I expect that everyone who criticized Pat Robertson for claiming that G-d struck down one person with an illness, will certainly criticize New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for claiming that the 1,000+ people killed in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was G-d's way of punishing America in general and blacks in particular. Or does he get a pass becuase he's criticizing his own people?

NEW ORLEANS – Mayor Ray Nagin suggested Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other storms were a sign that "God is mad at America" and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting.

"Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country," Nagin, who is black, said as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King Day.

"Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves."

Nagin also promised that New Orleans will be a "chocolate" city again. Many of the city's black neighborhoods were heavily damaged by Katrina.

"It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans – the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans."

I guess New York isn't New York anymore now that it's not mostly non-white. Great way to encourage New Orleans' white, hispanic and Asian population to move back home. I wonder if Nagin will impose a quota on how many non-blacks are allowed to live in the city.


UPDATE: Zarq has indeed repudiated Nagin with equal vehemence as he did Robertson. Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity.