by YatPundit | Jul 2, 2026 | Democratic Party, Louisiana, New Orleans, New Orleans, Politics, Resistance
Racists disturb me when they shift from “dogwhistle” social media posts to saying things out loud.
This isn’t a dogwhistle
There’s a lot of online nonsense currently on social media involving the Louisiana Deserves Better (LDB) organization. LDB coordinates the movement to recall Louisiana Governor Jeff Murray and Attorney General Liz Murrill. Two women stepped up and organized LDB as a means to collect signatures on legal, verifiable petitions. The movement and organization achieved unprecedented levels of support since its inception.
Online isn’t reality
Disagreement and dissension among liberals on social media exist in quantities much greater than real life, IRL, meatspace. While I hesitate to give too much oxygen to a person known online for disruption of progressive causes and organizations, there are times when comment is necessary.
Leila Habib can be best described as a person who regularly disrupts progressive discussions. To make a point, she clipped a scene from Disney’s movie The Jungle Book in a recent social media post. Again, this is social media nonsense, but it speaks volumes about the person posting. That’s because this is absolutely racist.
Why is this racist?
This social media post shows an orangutan, “King Louie.” The jazz musician Louis Prima, from New Orleans, voiced the character. While Disney always rejected the notion that their portrayal of orangutans in the film were racist caricatures, the film received criticism. The studio argued that Prima provided a recognizable voice and that was that. In spite of that defense, Jungle Book is one of five movies the studio later added a “Cultural Warning” to.
In my NOLA History Guy writing and podcasting, I deal with an extensive amount of primary source material. Discerning someone’s meaning when using these sources often presents a challenge. You can almost hear someone in a Disney writers’ room saying, “we’re not using chimps or monkeys for this, orangutans are orange!” Then they hired a Sicilian jazz musician. The relationship between Creole musicians and Sicilians in the city was fraught. This dates back to Nick LaRocca, who argued that the Sicilian musicians owed black musicians nothing with respect to the development of their jazz interpretations.
In short, a Sicilian voicing a character representing a Black person is problematic.
Ignorance?
Is it possible the OP here is ignorant of the background here? Of course. The Jungle Book came out in 1967. A lot has happened in the intervening sixty-odd years. Still, when someone wants to make a point about an organization that is led by two Black women, reaching for a clip of a dancing primate doesn’t leave me with questions. This isn’t subtle. It’s racist.
by YatPundit | Jun 14, 2023 | Louisiana
I should have read up on the mission and structure of Louisiana Illuminator.
Independent news from Louisiana Illuminator
Count me as one of those excited when Louisiana Illuminator (LAI) started up. The folks writing for them are all top-notch. Even if they don’t align exactly with my take on the state’s issues, they’re smart people I respect. So, imagine my frustration as the 2023 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature (#lalege on Da Twittah) progressed, and LAI wasn’t offering much in the way of opinion. Lots of facts, but no commentary/opinion.
I live on a steady diet of “librul news,” particularly from Slate and Slate Podcasts. Oh, I follow other sources and commentary, particularly old-school locals like Clancy Dubos. I couldn’t make sense of what I saw as a disconnect between the LAI philosophy/mission and this lack of commentary.
LAI’s Mission
From their “About Us” page:
The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized. Here readers will find in-depth investigations and news stories, news briefs and commentary, all of which is intended to help them make sense of how state policy is crafted, how it helps or hurts them and how it helps or hurts their neighbors across the state.
OK, the part about casting light on issues that affect the poor and marginalized is what I came for. In terms of factual presentation, LAI hits this on the head.
It took a message from Editor Greg Larose messaged me, explaining the part I didn’t get. It’s the “nonprofit” part:
An affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers like you, the Louisiana Illuminator retains editorial independence and is presented to readers free of charge and without advertising.
It’s the 501(c)(3) part that limits LAI’s ability to offer opinions. The reporters can offer personal opinions, but the publication can’t. As I told Greg, Now that I understand, I’ll try to be less of a dick to them on Da Twittah.
Nonpartisan
The temptation to cringe when a writer/writers declare they are “nonpartisan” is strong. That’s because all to many outlets equate “both sides” writing with “nonpartisan.” In truth, “nonpartisan” has nothing to do with both sides. It has to be with an ethical presentation of the facts.
The Truth.
And that’s something that’s lacking in The Media of late. LAI tells the truth.
