Racial Harmony: Saints Fans An Example To All
Editor's Note: This post was inspired by an article appearing on the front page of the February 2, 2010 edition of the New Orleans Times Picayune. The article started out on a good note, but quickly deteriorated into negativity, so I've reserved the obligatory link for the bottom of this post. If you care to see the Times Picayune story, scroll down far enough and you'll see the link.
The Only Colors That Matter to New Orleanians are Black and Gold
By: Fat Lester
When it comes to racial harmony - true racial harmony, the kind Dr. King envisioned - the City of New Orleans and the 'Who Dat Nation' (Saints fans) are showing their true colors (no pun intended... they're black and gold, for what its worth) like never before, and are living the dream the great doctor spoke about so many years ago.
I've written before about how when the lights go on inside the Louisiana Superdome, at least 10 Sundays a year (counting preseason), 70,000 Who Dats gather inside that Dome for a common purpose. It matters not if one is black, white, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Christian or Jew (or any other demographic variable you can come up with), Saints fans all are we, and that is all that matters.
(That is my friend Kiesha pictured at left, and that's me on the right. Garrett Hartley had just kicked the game-winning field goal that beat the Minnesota Vikings, won the NFC Championship and sent the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl.)
There was a God-awful disgrace of an article in today's (February 2) Times Picayune about Racial Harmony among the Who Dat Nation. It began discussing the racial harmony that has embraced the city of late:
'New dialogue has emerged in New Orleans race relations, and it goes something like this:
White guy: "Who dat!"
Black guy he's never met: "Who dat? We dat!"
White guy: "Yeah you right."
Both smile, give each other a fist-bump and a hug, then move on.'
The article only goes downhill from there though, attempting to downplay the sincerity of the (at least for now) colorblind city.
Personally, I think this is something to celebrate and embrace and build upon, not downplay as though we as a society are not capable of behaving like this for more than a few weeks at a time. I think we can sustain this. Perhaps I'm naive, but at least I'm not pessimistic.
Anyway, the link to the Times Picayune story is here, if for whatever reason you desire to have the heart-warming story ruined by a lonely and generally unhappy reporter.
Tags: News, Other, Saints
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