Yesterday, I decided, it was such a beautiful spring day, that I would venture over to the French Quarter Fest. Took the St Charles Streetcar from Riverbend to Canal Street. Standing room only by the time we reached Canal Street and headed towards the Riverwalk.
A light step down onto the slate-layered ground. The walkways around the square teamed with vendors and tourists walking in pairs, with the throngs meshed in primitive beats, Interest piqued amongst mortal feats. A constant parade along the endless New Orleans River promenade.
The festival was a multi-staged event, with free attendance over four days, highlighting New Orleans's best music and food catered by many local food establishments. The food and drink were abundant at prices well suited to attract, with a cup of sweet tea for five dollars and a hefty piece of crawfish and cheese bread for ten dollars. For perspective, the same at any Mardi Gras stand would have been fifteen dollars for the sweet tea and twenty dollars for the bread, so I was pleasantly surprised for once.
Here's the rub.
Do any of us feel safe in large crowds anymore, given all of the constant violence that is always lingering at the surface? What always makes me wonder is if we are such social creatures who can travel and mingle by the thousands and take every opportunity to create such gatherings, requiring all of our various cultural and ethnic groups to tamp down our instinctual leanings of fear, uncertainty and doubt. Groups who feel compelled to protect our genetic pool from the competition and all of the other various primitive issues that always seem present, just below the surface of some semblance of civility; then why is it that we feel the need to consume such large quantities of alcohol, knowing all to well that the after-effects of the behavior diminish our inhibitions and aggressive traits.
This city and all of the various public safety services are dedicated and expertly deal with such large events all of the time. If you're going to allow alcohol to be served, how hard is it to require magnetic screening for weapons and not just purse inspections?
Luckily, nothing happened while I was there. The thought was ever present, and the anxiety was pervasive during my stay.
Why couldn't I just be able to relax, take in the spring warmth the gentle breeze from the River, close my eyes and enjoy the music?
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