What's wrong with this picture?

[sophia jane]

The ultra-cynic in me keeps wondering how many Democrats are dying vs Republicans.

The poor rarely vote. When they do, it tends to be for the Democrats.

 

[Alex756]

About the no mention of race in the reporting or class.

Try and find a clip of sheppard smith (a mississippi boy) talking to Anna Marie someone from the state patrol.

He was on 10 at exit 255e I think at the time. He was talking to her with several hundred black people from the projects taking shelter on the dry ramp near him. He kept on that state patrol rep about how there were hundreds of black people from the projects here and where was the aid for them, where were they to go, he refused to take her canned answers. He called down to a woman who was on part of the ramp with her baby asking how old the baby was, and he relayed the info to the state patrol rep, he told her how there were sick and elderly and babies and how they had NOTHING!

How about the woman who interviewed that man who lost his wife, the one who was ripped away from him, she didn't mention race because all she saw was a human being suffering.

there are good news people there too. Ones who care and are trying their best.

But I said it on day one of recovery. How would people be treating this differant if these human beings were not in a red state, or not black, or not poor? or lord forbid they have an accent. Is there a bigger crime to the establishment? Lord forbid you drop a y'all into what you're saying. So many people sitting back and thinking well 'they' deserved it, they aren't like me, they vote differant, they talk differant, they look differant. I am bi-partisanly pissed, by the way. The technology to improve those levees existed since the 60s! and all people seem intereted in is fighting amounst themselves. I have seen hatred towards these poor people from both sides. Thank god there are people down there saving as many people as they can unlike the ones sitting back and pondering if the disaster is getting too much news coverage.

-Alex

 

[sweetnpetite]

The poor rarely vote. When they do, it tends to be for the Democrats.

which is why democrats push "get out the vote" and republicans don't.

 

[sweetnpetite]

Thank god there are people down there saving as many people as they can unlike the ones sitting back and pondering if the disaster is getting too much news coverage.

-Alex

It's not getting too much coverage.

It's getting too much sensational coverage. we shoudln't even be worried about looters at this stage.

Everyone out there now is a survivor. Now is not the time to be judging who took more than they needed. Now is the time to be wondering why they aren't getting what they need.

 

[Guest]

The ultra-cynic in me keeps wondering how many Democrats are dying vs Republicans.

This made me wonder about voting in 2004. I decided to look it up.

Louisana went for Bush 57% to 42%.

Mississippi went for Bush 60% to 40% for Kerry.

Alabama went for Bush 63% to 37% for Kerry.

Of course New Orleans county (known as Orleans Parish) with Bush at 42,760 and Kerry at 151,686.

Data from USA Today

Detailed Red/Blue maps here

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

. . . Everyone out there now is a survivor. Now is not the time to be judging who took more than they needed. Now is the time to be wondering why they aren't getting what they need.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Phyliss Petrich of Maryland, who was trapped in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, has made it out of the New Orleans.

As they left the hotel under armed guard, she reported that to protect themselve against the untreated sewage in the streets, doctors also staying there COMANDEERED antibiotics from a nearby drug store.


See! It doesn’t matter what your colour, or financial condition, it all depends upon your VOCABULARY!

 

[Quiet_Cool]

It's not getting too much coverage.

It's getting too much sensational coverage. we shoudln't even be worried about looters at this stage.

Everyone out there now is a survivor. Now is not the time to be judging who took more than they needed. Now is the time to be wondering why they aren't getting what they need.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there reports of people firing on rescue and search helicoptors as they flew overhead yesterday? If so, the looters, especially the ones with those guns Remec mentioned, appear to be every bit as much a threat as people are saying. Would we rather hear about the survivors and their well-being, and see how things are progressing? Yes, but we also need to consider the safety of those there to help.

Q_C

 

[sophia jane]

These pics were on a segment of Headline News this evening. Thought that was interesting.

 

[Alex756]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there reports of people firing on rescue and search helicoptors as they flew overhead yesterday? If so, the looters, especially the ones with those guns Remec mentioned, appear to be every bit as much a threat as people are saying. Would we rather hear about the survivors and their well-being, and see how things are progressing? Yes, but we also need to consider the safety of those there to help.

Q_C

Not to mention the armed people that are keeping NO firefighters and their familes hostage in part of the city? Last I heard they were sending armed helecopter gunships in.

That is not grabbing food for your family, that is not a dr grabbing antibiotics, that is not sutrrvial. That is lawlessness and needs to be dealt with so the good people of NO can be rescued.

-Alex

 

[yui]

No one has mentioned "white privilege" and I am a bit surprised. It's alive and well in the US, and I suspect in many non-US places; it can be ever so subtle and that makes it even more insidious.

Thank you, Cloudy, for bringing such a vivid example to my attention.

I would kill or die to feed my kids (if I had them), and if it meant taking Winn-Dixie by force, I would do it. To me, there is a difference between "survivalist looting" and "opportunistic looting." Perhaps, that distinction denotes a certain lack in my morals.

Luck to all who are struggling with this disaster,

Yui

 

[impressive]

To me, there is a difference between "survivalist looting" and "opportunistic looting." Perhaps, that distinction denotes a certain lack in my morals.

To me, too. So, we can be "lacking" together.

 

[SeaCat]

Having been through a natural disaster or two myself I can relate to these people doing the "looting". I'm just thankfull that I haven't had to depend on that for survival yet.

Would I steal to feed my wife and myself? Most emphaticly yes! Would you? If you answered no then you haven't been there yet. Would I conveniently find a jewelry store with a broken window and take something pretty to make my wife feel better? Nope. That just isn't going to happen. A new TV? I can survive without one thanks. Hell I can even survive without a computer.

