Blitzer on Katrina Victims: "They are so black"

[Brwn_eyes0511]

From CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Thursday, September 1, 2005, covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina:

BLITZER: "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."

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"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?

[Mari]

About this, I heard on a dutch news show last night they're evacuating black people now mainly while the white inhabitants of NO are allowed to go back to their homes. They actually interviewed a white guy while he went back to his house, who did confirm this happening. As if they're trying to export the poverty now they've a chance?! It's only theories but very strange anyway.
edit, Uh yeah, I just equated black with poverty, that's not exactly pc. On second thought, it wasn't I who did that.

[DownOnRodeo]

Another interesting tidbit:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/looters.asp

[Dreammms]

Originally Posted by DownOnRodeo

Another interesting tidbit:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/looters.asp

wow. what bull****.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Brwn_eyes0511

"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?

You seem to be under the false impression that people believe the reporters and on-air "talent" at CNN are better than the ones at Faux News. Out of that entire channel, the only ones that I can think of who are marvelous journalists are Christiane Amanpour and Anderson Cooper. Wolf "Leslie" Blitzer is just as bad as the scum on Faux, maybe worse because he actively tries to come across as unbiased.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by DownOnRodeo

Another interesting tidbit:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/looters.asp

Kanye West made reference to this when he went off-script during a telethon to support the victims of Katrina.

"I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. If you see a white family, they're looking for food."

[Livia]

I could listen to Christiane talk all day, I love her accent - and she is awesome!

I'm not sure if they were joking or not, but the morning show DJ's here mentioned Shrub's latest blunder...something like, "We need to give them a tidal wave of compassion."

[WELSH WITCH]

Originally Posted by Mari

About this, I heard on a dutch news show last night they're evacuating black people now mainly while the white inhabitants of NO are allowed to go back to their homes. They actually interviewed a white guy while he went back to his house, who did confirm this happening. As if they're trying to export the poverty now they've a chance?! It's only theories but very strange anyway.
edit, Uh yeah, I just equated black with poverty, that's not exactly pc. On second thought, it wasn't I who did that.

I saw that too. At the end of the item the guy said he now understood the anger of the black people and believed that they were helped too late on purpose.

[chiliD]

Ok, so who DIDN'T consider how the relief effort would be different if New Orleans & Biloxi were 80-85% caucasians instead of being that percentage of African-American.

It is just painfully obvious.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Ok, so who DIDN'T consider how the relief effort would be different if New Orleans & Biloxi were 80-85% caucasians instead of being that percentage of African-American.

It is just painfully obvious.

Last I checked, Biloxi is nearly 80-85% caucasian.

[DavidMn]

I'm REALLY white. Guess I need to go to the tanning booth.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by DownOnRodeo

Another interesting tidbit:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/looters.asp

Yeah that one is pretty gross. I will chalk up Leslie Blitzer's comment as a slip of the tongue.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by WELSH WITCH

I saw that too. At the end of the item the guy said he now understood the anger of the black people and believed that they were helped too late on purpose.

It is very difficult to believe otherwise although I hope it was not that sinister. I'm completely freaked by it all. A black man from the worst hit district was describing how he escaped to a nearby bridge in his truck which he stayed on. I don't think there was anywhere to go once he got up there. But he said that he believed that the levee was blown up in the poor area to save the rich area. He was convinced of this. I guess when the levee broke it sounded like a huge explosion. There is nothing to back up this claim but it just shines a light on how these people are so used to being discriminated against that they will believe this.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

It is very difficult to believe otherwise although I hope it was not that sinister. I'm completely freaked by it all. A black man from the worst hit district was describing how he escaped to a nearby bridge in his truck which he stayed on. I don't think there was anywhere to go once he got up there. But he said that he believed that the levee was blown up in the poor area to save the rich area. He was convinced of this. I guess when the levee broke it sounded like a huge explosion. There is nothing to back up this claim but it just shines a light on how these people are so used to being discriminated against that they will believe this.

That's what I think it's about--poverty, not race. I have a hard time with people saying it's a race issue when I know that most of the people in MS are white and it was MS that took a direct hit. And I will be one of the first to play the race card, too. I've done it many times. I just don't think it's the case here. I think this is a matter of class.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

That's what I think it's about--poverty, not race. I have a hard time with people saying it's a race issue when I know that most of the people in MS are white and it was MS that took a direct hit. And I will be one of the first to play the race card, too. I've done it many times. I just don't think it's the case here. I think this is a matter of class.

These people are impoverished partly because of their race.