I am sure you are all aware of the racist issues after Katrina's pass over NO...

[Slippery]

They were people accusing of the media being racist about the issue of black people looting and white people finding stuff. Well, maybe people are pretending to be blind but black people seem to be the ones looting all over the place. I just saw a video of black people, even police officers looting a walmart. Not taking food but electronics and clothes. Now what side should one take when the media seems to be right in this case?

 

[Omnis]

Here's where the ONLY problem is...

Race.

Race should be irrelevent in our society. Colonialism went out the window hundreds of years ago. Race should ESPECIALLY be irrelevent when there is a rescue operation on hand. We're Americans, black, white, clear, or rainbow.

The Media just wants ratings, the instigators (like Kanye West and such) just want publicity.

 

[PS]

They were people accusing of the media being racist about the issue of black people looting and white people finding stuff. Well, maybe people are pretending to be blind but black people seem to be the ones looting all over the place. I just saw a video of black people, even police officers looting a walmart. Not taking food but electronics and clothes. Now what side should one take when the media seems to be right in this case?

Are you f cking retarded!? That's because 75% of New Orleans is black dumbass!

 

[PS]

We're Americans, black, white, clear, or rainbow.

Haha. Omnis is rainbow!

 

[Pupik]

Wow, I was completely ignorant about racism until a hurricane struck a mostly-black city. I mean, the media tried to tell me about racism during the O.J. Simpson trials and the LA riots of 1992, but I thought it was just a conspiracy. Now that sombody slipped a "race card" into the mix, it's definately now a racism issue. It's a good thing the media can tell me for sure when an issue is motivated by racism or not, because otherwise I might not be able to think for myself.

Speaking of which, did you notice the two other threads already dealing with Hurricane Katrina, Slippery?

 

[Sage]

Here's where the ONLY problem is...

Race.

Race should be irrelevent in our society. Colonialism went out the window hundreds of years ago. Race should ESPECIALLY be irrelevent when there is a rescue operation on hand. We're Americans, black, white, clear, or rainbow.

The Media just wants ratings, the instigators (like Kanye West and such) just want publicity.

Bingo. Should it make a difference if all the people left in N.O. are black, or if all of them are white, or if all of them are Mexican or Asian? Of course not. The people who keep making a big deal of racism are the ones promoting it (affirmative action, anyone?).

 

[VIPFREAK]

I never did and still don't see the racism but sadly I'm just glad I'm not in their position. I can't say I feel for them because there is no way I can. I have however offered my help in the form of $. I guess the only thing I can say is it will get better, eventually.

 

[PS]

Or worse. You can't drink or touch the water, the damage is huge, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes, and the last city this happened to turned into a ghost town in 1919. Some place in Texas.

 

[Danoff]

Or worse. You can't drink or touch the water, the damage is huge, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes, and the last city this happened to turned into a ghost town in 1919. Some place in Texas.

I believe you're referring to the flood at Galveston... which is a fairly sizeable city now.

 

[Sharky.]

Haha. Omnis is rainbow!

No, he's clear!!!

 

[ledhed]

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE

 

[PS]

I believe you're referring to the flood at Galveston... which is a fairly sizeable city now.

Maybe. But the news said it was super small. Besides, that's nearly 90 years later, it'd better be a fair size now.

 

[Slippery]

Are you f cking retarded!? That's because 75% of New Orleans is black dumbass!

Does this actually explain anything? So according to your comments, the media is right...

 

[PS]

Does this actually explain anything? So according to your comments, the media is right...

WTF are you saying? Do you comprehend English? There's nothing racist about it! There's mostly blacks looting because it's mostly blacks living there!

If you're in China and a riot breaks out, you're going to see Chinese people rioting, not blacks or whites!

It's demographics, not racism! Holy crap!

 

[Slippery]

WTF are you saying? Do you comprehend English? There's nothing racist about it! There's mostly blacks looting because it's mostly blacks living there!

If you're in China and a riot breaks out, you're going to see Chinese people rioting, not blacks or whites!

It's demographics, not racism! Holy crap!

I think you need to calm down.

What you haven't heard probably is that the media was accused of being racist for displaying two pictures of white people with the lettering "People looking for supplies" and black people with the lettering "People looting an area"

That's why I said probably they were right because there is actual proof of black people looting an entire Walmart. People walking out with electronics and clothes. Although they only show a part of the story, that video shows in fact that black people have been looting places and that shuts the mouths of people defending the actions of the African American survivors.

 

[Zardoz]

I think you need to calm down.

And you need to explain your motivation for starting this thread, in full detail, because it appears to be nothing but a not-so-thinly-disguised racist smear.

