Hardly A Peep

Several weeks ago Pat Robertson said that the stroke suffered by Israeli leader Ariel Sharon was punishment from God because Sharon gave up part of God’s land. This drew scathing condemnations from people all over so much so that Robertson apologized for the remarks. I think Robertson was out of line with this comment as do many others. Who is Robertson to decide whether God is mad about something? He was ridiculed in the media and his statements were made part of Saturday Night Live when a cartoon Pat Robertson was portrayed in a very unfavorable light. Surely Robertson was deserving of any criticism he got especially considering his past remarks.

This past weekend Mayor Ray Nagin told us that God was mad at us and the hurricanes were punishment.

“Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it’s destroyed and put stress on this country,” Nagin, who is black, said as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King Day.

“Surely he doesn’t approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We’re not taking care of ourselves.”

Nagin also promised that New Orleans will be a “chocolate” city again. Many of the city’s black neighborhoods were heavily damaged by Katrina.

“It’s time for us to come together. It’s time for us to rebuild New Orleans _ the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans,” the mayor said. “This city will be a majority African American city. It’s the way God wants it to be. You can’t have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn’t be New Orleans.”

I realize that yesterday was a holiday and there were few people working but I have yet to hear anyone criticize Nagin for telling us that hurricanes were God’s punishment for the war on terror in Iraq. I have not heard anyone tell us that Nagin is out of line and should not be saying these things. Given that he threw the war in there I doubt we will hear anyone decry his statements and i am sure that he will probably not be featured as a cartoon to start Saturday Night Live.

Perhaps we should extend this a bit further. Maybe God is mad but he is mad at New Orleans for being a center of vice and sin. Perhaps God is mad at Ray Nagin for being an inept leader who does not look out for the welfare of the people. Perhaps God is mad at Nagin for being a racist and telling us New Orleans should be a black city because that is the way God wants it, a remark that would get a white politician in hot water if he made a reference to a city being white the way God wants it.

Perhaps I am just being petty, but I doubt it.

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