Manuscriptus interuptus

Historic Gallier Hall (© Baronplantagenet)

2010 Okeanos Queen Martha Dart and Gallier Hall announcer

In many ways this is the most satisfying part of the busy Carnival season. Two of the Carnival balls for which I serve as both manuscript writer and narrator were held this past weekend. There is only one rehearsal left and that won't take place until the week before big day. Mardi Gras is late this year, March 8, and with the exception of that one remaining script, all other manuscripts have been edited, copied and bound. It is an amazing thing this Carnival season in the city of my birth. With the election of new mayor Mitch Landrieu a year ago, a concerted effort has begun to change some aspects of the official functions at historic Gallier Hall, the hallowed former New Orleans city hall. Festooned with ten massive ionic columns that support a large tympanum and named in honor of its famous architect, Gallier Hall is unique in the history of Carnival insofar that every single Mardi Gras parade that has rolled through the streets of New Orleans has passed in front of its official reviewing stand. This makes my job as the announcer for five of this year's parades even more important and not to be taken lightly. In past years the Carnival captains who run the krewes, the non-profit organizations that are responsible for putting on the street parades and holding the various bal masques and massive parties held at area hotels or at giant venues like the Louisiana Superdome or the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center felt taken for granted or in some cases taken advantage of. The attendant costs of having their royal courts appear at Gallier Hall became outrageously overpriced. The amenities were Spartan and the food items offered were oftentimes inedible. After being handed huge bills for what increasingly became a battle ground between city officials and the krewes who wanted to use the facilities, many captains and their organizations opted to move their official parties to nearby hotels that would accommodate their needs more deliberately and respectfully. As it turns out, of the 29 parading organizations who could use the facilities at Gallier Hall to toast their royal courts, only five do so today. Even the mighty Rex organization toasts its queen and royal court at the Intercontinental Hotel, located a scant two blocks away from Gallier Hall. For many years the Rex toast was held at the tony Boston Club on Canal Street, a practice that was challenged by city fathers who in the 1980s questioned its politically incorrect practice of excluding blacks and Jews. The celebrations at Gallier Hall will become more austere and will take on a less raucous tone in acknowledgment that the way previous administrations ran the hall were less than respectful to the parading krewes and in the hopes of luring several of these back to the reviewing stands there in the coming years. In the meantime my work as the announcer for the Krewes of Ancient Druids, Carrollton, Okeanos , Mid City and Thoth will take on a bigger challenge for me to keep the grand tradition alive and well during this very exciting time in the city. Laissez les bon temps rouler.