LAI facts, my opinions
And that’s the bottom line for me. Going forward, I’ll be using this blog to expound on the facts offered by LAI, using them to offer calls to action. Progressive/Democratic/Liberal Louisiana needs this. It’s the trailer that the truck full of facts needs to pull behind it. Sometimes with a large sound system blaring the call to action as loudly as possible.
by YatPundit | Oct 8, 2018 | 2018 midterms, Louisiana, New Orleans, Resistance
Voter Registration Louisiana – TOMORROW IS LAST DAY
Voter Registration Louisiana
TOMORROW, Tuesday, 9-October, is the last day you can register to vote in the November 6th election in Louisiana. So, it’s important!
Check Your Registration
“But I’m already registered”, “I’ve lived in my house for twenty years”, “It’s not a problem.”
Or is it? While you think you’re registered, the Republicans purge!
Go to ResistBot and find out. ResistBot verifies your registration. So, it’s not a scam!
Text CHECK to 50409 and follow the instructions.
Vote Save America
The ObamaBros at Crooked Media run VoteSaveAmerica.com. The site helps folks check their registration. If they’re not registered, they receive instructions.
Registering in Louisiana
Register online in Louisiana. Go to the Louisiana Secretary of State website and follow the instructions. It’s simple and important. Therefore, there’s no excuse.
You can always register in person. Do it, today or tomorrow! Here’s the procedure from the LA SOS:
Apply in person to register to vote at any Registrar of Voters Office.
You may also register in person at any of the following locations:
- Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles;
- Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services;
- WIC offices;
- food stamp offices;
- Medicaid offices;
- offices serving persons with disabilities such as the Deaf Action Centers and Independent Living Offices; or
- Armed Forces recruitment offices.
To review:
- Check your registration
- GO REGISTER, in person or online, if you’ve been purged
You’re not done!
The November 6th elections are extremely important. Verify your registration (and fix things if necessary). So, then, TELL YOUR FRIENDS. It’s not enough that you go vote. You need to check with TEN friends. Make sure they get out to the polls.
Go tell the Texans!
Here in Louisiana, we all have friends in Texas. All your exes, too. So, make sure they’re ready to vote for Beto O’Rourke.
Go tell the Georgians!
So, we know that NOLA means “Nobody Likes Atlanta”. While you hate the Falcons, make sure your friends vote! Tell them to verify their registration. Keep on them about getting out on November 6th. Make Stacey Abrams Governor!
Why is this a big deal?
Neither of our Senators from Louisiana stand for re-election in 2018. All of the CongressCritters do, and Democrats challenge each of them. So, we flip the House, if everyone votes.
Additionally, we must pass Constitutional Amendment #2, the Unanimous Juries Amendment. Louisiana is the only state where someone can be convicted of a serious felony by a non-unanimous (10-2) vote. The Louisiana Legislature voted to put the change on the ballot. Now we have to make it law.
by YatPundit | Jul 3, 2016 | Louisiana, Politics
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R-Tea Party)
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R-Tea Party) wants to help New Orleans:
This weekend – 50 two-person teams comprised of special agents at the LBI, St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, and Hammond Police Department will patrol the outskirts of the French Quarter and the Central Business District. Moving forward – specials agents from the LBI are expected to team with task force members from the Sheriff’s Offices in Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John, and St. Tammany and the Hammond Police Department.
I’m pretty much struggling to understand what white-collar-crime investigators from the AG’s office are going to do to help with the crime situation. Landry’s word is “visibility”, but simply being visible isn’t all that much of a help. Now, if these folks are real investigators, isn’t there, some, you know, investigating they could be doing? According to Landry’s website, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation of the Louisiana State Police (how’s that for a mouthful?) has three field offices in the state, in Baton Rouge, Breaux Bridge, and Alexandria. None of these people are based in New Orleans. That makes me wonder about another of Landry’s statements:
“By reallocating time, this new effort will not cost the City or the State anything new; but it will support and assist the NOPD, State Police, and FBI here,” added General Landry. “If we are to bring an end to the smear of crime, fraud, and corruption that tarnishes our great State’s reputation and affects the quality of life of all in Louisiana – law enforcement must work together.”
Not true, General Landry. If these investigators don’t live in New Orleans, someone has to cover their expenses. That’s a bit more than “anything new”. If Landry plans for this task force to run “perpetually”, does that mean he’s permanently pulling these LBI folks from the three cities where they’re based now? Were their tasks in those offices so unimportant he can just uproot them?
Still, those of us in the New Orleans metro area should be thankful for this increased visibility of cops, right?
