OPINION THE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2007
MAROON
PAGE 11
MARK DEMEO
Drug legalization might save the ‘Big Uneasy’ Crescent
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN
City crime old news As fear grips post-Katrina New Orleans, the obvious next step for local politicians is toward crime prevention. This city’s reputation for violence spans decades, most notably when it earned the title “murder capital of the world,” after 1994 when nearly 100 individuals were murdered per 100,000. But after falling to acceptable levels for nearly a decade, 2006 saw a murder rate spike to between 81 and 87 per 100,000, depending on who you trust more, the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Mayor Ray Nagin. No doubt these numbers reflect a painful, correctable reality of New Orleans.And it’s reasonable for residents to be angry with elected officials and the alleged protectors and servers of our fair city. But in retrospect, things aren’t very different from previous years, and the new fear may root in false belief that the city used to be safe. The Crescent City had a typical year in 2004 with 250 murders, 56 for every 100,000. The problem? This typical year in New Orleans was eight times New York City’s murder rate the same year. So consider how safe you’d feel at a Bronx subway station at night. Comparatively, your own porch in Central City was probably several times more dangerous than that station for nearly a decade. Locals quickly blame police and public officials for the alleged crime increase, but it’s likely Katrina’s destruction of crime-ridden neighborhoods forced criminals to spill into areas that hadn’t experienced it so badly before. The old crime in new neighborhoods sparked residents to recognize a problem raging beneath their noses, but behind their backs, for years. So the resulting outcry and city-wide pressure on city hall is as displaced as former lower Ninth Ward residents, arriving years off schedule. It’s true the post-Katrina murder rate increased by nearly 50 percent, but several factors make these numbers misleading. Police Chief Warren Riley said there’s a huge increase in domestic murder, which he blames on struggles imposed on locals by Katrina. It’s an unpleasant idea, but a portion of the new “murder spree” isn’t due to home invasion or street crime; rather, it’s family and friends on one another, which is neither Nagin nor the police’s fault. Also, the vast majority of crime derives from drug conflict, as opposed to random acts or robbery, which is difficult to stop. And contrary to belief, change is happening. Many chanting “Where’s Nagin?” don’t realize he contracted outside advisers and the National Guard, while organizing meetings between the police, district attorney and criminal justice system, to enable more prosecutions through communication, because criminals are habitually released due to lack of evidence. He also continuously petitions for money to hire more police and build a new crime lab, crucial for prosecutions. Last year there were 162 murders, the lowest number in 60 years. If more people returned, we’d be celebrating. So before criticizing city hall, remember that it’s our job to protect our neighborhoods too.
New Orleans is now undergoing an unprecedented murder rate, even for the Big Uneasy. How can we dig our way out of this morass? The usual solutions have all been tried, have not worked in the past and will not help us now.According to the conventional wisdom, the way to stop people from shooting at each other is to improve our public schools, promote day care, stop the drug trade with stiffer sentences, start midnight basketball leagues, bring in the social workers, promote religion, subsidize parenting skills, introduce citizenship and ethics classes in high school ... this list of ineptitude goes on and on. These “remedies” are either focused way too far in the long run to even be relevant to our critical short run problems, never have addressed and cannot solve such challenges or are actually counterproductive, exacerbating murder rates, not diminishing them. So let us take a deep breath, open our minds and consider something radical, way off the beaten track: Let us legalize drugs, all of them, without exception, preeminently including marijuana, cocaine and, yes, heroin. (Legalization is sharply to be distinguished from favoring the use of these substances, something I strongly oppose.) What does this have to do with the gigantic number of murders now afflicting New Orleans? Plenty.