The need to remember

As the events of the past few days have spun into political chaos in Egypt, I have noted that the tradition of knee-jerk reactionism in American politics has continued. Last night President Obama essentially threw Egypt's President Mubarak under the bus when he spoke to the American people and advocated for change there. Perhaps a bit too idealistically, the President suggested the overthrow of Mubarak might be seen as a cry from the masses for political change and that the outcome might be a democratic republic patterned after our own government. Such was the hope for Iran when the United States advocated for the people to overthrow the unpopular Shah in the late 1970s. This fueled a power vacuum that was used to great advantage by the Islamic fundamentalists and resulted in the theocratic form of government we know today. The fact is popular revolts rarely result in the kind of democracies we appreciate here in the United States, but more often than not result in more repressive forms of government that ultimately oppose American interests in those countries. Remember that the precursor to the Bolshevik revolution was an attempt to install a democracy in Russia in 1917. When Hitler's thugs rose in Germany, many misguided Americans thought to applaud the dictator for what they thought might be simply a charismatic leader answering the call of popular opinion. We all know how wrong that turned out to be. Time and time again American foreign policy has been impotent in being able to bet on the right horse and come out unscathed when a popular revolt or civil war has shaken a government to its foundations. We were unable to predict the rise of Castro and the rapid diminution of power by the corrupt Battista administration in Cuba. That myopic vision has characterized our foreign policy decision making for decades. While gunboat diplomacy is no longer wise or considered politically correct, it has often proven the better of choices for the short term. When Grenada was a problem, President Reagan sent in the Marines. End of story. Even the British learned that diplomacy has its limitations and when Argentina absorbed the Falkland Islands and renamed them the Maldives Islands, the time for rhetoric was over. While I am in no way advocating for the United States to interfere with the internal political struggles of another nation directly, I am stating that oftentimes a more direct approach can achieve better results than by wishing and hoping things will turn out right. The United States failed to deal with Ho Chi Minh when it had opportunities decades before hostilities inflamed Viet Nam and the region there. The current crisis began when a popular uprising in Tunisia spilled over to Egypt and Yemen. Even Jordan's king has been forced to sack his government in a pre-emptive strike against unrest there. What should be feared is that the hoped for replacement of the government in Egypt might be more friendly towards Islamic fundamentalists like the Muslim Brotherhood, whose expressed intentions are to implement an Islamic republic in Egypt and break off friendly relations with Israel. The cornerstone of our teetering Middle East policy for the past three decades has been the continued cessation of hostilities in the area between Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Should the most populous Arab country in the world with the largest army, equipped by the United States, be overthrown by a weak or fledgling form of government, the Islamic fundamentalists will not be slow to take advantage of the situation. I am not sure if the decision by the Obama administration to speak out against Mubarak was wise or called for. By distancing ourselves from one of our most powerful allies in the region, we could be sending the wrong message to other world leaders, to wit: Don't count on America for support because when the tough gets going, so too will your American support. I am disquieted at the prospects for peace in the region, but most fearful that the actions of today will have wide-ranging consequences for the future. I hope the Egyptian people will remember what it was like to live under the threat of war and how their nationalism under Gamal Adbul Nasser was also disastrous to their economy. The changes in Egypt and potential changes in other Arab countries could take a terrible toll on the Israeli economy, which has soared in the past three decades when the threat of invasion from Egypt was lessened. A change in the government in Egypt to one that is opposed to the existence of Israel could have long-term effects for the Jewish State and, coupled with the existing Palestinian problem, might result in a downward economy marked by preparations for war rather than continued progress and prosperity. Now that we have abandoned Mubarak and distanced ourselves from him while the demands for his ouster continue, we need to look to our tentative allies in the region and to those already opposed to us (as is the case in Syria) and think about where we can do the most good in the short term. We need to know that as far as our word is considered, we don't have the most sterling of reputations. Perhaps our actions will now speak louder than our words.

The Egyptian question

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The news coming out of Cairo is not very encouraging. While we in America have been concerned about who is sitting next to each other in Congress during the State of the Union speech, there is a revolution that is under foot going on in Egypt that has all the markings of what recently occurred in Tunisia. The demonstrations were quelled by riot gear clad policemen, who fired on the crowds in the central square with water cannon, rubber bullets and clubs. The people demanding President Hosni Mubarak's resignation are not friendly to the United States and certainly will do nothing to bring Middle East peace closer to fruition. In fact, much of the gains that have been garnered in progress towards lasting peace between Egypt and Israel may be lost if the Islamists who are intent in overthrowing Mubarak succeed. Understandably, Israel must also be alarmed, but that nation has been dealing with hostile relations with Egypt for a very long time. Several commentators have noted recently that the miserable conditions existing in Egypt are breeding contempt for the government, particularly those among the young, impressionable students and young adults who see no way out for them in an economy with little growth. Were we to look at Tunisia as a precursor to the violence going on in Egypt, that would be too simplistic. The fact is the Tunisian government was so corrupt and guilty of brazen, outrageous behavior, particularly that played out by the now-ousted president and his wife, that it could not help but implode upon itself in a popular uprising. The opportunists in Egypt, many of whom are allied with interests outside of their country, are looking for any reason to remove Mubarak from office and attempt to install a form of government more friendly to Iran and Hezbollah. Look at what's going on in Lebanon with Hezbollah poised to take over the reins of government there and it's a potential nightmare for American diplomacy and the hope of a faint possibility of lasting peace. The unrest and protests have thus far brought about three deaths. That number can only go up higher as police units ramp up their more deadly approaches to dispersing the angry crowds demanding the president's resignation. I am reminded of Iran in the late 1970s and how their Islamic revolution occurred in a very short order with similar seemingly small protests that then grew out of hand. I pray I am wrong. Indeed, I pray I am very wrong.