Now my distinction is that I would never steal from another persons home or camp. I feel so strongly about this that I would willingly help in defending that persons home or camp, just as I hope they would help me in the defense of mine. (You try to break into my home or camp and steal the things I need to survive, then you'll most likely be leaking a bit when you leave.)

The problem I have about what is going on in New Orleans and other Missippi Delta areas is not how long it is taking to get help there. Mobilizing that many people and supplies takes time. It is how some of the residents are reacting. Shooting at convoys and aircraft ferrying relief supplies and refugees? Not a good thing people. (Maybe they should bring in counter snipers and return fire?) I honestly don't know who's getting the help first, if it is the more affluent who are then whoever is making these decisions needs to be replaced and dumped ass first into the flood waters. I also have a problem with how the media is reporting the entire thing. Let's stop making it a media circus, let's try instead to report honestly and objectively about what is going on. (Oops I'm sorry, honesty and objectivity just doesn't sell.)

Cat

 

[lizzybit26]

--Sadly, it is on a largely conservative Christian site I visit. There are actual people there saying anyone who takes anything from the stores should be shot..

So much for a 'culture of life'. This is why I can't take the morality police in this country seriously.

 

[XSchreiber]

In the Boston Globe today I read an article based on an informal interview with a N.O. police officer, one of only six stationed at the convention center for a few days (with the all the police quitting and the lack of communication, merely holding position is commendable enough) before the National Guard showed up (with guns, food and water). The officer stated that, in fact, they (the police) taken food from a looted store - he really made no apologies for it. And I don't seem to recall hearing about any police trying to stop people from taking food, period.

The relief effort has been horribly slow - but with no (or few) viable roads into N.O., most of the military on the other side of the globe (another can of worms), no electricty, and all the cell phone towers getting knocked down by the hurricane, I can see how it would be difficult to get in and coordinate.

BACK TO THE PICTURE - they are by different news agencies, yes. This may be an unfortunate coincidence, but is illustrative of a symptom. Didn't Kanye West just cause a stir bringing up the same thing? http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20050903/112580646000.html --

My feeling though - New Orleans is poor. Most of the poor there are black. The poor didn't have the means to get out of town. Transportation should have been provided. The authorities didn't think the levees would break (New Orleans has been hit by hurricanes before, and the flooding was managable). The authorities were obviously wrong. Now, the poor, who are mostly black, are suffering - because they are poor and did/could not get out. The slow response is due to the destroyed infrastructure, not racism. Racism/Race is a factor, but the hurricane obviously doesn't care what color you are. Racism is a part of why they lived where they did, and why they couldn't get out - or maybe why some chose to stay, to protect their belongings, since they didn't feel they could rely on the police to do so. But it is a seconday issue for the moment. For now, what good does it do to get pissed about racism when lives need to be saved? It will be important to address, especially when rebuilding is concerned, but for now, I don't care - I just want to see everyone evacuated. (And I'm sure most of the white people donating money aren't thinking, "Gee, I hope this helps a fellow white person, and not those people I see on TV").

And - on another note - please consider - there are looters - basically foraging for food every morning - and there are armed thugs (and they were thugs before the hurricane, too). Without a police/military presence, they take advantage of everyone else (robbery, rape). There are good people and bad people of all races, in police uniforms and out.

(Did that reply wander enough?)

 

[TheEarl]

Kanye West had a major public strop about this a day or so ago: http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=246286&rel_no=1&back_url=

Rapper Kanye West blasts the president during a live telethon for victims of Hurricane Katrina

On an NBC benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims aired live on Friday night, rapper Kanye West vocalized his criticisms on the relief efforts and on President George W. Bush.

The rapper was paired with comedic actor Mike Myers. Myers read what was scripted for him beforehand and then handed it off to West, who clearly did not read what was scripted. Overwhelmed with emotion and speaking between heavy breaths, West began airing out his dissatisfaction with the aid efforts.

"I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food." (This is a reference to a pair of AP photos with opposite captions for a black victim treading through water with a bag and a white victim doing the same.)

After crediting the Red Cross with doing all they could to help the victims, West added that the national guard are "given permission to go down and shoot us."

Myers, visibly surprised by West's unscripted remarks, continued on before pausing to allow West to close out their segment. West abruptly said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." After a few seconds of awkward silence, West began saying "Please call -- " before the camera cut away to a shocked and speechless Chris Tucker.

The Earl

 

[BlackSnake]

Read the little captions next to the pictures, and tell me what the hell's going on here.....please.

http://static.flickr.com/23/38725768_16c66eb58b.jpg

I use to think that parents passed this kind of stuff down to their children, that's the reason the attitudes change so slowly, but I realized that the media spread attitudes faster than anything. But, since the media are real people, they are also parents and not only spreading bad attitudes to their children, but to other people children as well.

See them nigras...

 

[Alex756]

I use to think that parents passed this kind of stuff down to their children, that's the reason the attitudes change so slowly, but I realized that the media spread attitudes faster than anything. But, since the media are real people, they are also parents and not only spreading bad attitudes to their children, but to other people children as well.

See them nigras...

I think alot of people want to pretend the racism doesn't exist. One thing many reports, not media outlets, but human reports are doing, is showing the human faces of this tradgedy. When you see a little 2 year old crying for food, I know in my personal experience it is hard to notice much except the little -human- 2 year old, be he/she be black or white.

We need to commend the reporters covering human beings in this disaster and call out and expose those sitting back and thinking all 'those' people are to blame.

-Alex