"Keeping New Orleans Brand Out There"

49 Percent Of U.S. Murder Victims Are Black

- Black Americans account for only 13 percent of the US population

Study: 93 Percent Of Black Murder Victims Killed By Other Blacks

File this under stupid statements by black mayor

Enter, Mayor Ray Nagin who worries that slayings in his city make it seem dangerous, but news of such crimes "keeps the New Orleans brand out there."

In a city where the tourism industry is the lifeblood of a fragile economy, the wave of violence threatens to derail efforts to bring visitors—and former residents—back. Yet Nagin, at a bricklaying ceremony Thursday, told reporters it's a "two-edged sword."

"It's not good for us, but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back," he said. "Sure it hurts, but we have to keep working every day to make the city better."

AAPP: OK, Mr. Mayor! That was a stupid comment.

Murder rate for black men on rise, study finds