WALTER BLOCK ON THE RECORD An inordinate amount of these episodes consists of drug dealers shooting each other in turf wars. End the prohibition, and this viciousness stops right in its tracks. Nor are these murders likely to end any time soon. Things of this sort were kept down to a dull roar before Hurricane Katrina. A sort of equilibrium was attained. Every gang knew its place, at least roughly.“Property rights” in street corners and back alleyways were semiestablished.Yes, from time to time there was a bit of bloodletting, as criminals served their sentences and tried to reclaim what used to be “their” territory, or, as dealers were killed or retired, and miniature wars broke out until the new pecking order was established. But then came the failure of the levees.“Our” dealers tried to set up shop in Houston, Memphis,Atlanta and other such refuges. The local denizens did not appreciate that one bit. Conflagrations broke out there. Then, as the Crescent City began to repopulate, heroin entrepreneurs began trick-
ling back along with these crowds. Paradoxically, so did this increased crime in the temporary refuge cities from which these gangsters were emigrating, and also in New Orleans as they arrived back here. For both the egress and ingress set up jurisdictional disputes over turf, and the battle lines were drawn again and again in blood. This inflated murder rate will only recede to pre-Katrina levels, which were horrible enough in that bygone era, when post-hurricane movement of population slows down to previous levels. That point may not be reached for decades. It is thus time — it is past time — to drain the swamps instead of following our present policy of fighting the alligators. Legalizing addictive drugs, every last one of them, will stop all this gang warfare for sure, and immediately. Why? If marijuana, heroin, etc., were legal, it would be sold in ordinary legitimate stores such as pharmacies. These would replace the present fly-bynight murderous operators. Customers would simply rather purchase brand name cocaine, replete with labels and money back guarantees in case of defective products, as in the case of all other consumption goods. Standard business ventures have a comparative advantage over hoodlums whose only specialty resides in violence.When alcohol was prohibited (1920-1933), gangs fought it out in the streets with machine guns for the right to sell their
bathtub gin. Innocent bystanders were killed in the cross fire, just as at present. Backwoods stills killed still more, with their battery acid products. Nowadays, peace reigns in this industry. Johnny Walker and Four Roses compete with each other not with bullets, but in terms of the traditional commercial aspects of price, advertising, availability, quality, reputation, etc. The mafia is no longer involved. No one dies, no one, in the creation, manufacture, wholesaling, distribution, transportation and retailing of this product. For similar reasons, the same beneficial effects will ensue when, and as soon as, we legalize drugs. But will we not die like flies from these addictive substances once they are legalized? There is no more reason to think so than to believe that when the prohibition of booze ended, it encouraged an orgy of drunkenness. Pretty much the same people who liquored up before 1920 did so after 1933, and there is every reason to believe that drug legalization would follow the same path. Those who now abuse drugs will still likely continue to do so. Is there anyone, now, who refrains from their use simply because they are illegal? Yes, both drugs and alcohol will remain medical problems post-legalization, but the crime will be eradicated from both. Walter Block is a professor of business administration and Wirth chairman of economics.
Restaurant workers should be served some respect There is another growing problem in the city of New Orleans. It’s a problem that many people don’t realize exists. However, ask anyone who’s ever worked in a restaurant, and I think they’d agree: No one has restaurant etiquette anymore. When I say etiquette, I’m not talking about knowing which fork to use or keeping your napkin on your lap. I’m talking mostly about things that should be common sense, like tipping your server or being courteous in general. College students, break away from your stereotype. There are too many servers who dread getting young people at their tables, simply because they don’t know how to act in a restaurant. I’m going to give a few words of advice for those who frequent the dining scene.You may not even realize you have a problem until you read this. Unless you actually see your server spit in your food, or he personally insults your mother, I see no reason why you shouldn’t tip twenty percent. If he doesn’t refill your Diet Coke at the exact moment you finish, settle down. Believe it or not, your server might
TAYLOR MURROW GUEST COLUMN actually have three or four other needy tables he’s waiting on. If you should still decide to be rude and not tip, please don’t write a cute little note at the top of your receipt that says “Sorry!” or “Thanks for the excellent service!” or worse, don’t leave a prayer book/pamphlet that advises your server to repent for his sins and accept Christ in his life. That is such a bad idea. The server’s rent for that month cannot be paid with your note of thanks or your prayer book. If you got good service, back that up in monetary value. If you can’t calculate percentage in your head, you might want to consult your absurdly expensive cell phone. I’m
sure that it came with a tip calculator. Speaking of cell phones—put them away. Beside the fact that whoever you’re dining with may actually want your full attention, be reminded that it’s beyond rude to be on the phone when your server is trying to communicate with you. There are few things more infuriating than having a guest (whether at the host stand or the table) be on his phone and, while barely making eye contact, mouth something to you or motion with his hands. Apparently, holding up two fingers is supposed to be sufficient language for “I’d like a table for two, please.” I know when I was a hostess, I simply refused to acknowledge anyone who came up to the stand on his phone. Show a little more respect, please. Also, here’s a thought: Be nice to the hosts.At a lot of busy restaurants the hosts often get more attitude from the guests than the servers do. I understand that you’re hungry, and you really don’t like having to wait 30 minutes for your table. I am sorry, but I have no control over that.
More on the host stand, and this could possibly be the biggest revelation for all of you: There is no magic formula to figure out your wait. Honestly, when a host tells you it will be 15-20 minutes for your table, that’s an educated guess. Remember those in elementary school.We have no crystal ball, and if for some reason no one wants to get up from his table and you wait 23 minutes instead, then I guess I was wrong. For that, I am sorry. For those of you who do treat restaurant employees well, keep it up. You’ll never have to worry about anyone adding a little extra “spice” to your food. I’m not going to say whether that sort of thing happens a lot, but let’s just say I know a few people who aren’t afraid to put a little something extra into your hot tea after you’ve unjustifiably complained about enough things. Shocked? Don’t be. Remember, we may be in the service industry, but we are not your servants. Taylor Murrow is an English writing sophomore from Metairie.
OPINION POLL What do you think of the cat that roams around campus? COMPILED BY LAUREN LABORDE
SARA ROSS
ANNA MALLEY
JORDAN FRERRAGE
MALLORY DOMINGUE
EVAN CAPORATE
general studies freshman
English literature junior
biology senior
political science junior
philosophy senior
“I like it ... I like kitties.”
“I’m an RA, and some girls snuck it into the building.”
“I hope he stays away from the O.R. I’d hate to see cat on the menu.”
“I would come here, too, if people pet me all day.”
“I wasn’t aware of a cat.”