Headline: "Black lawmakers angry about federal response to Katrina" (story here). I do believe this is the last thing that we need right now: a bunch of hussy lawmakers that haven't been near the disaster area claiming that response has been slow because most of those affected are poor and black. Don't you think a debate about race and class is inappropriate for a time like this?! Right now, we need to keep our focus on the rescuing and recovery of this area; this debate needs to be done at another time. These lawmakers aught to feel disgraced for using such a horrible catastrophe to advance their political agendas! We know that relief efforts didn't start out as well, but lets figure out why after we get everyone out of harm's way. I see this as a hindrance to rescue workers and it distracts them from the main focus of saving lives, white or black.UPDATE
Some interesting stories about the NO Mayor & "bus gate" @ Bill Hobbs & Mike's America(referenced in the comment section). Join the discussion going on in the comments.
Filed Under: katrina, politics
So much for your "god". If you DON'T think this is about race and social class, look at the faces of the refugees of this disaster...almost all are poor and black. Perhaps doing something yourself to help these people would be better than criticizing legitimate dialogue about race in America.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think a debate about race and class is inappropriate for a time like this?!
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't. We're probably going to find that the dead victims were disproportionately poor and black. No time like the present to face that, and wonder why, and resolve to prevent it in the future. They're citizens, too, as entitled to disaster prevention and rescue as any of the rest of us.
I think debate about race and class relations in America is appropriate, but not in a time of national disaster. Let us save as many as possible and then lets talk about why these people were left behind. I never said in the post that this wasn't a racial issue; it certainly could be for all I know. I'm just saying that the lawmakers could have spoke out after the relief effort, a time when the moral of the workers and soldiers on the ground would not be hindered and they could focus on their work. I do believe that something went wrong to get these people out of harms way. Was it racism? It might have been; I'm not discounting that. One interesting note is the many school and city buses in New Orleans that are now underwater and could have been used before the hurricane to get people out but were not. Some are pointing to the mayor, Ray Nagin (who happens to be African-American himself), for doing nothing to get these people out: http://billhobbs.com/hobbsonline/007188.html. Just don't get me wrong; my heart aches for these people! In October (during Fall Break), I'll probably be going down there to help (re: "Perhaps doing something yourself to help these people would be better than criticizing legitimate dialogue"). I just think such debate right now just hinders the relief effort; lets have it once the disaster is over.
ReplyDeleteWow! What is the deal with anonymous posts?! Again, if you're gonna make a comment like that leave your name! Shawn I whole-heartedly agree with you! Having been to Louisiana pretty recently, and New Orleans especially, I can tell you that there are a lot more black people then there are white people. More importantly, most of them live in the poorer areas of town, and probably had no means to leave town, hence the high number of black refugees. As for the "God" issue, it would open a can of worms that we could debate for a long time so I won't get into that. But the mayor down there really didn't do anything except whine about the federal government when he should have been stepping up to the plate himself!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Beth. I don't understand why this mayor is screaming at the President and the federal government. It takes time for resources to be put together; the President can't just snap his fingers and food & water will appear. I think the mayor was not adequate in his emergency preparedness; he didn't even declare an emergency in his city until a day after the President declared it a federal disaster! It has been mentioned that the city went through the same evacuation mess with Ivan yet the Mayor didn't do anything to be better prepared the next time around. (source: http://mikesamerica.blogspot.com/2005/09/more-on-new-orleans-mayors-bus-gate.html) This mayor will certainly have some questions to answer once everything is said and done!
ReplyDelete