General lee never owned any slaves and has stated that enslaving a man is not GODS intention and serves no benefit for the groth of an enconomy or the people. History is all we are and if we wipe our history new orleans will only be a place with no real significants. General lee offered freedom to any man that stood and fought, as did general grant, who did have slaves but freed them at wars end.

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