Blog 17

For the people of New Orleans, the worn-down theme park symbolizes the pain they went through during 2005. The remaining rides, that are currently deteriorating from years of being untouched, are frozen in time. The sign at the entrance of Six Flags still reads, “Closed for Storm.” A storm that occurred almost 12 years ago still has debris littered across the city of New Orleans and this theme park is part of that. Lonnie Nadler, writer for the Huffington Post, quoted the founder of Proper People, “In the case of Six Flags New Orleans, it brings back memories of all the suffering of the citizens in the area had gone through. Many lost their homes and possessions while some even lost their life. The park sits as a constant reminder of the storm.” We need to make this right for the people of New Orleans and revive this park, turn a painful reminder into a happy future.

On top of providing a happy future for the community of New Orleans, the potential for bringing more tourists to the area would be even greater if we reopened the theme park. New Orleans is already a prime vacation spot and by adding a theme park, more families would be attracted to this city. New Orleans is a historical town where jazz music originated, which is why the majority of tourists come to visit. J. Mark Souther states in “Making the ‘Birthplace of Jazz’: Tourism and Musical Heritage Marketing in New Orleans,” “The influence of tourism both set jazz apart from its cultural moorings and induced a renewed grassroots interest, eventually creating a sustainable cultural resource that enriched the community and fueled further tourism development.” If revamping the way historical music is being heard in New Orleans brings in more tourism, the same should happen if we give Six Flags New Orleans another chance. Families all over would come to learn more about the history of New Orleans especially if there was a place that children would look forward to visiting.