Not so fast. Support from the Tea Party always comes with a hidden agenda. The Advocate offers some insight in their coverage of this task force:
Landry clashed with Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration this spring when he championed a push for state legislation that would have allowed him to label New Orleans a “sanctuary city” because of local limits on police collaboration with federal immigration officials. The effort, which would have allowed Landry to strip state bond money from the city, failed.
General Jeff Landry doesn’t like how the city handles immigration? Imagine that. Clearly he doesn’t like how NOPD does things to the point where he’s dropping his cops into the city. It’s curious that he’s decided to do this over the Fourth of July weekend, for Essence Festival. It’s the weekend with the biggest influx of African-American visitors to the city.
If Jeff Landry wants to help lower crime in New Orleans, he should deploy LBI to augment NOPD detectives, assisting with clearing violent crime cases, arresting the offenders, and breaking up organized criminal activity. Dropping a bunch of state cops in the CBD is only good to show the white people in suburbia and outside the city that you’re doing something in their eyes.
by YatPundit | Jul 3, 2016 | Government, Louisiana, Politics
It’s going to take years to put out the dumpster fire that Jindal left behind, but fully implementing Obamacare is a good start:
“Expanding Medicaid in Louisiana was the easiest decision I’ve made since taking office in January, and I meet people from all walks of lifewho will be positively impacted by expansion,” said Gov. Edwards. “All the research shows that people with insurance coverage, including Medicaid, fare much better than those who are uninsured. Although my goal was to take immediate steps to get people health coverage, the more important goal is for people to have better health. Coverage is the important first step, and in the process, we are saving Louisiana taxpayers more than $180 million in this year alone.”
Accepting the Medicaid expansion and committing to fund programs that extend proper healthcare to everyone are essential. They’re compassionate. They’re the right feckin thing to do. When I travel to Europe, one of the common questions I’ll get asked is “Why don’t you Americans want to care for your sick?” I now tell them about my State Senator from #themetrys, Conrad Appel. Appel is currently my number-one “malaka”, as Adrastos affectionally refers to incredibly terrible people. Conrad here believes giving black people health care is a “luxury” that Louisiana taxpayers can’t afford. Such a shitty human being.
For all that John Bel Edwards is not a liberal, he is compassionate. There was a friend-of-a-friend comment on Lamar White’s Zuckerbook page where a #nonpartisanprogressive went on a rant about how un-progressive JBE is. Given that Lamar thinks rather highly of this individual, I was a bit confused. Nobody in Louisiana ever thought Governor Edwards was progressive. He’s a ConservaDem, and that’s not a bad thing. The Democratic Party is indeed the big tent, and JBE is an excellent example of how that works. Don’t like his position on abortion? Fine, work to re-establish the party outside of Orleans Parish and let’s elect more progressive Dems.
In the meantime, the poor get Obamacare. Go JBE!
by YatPundit | Apr 2, 2016 | Louisiana, New Orleans, Politics
The entrance to the Louisiana State Penitentiary (courtesy Wikimedia Commons user msppmoore)
At a time when so many eyes are on Angola, which is widely regarded as a plantation run by slave labor, it’s odd that the DA would bump up a guy who steals candy to the point where he’ll end up doing 20-to-life:
On Feb. 3, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office chose to charge Grimes under a statute that boosts the alleged candy theft to a felony punishable by up to two years in prison. The statute applies to people who have been convicted of “theft of goods” at least twice before.
This isn’t something that one needs to do to retain elective office in Orleans Parish. Look at the judges, they’re elected officials, and even the judge presiding over this case is incredulous:
Grimes appeared Thursday for arraignment before Criminal District Court Judge Franz Zibilich, pleading not guilty.
“Isn’t this a little over the top?” Zibilich wondered aloud over the threat of a “multiple bill,” an approach that leaves little discretion to a judge.
“It’s not even funny,” the judge said. “Twenty years to life for a Snickers bar, or two or three or four.”
Judge Zibilich should nullify this with a not-guilty verdict, it’s that ridiculous.
But to the point, does anyone know what Cannizzaro’s endgame is? Is he looking to run statewide, where impressing white people by being tough on candy bar thieves is considered a good thing? Does he have a financial stake in Louisiana’s for-profit prison industry? Is he just a jackass?
Governor Edwards made reducing the prison population in the state a priority and a major promise in his campaign last November. He seems poised to make good on this, as his term progresses. Sending a nonviolent offender to the plantation to be a slave isn’t who we are. This has to stop.
