Hi,
I'm writing for the sole purpose of letting Mr. Cowherd know how incredibly wrong he is about the city of New Orleans. Never have I written an e-mail about something I disagree with on the radio, but Mr. Cowherd's rant about his spontaneously-generated thoughts on New Orleans are drastically ugly, insulting, and patently false.*
You can't simply say that you're "not taking a shot at New Orleans," and then follow that with potshot after potshot. Some comments, such as a bad location in relation to the rest of the U.S. are simply bewildering beyond belief. I almost don't know how to argue with someone who can't recall first grade US geography.
I'm truly sorry for whatever experience (or what would be unsurprising to me, complete lack thereof) Mr. Cowherd has had in close proximity to the "dangers" of the city. I've been living here for 6 years, in multiple parts of the city, and never have I ever experienced anything remotely resembling violence. Those responsible for nearly ALL of the murders know their victims, have personal vendettas relating to drugs, and resolve their vendettas in the WRONG way. If he truly thinks that tourists regularly become victims to random acts of violence like you infer, I suggest that Mr. Cowherd takes some time in his radio program to re-think his words.*
Have you ever heard of an extreme breakout of violence in response to one of the many sporting events that New Orleans now hosts? Me neither. The Saints won the Super Bowl and the people reveled in the midst of coming back from the worst catastrophe in US history. No shootings. No riots. I have heard of those violent reactions, though. They mostly exist in LA, NY, Dallas, Chicago, etc. You get the point.*
I have the utmost respect for others' opinions, but this wasn't an opinion. It was an unwarranted tongue-lashing. If I could only paint a picture for you or Mr. Cowherd of what this city has overcome, and how it has blossomed in the past five years, I could. However, you can't accurately present those thoughts in an e-mail, only a visit here, which I think Mr. Cowherd should really consider, if he can overcome the "fright."
Thank you for reading.