 

[smellysocks12]

It's a class problem, not a race problem. Since most black people are poor, they're the ones who stayed down there when the storm hit, so they're the ones trying to survive there.... "looting". The media only makes it worse by only showing the people trying to take electronics.

 

[PS]

I think you need to calm down.

What you haven't heard probably is that the media was accused of being racist for displaying two pictures of white people with the lettering "People looking for supplies" and black people with the lettering "People looting an area"

That's why I said probably they were right because there is actual proof of black people looting an entire Walmart. People walking out with electronics and clothes. Although they only show a part of the story, that video shows in fact that black people have been looting places and that shuts the mouths of people defending the actions of the African American survivors.

Dude, you dont get it! Since 75% of that population is black, 75% of the looting with be by blacks! You don't get it! Whoever was reporting might have seen the context in which it was taken, maybe those other people who happened to be black were just stealing stuff and taking advantage of chaos, in which case the media might've been right. But the point is moot; with a large black population, a large percentage of the crime with be commited by the blacks. If it was a large white population, then a large percentage of the crime would be commited by whites, same with asians and hispanics and any other majority.

 

[SS69]

has anyone heard that clip they've been playing with the reporter that said they were "so poor, and so black." ? hahaha. man the radio has been ripping that line apart, especially howard stern.


[EDIT] - i found a link to it actually

so poor and so black

 

[unsanctified]

I do think that some black citizens use the race card to benefit themselves. I think it happens more times than not actually.

No, I'm not trying to get a flame war started.

 

[James2097]

[EDIT] - i found a link to it actually

so poor and so black

WTF! And Ledhead is saying rascism has nothing to do with it?! Maybe he just WANTS TO BELIEVE that there is no issue here, that everything is happy and dandy. Its understandable, not many Aussies want to take responsibility for or even acknowledge the grave injustices many aboriginals still face in my country. Putting up a mental protective blanket that neatly hides/deflects all issues of race from you isn't exactly a solution. If you don't want to see the issues, you don't. The mind is very powerful like this. Wake up and smell the napalm.

Slippery doesn't get it at all. The very fact that race is brought into the equation at all and has proven such a divisive and touchy issue among Americans proves in itself that these issues are real. Even the fact that we're talking about it validates the issue's importance.

It should just be: "2 men looting a store." One of them may be black, one may be white. The story should be the same. I don't mind if everyone is looting or everyone is searching for food. The story should be consistent, and not purposefully highlight race in the incredibly loaded way those 2 pictures did. What a throwback to the cotton field days. I really thought America had grown up more than this.

Of course the reason 'more' black people may be seen 'looting' is perfectly logical due to demographics, just like what PS said.

 

[sicbeing]

They couldn't get out of there, I mean come on, they are pretty damn black, according to CNN.

...I mean poor.

 

[ledhed]

WTF! And Ledhead is saying rascism has nothing to do with it?! Maybe he just WANTS TO BELIEVE that there is no issue here, that everything is happy and dandy. Its understandable, not many Aussies want to take responsibility for or even acknowledge the grave injustices many aboriginals still face in my country. Putting up a mental protective blanket that neatly hides/deflects all issues of race from you isn't exactly a solution. If you don't want to see the issues, you don't. The mind is very powerful like this. Wake up and smell the napalm.

Slippery doesn't get it at all. The very fact that race is brought into the equation at all and has proven such a divisive and touchy issue among Americans proves in itself that these issues are real. Even the fact that we're talking about it validates the issue's importance.

It should just be: "2 men looting a store." One of them may be black, one may be white. The story should be the same. I don't mind if everyone is looting or everyone is searching for food. The story should be consistent, and not purposefully highlight race in the incredibly loaded way those 2 pictures did. What a throwback to the cotton field days. I really thought America had grown up more than this.

Of course the reason 'more' black people may be seen 'looting' is perfectly logical due to demographics, just like what PS said.

The mere fact that people are talking about it means race is still an issue in THE UNITED STATES . In different gatherings and among some of the idiots that live here RACE will always be an issue . Racism exist in the US and almost every other country in the world to some extent . What I said IN THIS CONTEXT OF HURRICANE RELIEF was " IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE " . DONT twist my words or there meanings. Of course Race has something to do with it ..BUT it still has NOTHING WTF TO DO WITH RACE . Dont they speak English down under ?

 

[FoolKiller]

WTF! And Ledhead is saying rascism has nothing to do with it?! Maybe he just WANTS TO BELIEVE that there is no issue here, that everything is happy and dandy....