The Honorable Mr. Shriver

When Sargent Shriver died yesterday at 95 years of age, he did so with a whimper rather than a bang. The man whose vision was behind the creation of the Peace Corps, Vista, Head Start and whose commitment to public service had him on the Democratic ballot in 1972 as vice president with running mate George McGovern, finally succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease. In the end the horror of that malady had left Shriver was little more a shadow of his former self, much to the regret of his family members who survive him. Even his wife Eunice could not fully be mourned by Shriver when she died in August of 2009 following 53 years of marriage. It took years for Shrivers mind - so sharp and clear - to have been sullied and clouded in a slow, insidious fashion. Like President Ronald Reagan and other famous vicitms of Alzheimer's, Shriver didn't know his children or even how many he had fathered at the time of his demise. If cancer is thought to be the most dreaded form of physical suffering, then Alzheimer's must clearly be the same for the mind. When one exits life as a victim of Alzheimer's Disease, he does so bit by bit, memory by memory until what remains is a hollow shell with no soul. I wasn't surprised to learn of Shriver's heroism in the navy during World War II, but I was very impressed to find out that the way he became a part of the Kennedy family was through his management skills. The story was that while working as an editor at Newsweek, he was hand chosen by Joseph Kennedy himself to run a building he had purchased in Chicago. That building was the enormous Merchandise Mart, located on the Chicago River's edge in the downtown area there, the world's largest commercial building at the time. Big jobs were never a problem for Sargent Shriver. Even the courtship of his eventual wife Eunice took him nine years till she broke down and married. He simply held his course and did what he did best: run an organization to the best of his abilities and make it the envy of all onlookers. The Special Olympics, an organization he and his wife founded, would be the last major cause he would organize and one that like all the others blossomed under his leadership. Shriver's death follows Senator Edward Kennedy's, which occurred around the same time as his wife, and with the recent retirement announcement from Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island), the extended Kennedy family's longtime years of service and dedication to America may now be a subject for history books. That would be a shame because, despite the political leanings of anyone in or outside of Washington, few would criticize Shriver or his intentions to make the United States stronger andbetter and citizens more in tune with one another. If his selfless work inspires one person to take up such a cause in the future, then his well-lived life will not have been in vain.

Our tragic legacy

Last June I was in Scottsdale, Arizona for the American Jewish Press Association's annual conference, the largest gathering of Jewish newspaper editors and writers held each year. At that conference there was an understandable concern with regard to the rhetoric of violence towards political leaders that had been encouraged by self-serving media pundits and political opportunists. If one were to ask me, I would say that the guilty were on both sides of the discussion. The central issue was over the new stop law that had been passed by the Arizona legislature that allows police officers to demand "papers" to certify one's legal status as an American citizen. Political leaders admitted that the entire "immigration" topic had led to threats against their lives on more than one occasion. It came with the territory, they said, but they all expressed disquiet that the easily persuaded might cross over the line in defense of what they might perceive as a loss of liberty or some threat to their civil rights. To tell the truth I thought we had learned that justice never comes out of the barrel of a gun. After 9/11 especially, it was my hope that Americans would learn to stop shooting at one another and take cause against our common enemies and train our weapons on them. The horrific shootings in Tuscon on Saturday are the latest example of what has been our tragic legacy. When Americans seek to make change with their trigger fingers instead of their voting fingers, innocents invariably get in the way. There is no one who can convince me the founding fathers had intended the Constitution should be used as a means to make our country a shooting gallery. The bullets that rang out on Saturday follow those that took four presidents and have left millions of our fellow citizens maimed, crippled, paralyzed, in a vegetative state or dead. Congressman Gabriel "Gabby" Giffords knew of the danger. On more than one occasion she expressed dismay at others who suggested violence as a way to settle differences. Later in life she had accepted her father's Jewish heritage, which also made her a target for racists, bigots and hate groups. Yet, she understood that threat as necessary in a country which prizes liberty above oppression and permits unbridled political discussions without fear of recriminations. But the monster that pulled out that semi-automatic Glock pistol on Saturday showed his cold-blooded cowardice and total lack of compassion when he indiscriminantly rained bullets on the crowd gathered in Tuscon. My heart cries out for the youngest victim, a nine-year-old girl, born in the noon hour on September 11th, whose date of birth inspired her to get involved. Christina-Taylor Green, the granddaughter of baseball great Dallas Green, was first propelled into politics during the Obama presidential run. She and five others are symbols of how a warped, twisted mind filled with hate can inflict horrible suffering that can never be undone. Green, Federal Judge John Roll, Gifford's political assistant and organizer of the event Gabe Zimmerman and three other citizens who got caught in the cross-hairs are gone, while Giffords and 18 others cling to life. It is a sad day for our nation and for those that grieve. I grieve for the victims and I pray for a sense of sanity to begin to prevail in the wake of other tragedies like Columbine and Virginia Tech. In the movie "Godfather II," Michael Corleone's character callously states "If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone." This was true in Caesar's time and sadly has been true in this country that I love since its inception. But I don't like it and especially dislike that the highest ideal of freedom can be warped by an unthinking and callow thug or mental midget bearing a pistol who is intent on changing history or making a name for himself. Woe to us, America. Shame on us that, despite the best efforts of liberty-loving citizens, the legacy of the smoking gun still persists as a way to affect change in this country. There is and can never be an excuse for violence to prevail or we as a bastion for man's civil liberties are doomed as a nation.

