Nadra Enzi

I Respectfully Disagree With My Congressman On Who Is Responsible For What He Calls, "Gun Violence"

---

1 dead, 11 injured in mass shooting outside New Orleans nightclub

In response to the mass shooting outside Republic nightclub last night in New Orleans, Congressman Troy Carter (D-Louisiana), who represents my district, posted this on X, formerly Twitter:

"Last night’s mass shooting in New Orleans is a tragedy. It is heartbreaking to see gun violence devastate our city, our neighbors, and our loved ones. My prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. We urgently need common-sense gun reform measures and violence reduction…"

Black Men Can Either Argue Or Unite Where We Can

I talked to a police executive I know (Yes, my being Black doesn't mean hatred of all blue [police] people, shocking to some--but true).

We haven't talked in quite a while and exchanged pleasantries while referencing unpleasantries on many minds.

He's Black too, a law enforcement professional and executive whose career parallels mine as a safety advocate and private protection professional.

Murder of New Orleans Security Officer Protecting Bar Is Wake Up To Stop "Letting the Good Times Roll" Without Oversight

---

Trending outrage and grief over the recent murder of the Wits Inn bar security officer in midtown New Orleans is a wake upcall to enablers in city hall to stop "letting the good times roll" without oversight.

The suspect allegedly left a nearby bar about whom neighbors have endlessly complained, with that area's city council member confirming these concerns in public and noting official inaction from city hall.

Proactive Private Protection Professionals Are Needed For This Era, Not Passive Relics of A Bygone Time

I wish each state would abolish the term "security officer" and use either "protection officer", as International Foundation for Protection Officers has advocated for years or terms like "private protection professional", recently coined by JC Shegog, master protector, protection trainer and inspiration of mine.

Standing up for internal safety and civility—it's just right

Greetings fellow fighters for safety and civility!

I hail from the mobilization wing of the Black community regarding crime, the wing that gave us the fabled 1980s Dopebusters, crusaders like legends Herman Wrice and principal Joe Clark and modern formations of Black men and allies doing safety outreach, mediating potentially deadly disputes, mentoring youth in need of guidance and offering self defense training on safe, lawful firearms possession.

What Louisiana's New Constitutional Carry Law Means To A "Safety Creator" Like Me

In order to walk to my favorite neighborhood store two blocks away in a New Orleans neighborhood near the world famous French Quarter, I must stroll through a conflict zone where six people were murdered last year.

If I follow current law,.I can't legally conceal a firearm for self defense without a state concealed carry permit.

Loitering Is Not A Good Look

I spent part of this afternoon watching two teen Brothers hang too close to unit beside mine and huddled around my front gate for roughly two hours.

Residents of stable areas where boundaries are reflectively respected might have puzzled looks on their faces after reading the above passage.

They may even rhetorically ask, "Why would these young guys linger so near your place?"

Aside from smoking marijuana, whose scent wafted into my living room through a damaged air conditioner screen from a thwarted home invasion attempt, their purpose was up for speculation.

Creating "Safe Fun" During Mardi Gras

Protectors and event planners have their work cut out for them during Carnival season, otherwise known as Mardi Gras.

Inclusive. Effusive. Streets, sidewalks, nightspots and "TPS"-temporary party spots- host huge, happy crowds in various states of inebriation.

'Here First!" Is My Policy Motto and Mantra.

'Here First!," is my policy motto and mantra as I see unhoused and barely housed people struggle while billions are sent to a proxy war in Eastern Europe with no end in sight.

Drug addiction enabled by bad border policy and broken psyches demand same attention as borders belonging to other countries.

Strangers Sitting On Front Stairs

Voices outside my living room window tonight inspired the following addition to ongoing observation:

I'm not from here, and am a safety advocate, so the whole "strangers sitting in my front stairs" thing, especially at night, is concerning despite living in New Orleans since 2009.

Any odd sounds or voices near my home will be inspected, often with me easing the front door open and surprising person(s) on the stairs.