Slippery doesn't get it at all. The very fact that race is brought into the equation at all and has proven such a divisive and touchy issue among Americans proves in itself that these issues are real. Even the fact that we're talking about it validates the issue's importance.

I guess I am the only person on this forum that knows how to look up CNN's transcripts from their website. Here is the segment with Jack Cafferty where Wolf Blitzer makes the "so poor, so black" comment. The transcript for the show segment can be found here. As anyone who knows to look for more than just a soundbite can see it was an attempt to make it look like the relief efforts were hindered due to race and class, not Blitzer trying to be racist himself.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: It could happen. And with a couple of days' notice, as you suggested, it was taking shape and drawing a bead on the city, and we knew it was coming. And yet, the poorest and the neediest and the most helpless of those in New Orleans, well, they're still there, aren't they?

Despite the many angles of this tragedy -- and lord knows there've been a lot of them in New Orleans -- there is a great big elephant in the living room that the media seems content to ignore.

That would be until now. Slate.com's Jack Schafer wrote today in his column that television coverage has shied away from talking about race and class. Schafer says that we in the media are ignoring the fact that almost all of the victims in New Orleans are black and poor. And he's right. Almost every person we've seen, from the families stranded on their rooftops waiting to be rescued, to the looters, to the people holed up in the Superdome, are black and poor.

Many of them didn't follow the evacuation orders because they didn't have the means to get out of town. They just couldn't do it. A lot of them are sick. A lot of them don't have cars. A lot of them just didn't have the means to leave the Big Easy. And they're still there.

So here's the question: What role have race and class played in the Gulf Coast crisis? You tell us. CaffertyFile -- one word -- @CNN.com.

Wolf, we got something like 7,500 letters in the first hour of the program today. I thought we got a lot yesterday. We got about 6,000 letters over the course of the three hours yesterday. Seventy- five hundred e-mails poured in, in the first hour.

One of them suggested I could be tied up in IRS audits for years after the things I said about the federal government in the first hour.

BLITZER: That's all right. You have nothing to hide, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Okay, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Jack Cafferty.

I want to show our viewers some pictures that are just coming in. We're getting multiple feeds. These are live pictures you're seeing over here from the airport, New Orleans Airport, individuals being brought in by helicopters or planes. They have got an emergency medical facility unde rway right now. And New Orleans Airport has become a major source of attention.

These pictures over here, look at this. Individuals continuing to do what we've been seeing for days now, simply walking through the water -- we have to assume it's disgusting water, and rapidly becoming disease-filled water -- just trying to get to some location with what meager possessions they have. We see that picture over and over and over again.

As much as you see that picture, though, you simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals. As Jack Cafferty just pointed out, so tragically, so many of these people, almost all of them that we see, are so poor and they are so black, and this is going to raise lots of questions for people who are watching this story unfold.

We'll take a quick break.

More of our special coverage right after this.

Let this be a lesson to everyone, soundbites are bad, mmmkay? If all you ever hear or see is a clip then you don't have the facts or the meaning or anything else. Nine times out of ten clips like this are only used to press an agenda or increase ratings at someone else's expense.

The only joy I get from this is that Blitzer was attempting to make this a racism issue to make officials look bad and had it come back to hit him in the face. Now that he has had a taste of his own medicine maybe he will avoid this sort of thing, but I doubt it.

It should just be: "2 men looting a store." One of them may be black, one may be white. The story should be the same. I don't mind if everyone is looting or everyone is searching for food. The story should be consistent, and not purposefully highlight race in the incredibly loaded way those 2 pictures did. What a throwback to the cotton field days. I really thought America had grown up more than this.

Comparing two news stories from seperate news agencies is also bad, mmmkay? The pictures and stories in questions are from different news agencies. The one with the black woman carrying Diet Pepsi under her arm and a bag full of who knows what with a caption of people looting was from the Associated Press, The picture of the white man and what appears to be a white woman (but might be black) and has the caption about people finding food is from Agence France-Press. It isn't even agencies from the same friggin' country people! Now if you can find me two AP stories where one has a black person "looting" and the other has a white person "finding" food and both pictures show the people in question with nothing but food then I will listen. But for now it appears that one agency (or just editor/writer) prefers the term looting and another prefers the term finding. This could be a country difference because the French don't like the word looting or it doesn't translate back well. I don't know, but either way the comparison is severly flawed and anyone trying to make it is ignorant of the facts or they are trying to stir up trouble. End of story.

Do I need to send everyone copies of statistical analysis textbooks?

 

[Swift]

This media twist is about one thing and one thing only. Making Bush look stupid and evil. That's it. If John Kerry would've gotten elected, there wouldn't be this spin that there is right now.

