Chocolate

As the whole world knows by now, Ray Nagin is newly infamous for his recent statement. I reproduce part of it below-

"I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day," he said. "This city will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."

Three things worry me concerning this quote: (a) it's racist and derogatory on its face, (b) no white mayor could make an analogous statement and keep his job under the face of public scrutiny, and (c) Nagin contends to know God's wishes.

A. The comment is racist and derogatory

It is hard for me to think of a quote that carries the same message and yet doesn't sound more racist. Let me try-

"I don't care what those rich white people are saying- this city will be chocolate at the end of the day. Majority African-American, I declare. God told me this Himself while eating a Hershey bar."

Close, but no cigar.

"Come back black people! We've lost our chocolate flavor! Too much vanilla ice cream on sale at the store, if you know what I mean. Right now the Devil is dancing with the white people Uptown! How do I know? 'Cause God is sad that the black people left, and when He's sad, the Devil's happy!"

That's better.

B. No White Mayor Could Make Analogous Statement and Stay in Office

Picture this if you will- an earthquake has destroyed much of Helena, Montana, and the mayor gets on camera (during a Columbus Day rally) and says the following:

"I don't care what those people on the reservation are saying- this city will be majority white bread at the end of the day. Majority Euro-American. It's simply what Jesus would want."

Enter the public backlash that would occur in the space provided- I've posted my answer below.





After being stoned by the NAACP, the hapless mayor is forced to resign, publicly apologize fourteen times in twelve different languages, and wear a sandwich-board on every street corner in the city that says, "I love all people." This footage, is, of course, played on CNN eighteen hours a day. The Senate passes a resolution condemning the man and he has to go into hiding after receiving several death threats. Later, when he is finally disemboweled, the murderer is acquitted and writes a lucrative book entitled, "How I Stopped Racism."

C. Nagin Apparently Thinks He Knows What God Wants

This one might be the most disturbing. Nagin validates his opinion by using a theocratic sense of authority. In what field of human endeavor does this work?

Mechanic: I think you got a faulty starter.
Customer: How do you know?
Mechanic: God told me.

Second point- not to be callous, but if Nagin has a direct line to God's inner thoughts, perhaps he would have picked up on the fact that the city of New Orleans would be flooded. He knows God's racial preference for New Orleans, but he failed to ask about the biggest natural disaster to ever hit his city. That makes perfect sense.

I can only think of one other wacko who makes the "I know what God wants and/or why He does certain things" argument and that man's name is Pat Robertson. When he makes a comment, you can almost hear the shameless glee in the reporters' voices while they report. Yet all you hear is respect when the newscasters mention Ray Nagin, even while he says the most asinine things. I swear, he could set himself on fire while singing "God hates white people." and the newscasters would just smile, play it once at 2:00 AM, and then talk about Pat Robertson for ten minutes.

All I'm asking for is some equality- is that too much to ask?