Cajuns – Unaccustomed Not Sissies [OPINION]

As we prepared for unusual winter conditions this week I noticed a few Facebook posts from recent transplants to our fair climate.  A couple of these folks were actually laughing about our reaction to 'a little cold snap'.  One even called us sissies.

I wonder how that person would explain that sentiment to the families of the two people (so far) who have died on our highways due to the inclement weather.

Just because we shut down schools, roads and bridges when temperatures drop below freezing with predicted precipitation of whatever kind doesn't mean Cajuns are sissies.  I would point out to those Northern transplants that we have survived numerous hurricanes with very little assistance from the Federal government.  We've rebuilt our homes quietly and gone about our business.

However when it comes to winter storms I would like to mention to Northern transplants that we don't have the benefit of facing these conditions every year.  Nor do we have snowplows to clear the roads and de-icing materials to spread across our roads to keep them safe.  Aside from that, most of the salt they use to de-ice comes from Louisiana salt mines brought to the surface by the same hard working people some call sissies.

Having lived in New Jersey for a year and Europe for another two while serving in the military I can assure you I would prefer to live here as opposed to anyplace that this type of weather is commonplace.

Next time a Category 4 hurricane comes ripping through the Gulf we'll see who the real sissies are.  When those howling winds come screaming through the night I bet some of those same people who claim we are sissies will be hiding under their beds or hightailing it for some Northern clime.

We are certainly not scared.  We just want to protect human life.  Let a Cajun get accustomed to something and he or she will be better at it than you can imagine.