Blitzer on Katrina Victims: "They are so black"

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I took a class many years ago called Ethics 101. Because of everything that is going on in NO, I took the textbook Race, Class and Gender off my book shelf and started reading it again.

Here is an except:

"Racism shapes everyday social relations......White people deny racism in many ways. Failing to take a stand against racism, refusing to admit racism, acknowleging only extreme racism, and expressing anger at Black people who point out racism are all strategies of denial...."

Is that posted directed at me? (Had to ask).

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

I took a class many years ago called Ethics 101. Because of everything that is going on in NO, I took the textbook Race, Class and Gender off my book shelf and started reading it again.

Here is an except:

"Racism shapes everyday social relations......White people deny racism in many ways. Failing to take a stand against racism, refusing to admit racism, acknowleging only extreme racism, and expressing anger at Black people who point out racism are all strategies of denial...."

But, then that begs the question of how much is fact and how much is truth and how much is reciprocated. They had interviews with older white people at the Convention Center who claimed that they were scared for their lives because the black people were threatening them. How much of that is learned behavior on both parts? How much of that is just because the people threatening them were just jerks? Racism is a fascinating and sad topic as it is so interrealted with actual real life experiences. Hopefully, one day mankind will get past it, though it has not for several thousand years.

[reebokandlace]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

Is that posted directed at me? (Had to ask).

No No No ....just in general.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by reebokandlace

No No No ....just in general.

Oh, okay. Thanks for clarifying.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

But, then that begs the question of how much is fact and how much is truth and how much is reciprocated. They had interviews with older white people at the Convention Center who claimed that they were scared for their lives because the black people were threatening them. How much of that is learned behavior on both parts? How much of that is just because the people threatening them were just jerks? Racism is a fascinating and sad topic as it is so interrealted with actual real life experiences. Hopefully, one day mankind will get past it, though it has not for several thousand years.

I hope that mankind will, too, but as you said, that hasn't worked out so well so far.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I hope that mankind will, too, but as you said, that hasn't worked out so well so far.

Well, it has gotten a lot better - in fact I suggest much better - but it needs to get better. Personally, I think it will never get better until the resentment (on all sides) caused by prefential treatment of minorities is erased and replaced by poverty being the standard, but that is another argument for another day.

[reebokandlace]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

But, then that begs the question of how much is fact and how much is truth and how much is reciprocated. They had interviews with older white people at the Convention Center who claimed that they were scared for their lives because the black people were threatening them. How much of that is learned behavior on both parts? How much of that is just because the people threatening them were just jerks? Racism is a fascinating and sad topic as it is so interrealted with actual real life experiences. Hopefully, one day mankind will get past it, though it has not for several thousand years.

I agree Strand. "There are so many questions, about love, about pain, about strained relationships..."

The interesting thing is, the RACES of man have been separated by mountains and/or water for thousands and thousands of years, (think about it) only to trade commerce via ships, leaving a few adventurers (or conquerers) here and there. But never in the history of mankind have we thrown together all the races in one land mass/one government and said 'ok now everyone play nice'. The United States is the first to attempt this. Is it working?

[golddustwoman77]

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

From CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Thursday, September 1, 2005
"and they are so black"???!??? What the freakin' hell is that supposed to mean! Can you imagine if Bill O'Reilly or someone at Fox News would have said this?

Actually, I can't imagine anyone saying it. It is wrong no matter who said it---Democrat or Republican!

But I love how you are trying to draw attention from the real point at hand, how "W" and his adminstration, especially FEMA, dropped the ball on this! It is sad when "W" CAN come up with enough money to fight a war and rebuild another country, but he said that he couldn't come up the money to enforce the levies when Louisiana asked for it or evacuate people during a major disaster on our soil in a reasonable amount of time. Can we say the Republicans' priorities are messed up?

[Johnny Stew]

I didn't want to create a new thread for this, but I just read it on Yahoo News and wanted to share it. Seems like a good addition to this thread, so I'll post it here.



Barbara Bush: It's Good Enough for the Poor
John Nichols
Tue Sep 6, 1:08 PM ET

The Nation -- Finally, we have discovered the roots of George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism."

On the heels of the president's "What, me worry?" response to the death, destruction and dislocation that followed upon Hurricane Katrina comes the news of his mother's Labor Day visit with hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston.

Commenting on the facilities that have been set up for the evacuees -- cots crammed side-by-side in a huge stadium where the lights never go out and the sound of sobbing children never completely ceases -- former First Lady Barbara Bush concluded that the poor people of New Orleans had lucked out.

"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them," Mrs. Bush told American Public Media's "Marketplace" program, before returning to her multi-million dollar Houston home.

On the tape of the interview, Mrs. Bush chuckles audibly as she observes just how great things are going for families that are separated from loved ones, people who have been forced to abandon their homes and the only community where they have ever lived, and parents who are explaining to children that their pets, their toys and in some cases their friends may be lost forever. Perhaps the former first lady was amusing herself with the notion that evacuees without bread could eat cake.

At the very least, she was expressing a measure of empathy commensurate with that evidenced by her son during his fly-ins for disaster-zone photo opportunities.

On Friday, when even Republican lawmakers were giving the federal government an "F" for its response to the crisis, President Bush heaped praise on embattled Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown. As thousands of victims of the hurricane continued to plead for food, water, shelter, medical care and a way out of the nightmare to which federal neglect had consigned them, Brown cheerily announced that "people are getting the help they need."

Barbara Bush's son put his arm around the addled FEMA functionary and declared, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Like mother, like son.

Even when a hurricane hits, the apple does not fall far from the tree.

[dissention]

That cold bitch should be placed in there for a night or two and then she can tell us how comfortable it is. There's a special place in hell for that sick, sick thing.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by dissention

That cold bitch should be placed in there for a night or two and then she can tell us how comfortable it is. There's a special place in hell for that sick, sick thing.

She's the best argument for forced sterilization that I can come up with.

[SuzeQuze]

For a couple of weeks before the hurricane hit I was dating a black man. A wonderful, spiritual, beautiful black man. I saw racism here and it made me feel sick. On this scale I am still in shock and cannot even comprehend it. It's like America has this awful, gaping wound right now and those people, those beautiful people as Diss said. How could they be foresaken?