Writer Jimi Izrael offers an essay explaining why he thinks thousands of storm victims in New Orleans are unwilling to leave their homes. For many of the stragglers, he says, their homes are the only things they own — and they don't trust the government to let them keep it.
MADELEINE BRAND, host: For the last week authorities in New Orleans have cajoled, commanded and      threatened the city's remaining residents to get them to evacuate with      only partial success.  Relief officials seem bewildered by people who      refuse to leave homes that are storm-damaged, without power and in many      cases surrounded by several feet of reeking toxic floodwaters.  But      writer Jimi Izrael thinks they have a good reason to hang on.</s>JIMI IZRAEL: Even with dead bodies floating by, chemicals in the water and being asked      really, really nicely by the authorities, there were still thousands of      people in New Orleans who didn't want to leave.  They've been called      do-or-die residents, hell-or-high-water holdouts or just plain nuts.      Maybe those that remain behind figure it's better to bottom out in the      comfort of your own home than to be displaced to a town where there's no      guarantee you'll do a lot better.  Some say they wanted to protect their      houses from looters and maybe the government.</s>JIMI IZRAEL: According to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, nearly 47      percent of the homes in the region are owner occupied, and it wouldn't      surprise me if those were the folks that made up most of the stragglers.      Some of the homeowners, particularly the black ones, may not trust the      government to protect their rights.  With the recent headlines about      eminent domain coupled with de facto martial law, I don't blame them for      staying put.  They have no reason to believe that the same government      that took five days to fish them out from this disaster will reinstate      their land rights quickly or fairly.</s>JIMI IZRAEL: America has a history of forced location and gentrification that isn't      lost on black folk.  Those people could leave homes today, only to return      to find the government has given their property to opportunistic      developers tomorrow. Paranoid?  Maybe but with good reason.  There's a      chance, however remote, that the hurricane washed away any reliable      records of mortgages, deeds and property titles.  I think there is      legitimate fear among the black population that the only thing they may      own outright will be taken from them.  Had the mayor found a way to deal      with this fear early on, I think he would have found the residents more      cooperative while evacuating.</s>JIMI IZRAEL: It's easy to look at the holdouts as crazy, but, frankly, if my house      were the only thing I had left in this world, you'd have to zap me with a      TASER to get me out.  Sadly, it may have come to that.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Jimi Izrael is a columnist for AOL BlackVoices.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Complete coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath is at our Web site,      npr.org.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: NPR's DAY TO DAY continues.  I'm Madeleine Brand.