Walkin' to New Orleans

I'm walkin' to New Orleans
I'm going to need two pair of shoes
When I get through walkin' to you
When I get back to New Orleans
--Walkin' To New Orleans, Fats Domino
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Do you know what it's like to walk, and not ride? Lots of folks who used to live in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans do. Maybe because of that softer footprint on the planet they drew less attention from the powers that be, and literally got swept away.

''Fifty-nine years ago this week — on April 3, 1948 — President Truman signed the legislation establishing the Marshall Plan, which contributed so much to the rebuilding of postwar Europe. Now, more than half a century later, the U.S. can’t even rebuild New Orleans.''

So wrote the New York Times' Bob Herbert recently in ''Our Crumbling Foundations'' on the New Orleans tragedy, and by extension what this failure signifies for America's infrastructure, in general. Ranger has just addressed the misapplication of one of our foundation documents and our concomitant crumbling ideological foundations; we will now lift and shift fire to our crumbling material foundations.

Why are U.S. priorities not behind a rebuild effort in New Orleans? Simply put, GWB's priorities in Iraq and Afghanistan are more important than the welfare of U.S. cities. And certainly, the land grabbers wouldn't stand to profit if these decrepit properties were repatriated to their original owners.

''Drawn Together'' in the May 2007 Reader's Digest gives a personal dimension to the travesty. It is the story of a boy, Donald, from the Ninth whose mother was killed the night of the storm, and a dedicated art program volunteer named Ashley who, taken by his drawing talent, worked to find a home placement for him.

Through selfless work on her own time she locates an aunt who too has also lost everything in the storm and is struggling to provide for her two children, but wishes to take Donald in. The challenges to helping Donald return to a normal life would be comical, were they not tragic:

''Donald's most basic necessities--medical care and food--seem unobtainable. The government denies all applications for food stamps and Social Security benefits, citing no proof Donald's mother is dead.''

''For the same reason, Donald's aunt is not allowed to become his legal guardian. Yet he is not old enough to have a voice for himself...''

It is only the middle of last year, after 6 months of tireless advocacy, that Ashley was able to get Lt. Gov. Landrieu to secure the services of a pro bono counsel to arrange for his aunt to become his legal guardian. This has allowing him to receive medical care, including antidepressants.

Donald's story will hopefully turn out well, but it if it does, it will only be because of his chance advocate's unceasing efforts on his behalf. But what of the innumerable other Donalds out there, our country's abandoned children?

GWB was elected to be President of the U.S., yet his nation-building zeal does not seem to extend to the homeland.

It would be interesting to see if John McCain could walk through non-tourist sections of New Orleans without security these days.

by Lisa