A birthday, an anniversary and a battle royal

Happy birthday, happy anniversary and Who Dat!

Today is a special day. January 8 would have been the 76th birthday of Elvis Presley. It is the 196th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. But for all of New Orleans today is the first day of the playoffs. It is the day when the New Orleans Saints will take on the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Stadium. While conditions at game time are expected to be less than the perfect conditions inside the Superdome, the Saints players will be ready for the game. I will not make excuses. Despite the expectations of the prognosticators who have made the Saints a 10-point favorite, the Saints are hurting from a number of key injuries to players like running backs Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas. That puts all the more pressure on Reggie Bush, the only healthy running back remaining that is well known. On defense several players are also out like Malcolm Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove. The team will be playing in just a few moment in front of hostile fans, but they are ready to prove they are indeed the reigning world champions. We're all holding our collective breath and hoping the way to the Superbowl will be through the depth of our fantastic team. Were they here, Elvis and Andrew Jackson would be Saints fans, I'm sure. So, "Go Saints!" and a "who dat!" to you too.

12th Night arrives and so do the Phunny Phorty Phellows

The Phunny Phorty Phellows streetcar

Okay, it's that special time again in "the city that care forgot." January 6, known around the world as Twelfth Night, is the official kickoff for Mardi Gras. While the big day (March 8) is still a full two months away, the events leading up to the final celebrations begin in earnest as of tonight. The Phunny Phorty Phellows, considered the official heralds of the Carnival season kicked things off with their traditional streetcar party along historic St. Charles and Carrollton Avenues. A party band playing traditional jazz and Mardi Gras pieces accompanied the group of revelers who were masked and in costumes. The history of the Phunny Phorty Phellows dates back to 1878, only six years after the Krewe of Rex and 21 years after the Krewe of Comus had been formed. The Phunny Phorty Phellows was composed of civic and business leaders who led the Rex parade for a number of years and the organization also presented formal balls. Late in the Nineteenth Century the group disbanded, but it did not stay on the trash heap of Carnival lore. In 1981 a group of Canrival-loving New Orleanians spearheaded by Erroll Laborde, a local editor, author and Carnival historian, re-instituted the practice of having the Phunny Phorty Phellows announce the start of the Carnival season and to highlight their glorious past. The group's symbol is still an owl and the head of their organization is called simply "The Boss" (sorry, Bruce). In addition the group has two mottoes, one in French - "Honi soit qui mal y pense," which translates into "Evil to them who think evil" - and the other more easily understood "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the best of men." It's all in fun and over the past three decades has become one of the more eagerly anticipated events each year. This year marks the second-longest period of time between Twelfth Night and Mardi Gras, just like a few years back the second shortest period of time was when Mardi Gras was on February 5. Just keep in mind that no matter the date of Mardi Gras, the balls and parades can't be that far off.