Recent editorials from Louisiana newspapers:
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March 26
The Courier on comments by U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa about Hurricane Katrina victims:
Until recently, U.S. Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, was best known for defending “white supremacist” and other racist language. His latest comments, though, might be just as callous and ignorant.
Last week, King was speaking at a town hall meeting when he extoled the behavior of Iowa disaster victims by contrasting them to Hurricane Katrina’s many victims.
“Here’s what FEMA tells me: ’We go to a place like New Orleans and everybody’s looking around saying, who’s gonna help me, who’s gonna help me?’” he tells the crowd. “They’re just always gratified when they come and see how Iowans take care of each other. It’s a point of pride that spreads across the country.”
His comments showed his incredible lack of sympathy for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, thousands of whom lost their homes and 1,800 of whom lost their lives to the deadly hurricane. They also showed an utter ignorance of the events after Katrina, when people were left in large part to help each other as FEMA and other federal agencies dithered, delayed and ignored.
Understandably, King’s comments were harshly condemned by Louisiana officials, Democrats and Republicans alike.
“His comments about Katrina victims are absurd and offensive, and are a complete contradiction to the strength and resilience the people of New Orleans demonstrated to the entire nation in the wake of the total devastation they experienced,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, whose Jefferson Parish-centered district includes the southern parts of Terrebonne and Lafourche.
His words could have been those of any other state official, people who saw and well remember the human misery and death wrought by Katrina and a federal response that failed our people.
The fact that a politician of questionable character in far-off Iowa criticizes people he clearly doesn’t understand might seem like a petty concern. But King and his colleagues in Congress hold a lot of power over how much help Louisiana gets for things such as flood protection and storm recovery. What he thinks and says - if it gets any more credibility than it’s worth - does matter.
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Online https://www.houmatoday.com/
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March 27
The Advocate on NFL owners approving a rule change on challenging pass interference calls:
Big institutions don’t often change easily - even when the old way of doing things isn’t working out.
So the NFL’s decision to reform the way questionable officiating can be challenged is good news for both fans and players who want fair play to govern professional football.
That ideal was left in tatters in the Superdome on Jan. 20, when NFL referees failed to call a penalty on Los Angeles Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman for pass interference and helmet-to-helmet contact after he engaged with Saints player Tommylee Lewis. The lapse quite possibly lost the Saints a chance to play in the Super Bowl, prompting weeks of controversy.
On a 31-1 vote, League owners approved a rule change this week that allows all defensive and offensive pass interference calls, including no-calls, to be challenged and reviewed in NFL games.
The league typically takes much longer to make such changes. Other league owners might have sensed the profound injustice of what happened to the Saints, a mishap clearly visible on game footage, and didn’t want the same thing to happen to them.
Some good diplomacy by Saints owner Gayle Benson, as well as Coach Sean Payton, who serves on the NFL’s competition committee, probably helped, too.
The rule change won’t alter the outcome of that high-stakes game between the Saints and the Los Angeles Rams. No team should have to suffer such a travesty again, but the way Benson and Payton handled the setback shows local fans who the real winners are.
Chalk it up as a big victory for Who Dat Nation - and football fans across the country.
Online: https://www.theadvocate.com/
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March 27
American Press on domestic violence:
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry wants the state to break its silence on domestic violence.
Domestic abuse victimizes all aspects of our society. Not only do immediate victims suffer but so do children, schools, health facilities, court systems and communities, according to the Louisiana Department of Justice website.
The organization describes domestic violence as a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship.
It includes physical, sexual and psychological violence as well as emotional abuse.
“Not all abuse involves physical violence or threats; emotional abuse can also leave deep and lasting scars,” their website reads.
The organization said signs of an abusive relationship can include jealousy, controlling behavior, quick involvement, unrealistic expectations, isolation, blaming others for problems or feelings, dual personality, past battering, hypersensitivity, cruelty to animals or children, verbal abuse, threats of violence and using any force during arguments.
The number of women killed by men in domestic violence situations in Louisiana is staggering.
The Violence Policy Center reports that Louisiana ranked second in the nation in 2016 for the number of women killed by men in domestic violence situations. Louisiana’s rate is 2.42 female victims per 100,000 women. The center said that number has steadily increased over the past five years.
Nationwide, an average of three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner every day, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. In three weeks time, that amounts to a greater death toll than the Las Vegas shooting in 2017.
Ask any local police department: Domestic violence calls are among the worst they witness and at the top of the list for situations that put police at risk.
In recent weeks Landry’s office has been offering training sessions for prosecutors, law enforcement officers and advocates around the state in how to handle domestic violence situations.
Awareness not only helps prevent crimes from escalating by reporting them but can also boost services to the victims and witnesses of domestic violence.
Stopping domestic violence begins with awareness. Ignoring it would be the real tragedy. Let’s break the silence and speak up.
Online: https://www.americanpress.com/
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