Borrow A Brother Coalition

Please don't tell my diehard capitalist friends nor private protection peers but most of my Safety, capital "S" creation is done for free!

See why I told you not to tell them! Lol

No, in case you're wondering, I haven't taken a monastic vow of poverty.

Targeted Vs Targeters

As an urban stakeholder and safety creator who is occasionally paid (lol) to create it, I talk to the targeted (good people who dont bother anyone) about mobilizing to displace bad intentions of those targeting them.

Well adjusted folks shudder at the mere thought of someone targeting them for physical harm and material loss. I advise them to readjust tactics not beliefs regarding those paying them the wrong kind of attention.

Black Safety in This Era of 'Blue' (Police) Defunding

Part of what I call my "safety creation theory" involves passing the baton of probable cause to police officers for action.

Black safety in this era of 'blue' (police) defunding makes that baton pass prone to being pushed away or dropped as gale force political winds knock it out of officers' grasp.

Liberal refusal to adequately charge, prosecute and convict career criminals has led to a boom in violent crime, theft and burglaries accompanying a bust in police manpower and motivation to do the job.

For years I've combated policies and unofficial postures making officers and police executives look like they're either too scared or too disinterested to do their jobs.

#SafeFun Is In the Palm of Our Very Hands

Be VERY careful this Mardi Gras season of group fights and mass shootings outside or worse--inside Carnival crowded venues. Negative New Orleans trends in shootings and departing NOPD officers strongly suggest events will play host to unwelcome aggression seen daily in our neighborhoods. Any sign of drama getting too hot, too fast with too few #protectors and #protection protocols (pat searches and metal detectors, etc) is THE warning sign you should heed to quickly leave!

People Shouldn't Be Attacked

Some things in Safety are no-brainers or at least should be: • People shouldn't be attacked because of how they look; who they love; who they loathe; how they vote; whether officials agree with their activism or for any other reason. Expanding reasons we shouldn't be attacked should easily include and is by no means exhaustive:

Another Famous Young Brother Gone

I'm not going to editorialize overly long regarding the murder of Migos hip hop group member, Takeoff. Moments like this always underscore what I call an Urban Apocalypse brothers must fight with same evangelical zeal as we do outside opposition. A hungry death culture that didn't always exist among us nonetheless roams our community now and inflicts sudden violence that we must mobilize and mentor to displace and, through time, deprogram.

'People of Color' Translated From White Liberal-ese

The phrase, "people of color," is White liberal-ese for avoiding addressing Black concerns as a unique category and mushing us into a White liberal-led lump with every other ethnicity as they shape our priorities to fit into their, not our, agenda. Surprise!, I'm not a "person of color." I'm a person of my own color, my own context and my own community.

When Both Parties Count Politics As More Important Than People, Something Isn't Adding Up

I've learned that, so long as they aren't being disrespectful, I can converse with partisans on the Left and Right sides of the political aisle. When helping crime victims, doing security assignments or appearing on other platforms, I've engaged liberals, conservatives, libertarians, moderates, Black nationalists and everything in-between and beyond.

We must create our own safety

Please consider: New Orleans mayor, DA and sheriff are content to produce insecurity while local parish executive committees of both parties are more interested in counting votes and donations than dead or wounded citizens. Creating our own safety amid such insecurity production enabled at the highest levels means organizing at the lowest common denominators. The following list is by no means exhaustive: Awareness practice; deciding what, if any, weapons one is comfortable with; making accompanying each other more intentional, reviewing access control of homes and public spaces; investing in or joining mentor organizations and deciding if engaging youth and adults in crisis as an individual mentor is an option.

Street Piracy By Another Name

Just like European pirates of old and African ones now off the coast of Somalia, streets of America are roamed by those I call street pirates, more commonly described as car jackers. Women I talk to drive on or near 'E' for fear of being attacked while pumping gas. This unsafe situation birthed my Borrow A Brother volunteer safety escorts, specifically in response to street piracy as part of advocacy and security advice.