Was that reaction typical and representative of the communities surrounding New Orleans? One would hope that that kind of attitude would be an outlier, ut that is probably a bit optimistic. I must say this story reinforced some opinions I have formed over the years about that portion of the country. I was raised during WWII in Hattiesburg; my first plane flight began at the New Orleans airport when we relocated to Dallas, TX, after the war. I last visited New Orleans in the late 70's during a business convention. Going for an early morning run, I was impressed with exceptional amount of trash and filth in what was supposedly a fairly decent part of New Orleans.

Needless to say, the stresses and strain involved in any natural disaster are exacerbated by prejudicial social attitudes and practices.

When I think of the South, I recall the separate white and black drinking fountains in the Woolworth store in Hattiesburg. We have gotten beyond that, but there is still room for improvement, and not just in the south.