Please allow a current resident and native New Orleanian to respond:

"Should we fix it only to have it happen again? It will happen again. It may be 10, 20, or 30 years from now, but it's inevitable."

- I don't know who you mean when you say "we" but no offense, if it (the levees) had been "fixed" in the first place as promised by Congress, etc., the hurricane (any cat 3 or above) wouldn't have caused the water damage you see in the pictures...

"Mother Nature wants to claim that land. Man cannot stop it; he can only delay it."

- I couldn't agree more except that Mother Nature DID claim this land and Man could have delayed it - see response to first comment

"I don't know why people would choose to live in a place that's below sea level, no matter how beautiful it is."

- The majority of us WERE BORN HERE and call it HOME. How did your parents take it when you spoke to them from the womb and voted where you wanted to be born and raised?

Moreover, you've obviously never been to New Orleans; if you had, you'd know first hand that it's NOT beautiful in the asthetic sense. It's beauty lies in the spirit of the people, their generosity, the mix of all colors, creeds, and races that visitors' feel welcomes ANYONE with open house hospitality. Make no mistake, if you come to New Orleans or any of it's surrounding areas and tell a resident that you're hungry or tired, you will be invited home for a hot meal and warm bed 99% of the time, no questions asked, no payment necessary. In short, all of the stories you've been hearing of the people in this country taking victims' into their home out of compassion, is exactly what you can expect in the people of New Orleans. Oh and please, make no mistake - the overwhelming majority of people here are just as horrified about the looting, robberies, rapes, murders, etc. in the shelters and surrounding areas as the rest of the world is. Not all of us are that kind of people. Don't judge all of us on the behavior of those relatively few who are or have been hell bent of that thinking and behavior in the first place. I hope you never have to experience this kind of disaster in your lifetime but if you do, come to New Orleans and you will be welcomed with open arms and the compassion of those of us who've experienced it.

"I see images of people's homes, and in their backyards, is a hill. And on top of that hill, is a river! I couldn't sleep at night knowing that a large body of water is above my home."

- That "hill" is a levee and I don't know anyone here that has ever had a "hill" in their backyard. Those levees are what have kept this city FROM devastating floods for so many years. This city has been a major port in this country since Mother Nature put it here originally. Put it in perspective this way - look around and in your house. You can't throw a rock without hitting something that didn't come through the port of New Orleans to bring you the comfort, joy, and peace of mind that you've forgotten that has put more than one smile on your face and the faces of your families and friends.

This city will be back. I hope some sense of compassion in you comes back too.

Please don't misunderstand - I'm not angry at your post, just disappointed. Thanks for hearing me out...