PvK :
I have to agree with AT on this one !!! I'm from the south myself, and have many friends and relatives in and about New Orleans who are in dire straits right now. Your comments sounded VERY callous and rascist to me, too. And to be honest, your attempted justification didn't help your case much, either.
I'm not trying to stir up an argument here, but I did feel I needed to express my thoughts about your careless commentary.