Schroeder: "The citizens' march against crime was the largest and most diverse demonstration of community solidarity in New Orleans history."
Maitri quoting Editor B's speech:
Fear keeps you in your house, but anger drives you out into the streets. But there's another feeling that doesn't get talked about as much and that's shame. I think we all feel a sense of shame-- or we should-- because this murderous violent society is our society.
Fueling our anger is the perception that our leaders do not share our fear and our sense of shame. And so today I want to say shame on you, Mayor Nagin, Superintendent Riley, District Attorney Jordan. You've really let us down. You have failed us. The criminal justice system and the government is broken. And I want to communicate to you the level of outrage that my friends and neighbors are feeling, because we don't think you get it.
... You need to admit that what you're doing isn't working, and plan a return to true community policing. I've got an article here from six years ago that praises New Orleans as a model for how to reduce violent crime. Between 1994 and 1999 the murder rate here went down 65%. The credit goes to something called community policing, decentralizing personnel into neighborhoods, with increased responsibilities and accountability for district commanders.
Karen posts her speech:
Chief Warren Riley and Mayor Ray Nagins call for residents to galvanize is an insult. We have been galvanized for 16 months.
We live in a City where the inaction of our Federal, State and local governments forced us to step over the bodies of the dead.
Each Death Diminishes us,that we continue to be ignored by the State, The City and Federally elected officials, who are duty bound to represent us, Diminishes the United States of America.
...
To quote our Mayor.
"I AM PISSED"
"Let's fix the biggest Goddam crisis in the History of America."
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More: Scout has video from CNN.
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Here's a pic from the Times Picayune:
