Going On Even As We Speak

The “Extreme Makeover” television people are in town, rebuilding a couple of homes and one of our Southern Baptist churches, Pastor Willie Walker’s Noah’s Ark Baptist Church. A call has gone out for volunteers of all types to come and help.

Willie told me the plan is to work around the clock rebuilding his church until they finish. I said, “What about the neighbors?” He said, “They bought them off.”

Karen Willoughby of our Baptist Message (state paper for Louisiana Baptists) arrived in town today to cover this event.

I’ll not belabor this, but the headline in Tuesday’s paper, upper center of the front page, reads: “New corps maps show that when the levee system is completed in 2011 the area should stay largely dry in a major hurricane–if drainage pumps work.” Underneath a huge headline reads: “The best news yet.”

The talk shows all Tuesday afternoon (on my drive back from Laurel) focused on New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, in bad trouble for consorting with prostitutes and creating a contorted money laundering scheme to camouflage where the cash was going. As I get it, Spitzer’s “crimes” were not the actual adulterous acts, but violating the Mann Act (transporting a woman across a state line for immoral purposes; the government gets this authority from the part of the constitution giving it control over interstate commerce; really, no joke) and using fake companies to launder the money (which violates something with the IRS I think).

Clearly, his problems are vastly different and much more involved than those of our Senator David Vitter who was revealed last year to have been a client of brothels here and in Washington, D.C. As far as is known at the moment, Vitter’s main problems involved the moral aspect. Spitzer’s, on the other hand, involved violations of federal law.

Two comments on that. One, as the N.Y. attorney-general, Spitzer has been one hard-nosed dude in prosecuting criminals and harassing those he suspected of criminal acts. From all reports, this man had no mercy on anyone. He was ruthless in the way he treated lawbreakers. And now, guess what? He wants mercy. We’re told he’s trying to cut a deal: I’ll resign from the governor’s office if you won’t prosecute me. Don’t expect that to happen. He has made so many enemies along the way, they’ll be lining up to throw dirt on his political grave.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” That’s from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6, and it’s true, thank the Lord. However, so is its opposite: the merciless shall not receive mercy. Sorry, Eliot. Am I the only one who is reminded of our Lord’s parable of the forgiven man turning hard-hearted toward one who owes him a pittance (Matthew 18)?

Two, a columnist in New York State urging Spitzer to resign was asked why Louisiana did not demand that Vitter resign? He said something to the effect that New York had higher standards than Louisiana. That remark–and this is not an exact quote, but definitely was the point–was played and replayed on the local news throughout the day. Ugly. Also missing the point entirely.

Governor Bobby Jindal is something else. Hot off the successful special session of the state legislature to reform the state’s ethics laws, he has turned right around and called the lawmakers back to Baton Rouge. This time, they are being asked to rewrite a number of tax laws and give the citizens some relief. Among other things, he’s proposing tax credits for people who send their kids to private schools and for everyone who has to buy school uniforms for their children. He’s also got a bill exempting from state taxation the money the federal government is sending to everyone this Spring to jump-start the economy.


Louisiana has never known such an activist governor. Those who know him say Jindal has always been a young man in a hurry. No one asked me, and I have not heard it mentioned by anyone, but watch for him to become a star in the Republican Party within four years, particularly if McCain gets blasted this November. The GOP will be looking around for a fresh face to run for president down the road. After Barack Obama has blazed the path for minorities to seek this highest of all offices, Jindal should have an easier time of it. There has never been a president from Louisiana, but we might just be watching the makings of one.

First, however, let him learn the lessons being played out before our eyes involving Governor Spitzer and Senator Vitter: stay faithful to your wife and obey the laws.

While the economy of the nation is teetering, this state’s economy is doing fine. Those who study these things say the unemployment rate in Louisiana is low and extremely low in New Orleans. Of the businesses interviewed, none in New Orleans anticipate laying off workers, and 16 percent said they are making plans to hire more. Rebuilding an entire city is good for the economy, no doubt.

We’ve not mentioned it on these pages, but New Orleans’ plans to demolish the public housing developments were criticized by no less than a United Nations group charged with looking after the poor of the world. The Times-Picayune pointed out on the front page last week that the critics have not even been here, but they sit in their Manhattan skyscraper passing judgment on this city, accusing us of hostility toward the poor.

Jarvis DeBerry, an African-American columnist for the T-P, writes in Tuesday’s paper, his response. The heading says most of it: “Give poor folks credit for having sense.” He quotes a University of Texas study in which 2,109 families who had lived in public housing in our city before Katrina were surveyed. More than 80 percent said they do not want to move back into the projects that are on the demolition list.

DeBerry writes, “The result of that survey will only surprise you if you’ve been snookered by the high-pitched arguments made by some espoused housing advocates, the arguments that imply that HANO residents so loved their apartments before the storm that they’d give anything to live there now.” He continues, “Sometimes those who’ve never lived in public housing seem most adamant that public housing be preserved.”

He concludes, “Many people who lived in public housing just don’t want to go back. It may be that they want to shed the stigma of living in the projects. Whatever the reason, their so-called advocates should try a new tactic: listen to them.”

Before closing this down, I’d like to report on a situation involving my grandchildren, the three who live a mile from my house. I’ve written before how these Baptist children are attending a Catholic elementary school, one they are enjoying very much. They’re not the only non-Catholics there either, not by a long shot. However, the school teaches the Catholic faith and requires everyone to go to mass once a week.

Our children, ages 11 and 13, are used to Baptist services, which are, shall we say, more interactive than the Catholics. “It’s so boring,” one said this week. I pointed out to her that they do that on purpose, that they want to make sure the Baptist kids aren’t tempted to change to their religion and having boring mass is one way to achieve that.

This afternoon, the three were sprawled around the dining room table with homework spread out before them. “Grandpa,” one said, “We all three are exempt from the test on religion.” She smiled and said, “It’s not even our religion and we are making great grades at it.”

Not sure what to think of that, but it is interesting. Now, if we could just find some Catholic math and papal science, maybe they would excel in that, too.

2 thoughts on “Going On Even As We Speak

  1. Bro. Joe;

    One thing to note in Mr. David Vitter’s case is that his failure to be faithful to his wife happened several years ago and she chose to forgive him and rebuild their marriage. It was not a recent activity.

    Forgiveness gives one freedom to love.

  2. Bro. Joe;

    One thing to note in Mr. David Vitter’s case is that his failure to be faithful to his wife happened several years ago and she chose to forgive him and rebuild their marriage. It was not a recent activity.

    Forgiveness gives one freedom to love.

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