 

[Touring Mars]

They were people accusing of the media being racist about the issue of black people looting and white people finding stuff. Well, maybe people are pretending to be blind but black people seem to be the ones looting all over the place. I just saw a video of black people, even police officers looting a walmart. Not taking food but electronics and clothes. Now what side should one take when the media seems to be right in this case?

For me it's not a question about racism... it's about poverty. The people who got left behind in New Orleans were the poor, who are predominantely black. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...demographic,1,6018097.flash?coll=chi-news-hed

However, insinuating that people are looting because they are black is racist. The only people looting are a subsection of those who got left behind. Those who got left behind are almost exclusively the poor and vunerable, who have nothing left. The fact that the poor are predominantely black means that the people who are looting are predominantely black. But America should be taking a long hard look at itself to ask why is it that it is the poor community who do not get the same opportunities (or the same treatment in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina) as wealthy people.

Also, even though I think the Bush administration's response (and more significantly) their preparation has been woefully inadequate, I don't agree that the furore would be less if Kerry was in power. They may have been better prepared, but I doubt they'd be that much better prepared to be honest. Kerry would, at this point in time, probably be getting it in the neck too.... but they'd both deserve it. This tragedy shows how ineffective small government is during a massive incident.... the buck has to stop with the President, and he does himself no favours by pointing the finger of blame elsewhere... it makes him look like the lame duck he really is... As Sydney Blumenthal pointed out last week, once it became a federal issue, it became the President's responsibility, and the federal response has been a shambles.

 

[Danoff]

For me it's not a question about racism... it's about poverty. The people who got left behind in New Orleans were the poor, who are predominantely black. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...demographic,1,6018097.flash?coll=chi-news-hed

However, insinuating that people are looting because they are black is racist. The only people looting are a subsection of those who got left behind. Those who got left behind are almost exclusively the poor and vunerable, who have nothing left. The fact that the poor are predominantely black means that the people who are looting are predominantely black. But America should be taking a long hard look at itself to ask why is it that it is the poor community who do not get the same opportunities (or the same treatment in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina) as wealthy people.

The wealthy people took care of themselves. The poor people chose not to (imagine that, they do that all the time). The government took care of almost noone, wealthy or otherwise - fairly evenly across the board.

Also, even though I think the Bush administration's response (and more significantly) their preparation has been woefully inadequate, I don't agree that the furore would be less if Kerry was in power. They may have been better prepared, but I doubt they'd be that much better prepared to be honest. Kerry would, at this point in time, probably be getting it in the neck too.... but they'd both deserve it. This tragedy shows how ineffective small government is during a massive incident.... the buck has to stop with the President, and he does himself no favours by pointing the finger of blame elsewhere... it makes him look like the lame duck he really is... As Sydney Blumenthal pointed out last week, once it became a federal issue, it became the President's responsibility, and the federal response has been a shambles.

I've explained several times, and posted several articles explaining why the buck has to be delegated to the local officials.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

But America should be taking a long hard look at itself to ask why is it that it is the poor community who do not get the same opportunities (or the same treatment in the event of a disaster like Hurricane Katrina) as wealthy people.

Because the Liberepublican Party places efficiency over equity.

This tragedy shows how ineffective small government is during a massive incident....

Exactly.

The wealthy people took care of themselves. The poor people chose not to (imagine that, they do that all the time). The government took care of almost noone, wealthy or otherwise - fairly evenly across the board.

So the poor "chose" to die, then? No. It's a lack of equity...

I've explained several times, and posted several articles explaining why the buck has to be delegated to the local officials.

Slaveholder's fought for state's rights too... I'd be careful with that one.

 

[Touring Mars]

The wealthy people took care of themselves..

Agreed.

The government took care of almost noone, wealthy or otherwise - fairly evenly across the board..

Agreed.

The poor people chose not to

Choice has nothing to do with it. Choice is (usually) a privilege that comes with wealth. Most poor people who were left behind did not choose to stay. They were forced to stay as they had no means to leave. What is truly sad is that no-one came to help them leave, even the sick and elderly.

 

[Danoff]

Because the Liberepublican Party places efficiency over equity.

Brian, that's sad. You should know better than to suggest that the libertarians and republicans are so similar. I find it offensive.

So the poor "chose" to die, then? No. It's a lack of equity...

They chose to be poor. They chose to be unable to help themselves. Yes, they chose to die.

Slaveholder's fought for state's rights too... I'd be careful with that one.

I'm well aware of that portion of American history. If you understand American government you'll understand the important role that state governments play.

This tragedy shows how ineffective small government is during a massive incident....

Exactly.

Take the "small" out of that line and I'm on board.