The new jazz funeral requires a police escort. Why? Because otherwise they will shut it down.

Does that sound a little heavy-handed to anyone else?

It may or may not have been the “new residents” of Treme who called for the shut down — do we know for sure that anyone “called” for the shut down? Nonetheless, the result is still the cultural clampdown. The Times-Picayune covered the story.

Combined with the big new Border’s Bookstore all ready to set up like a Goliath on St. Charles Ave., like some monolith ready to stomp on the independents, New Orleanians should know that the culture is at risk.

Corporate interests threatening bookstores; street culture shut down in the name of security — oh my god, we are turning into the United States.

Not only did our mainstream media cover it, but there is also that forum for free expression — YouTube.com. It isn’t all Britney Spears dancing lethargically or home video commentators with super close-ups. One just needs to dig a bit deeper than the recommended videos.

In this video you can see a real slice of New Orleans culture. Does this sort of funeral go on anywhere else in the US? It is quite clear that this is not a street gang. This is not a threat to anyone.

In this video you will see the end of the parade, with the police shutting it down. Keep in mind, this was at 8:00 pm.

The video camera is still mightier than the gun. So far, we are not Myanmar.