Blitzer on Katrina Victims: "They are so black" - Page 2

GateandGarden · #16 09-06-2005, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

These people are impoverished partly because of their race.

I know. I hate to make a generalization but I do think that the blacks who are (were...I really hate putting thing in past tense in reference to NO) living in poverty in New Orleans are poor because they are black. But what about all the poor whites in the Biloxi/Gulfport area?

WELSH WITCH · #17 09-06-2005, 01:26 PM

Quote:

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.

I don't think that the levee was blown up, water can be pretty distructive. My country has known that since 1953.
But I can understand why that man thought it was foul play. Just like you said they have been discriminated for so long, they just think like that.

I have to say that some images I have seen on CNN made me think. It looked like the caucasiun people were shipped out before the African American. And the rescue people not knowing about the huge amount of people at the confention centre is hard to believe too. It was one of the places people were supposed to go to.

Hopefully the government learned something.

dissention · #18 09-06-2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

But what about all the poor whites in the Biloxi/Gulfport area?

They certainly aren't poor because they're white.

GateandGarden · #19 09-06-2005, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

They certainly aren't poor because they're white.

I know that well. But my point in saying that was that it doesn't make sense to me to say it's all about race when those people are white and our president is white. I mean, sorry to sound so elementary. The difference is that those people are poor. But I see the indirect correlation--that the people in New Orleans are poor because they are black and that there is an unavoidable relationship there and has been for years and will be for years. But I can't help but keep pointing out that most of the people in Biloxi/Gulfport/the suburbs of it that were hit really badly, are white.

dissention · #20 09-06-2005, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I know that well. But my point in saying that was that it doesn't make sense to me to say it's all about race when those people are white and our president is white. I mean, sorry to sound so elementary. The difference is that those people are poor. But I see the indirect correlation--that the people in New Orleans are poor because they are black and that there is an unavoidable relationship there and has been for years and will be for years. But I can't help but keep pointing out that most of the people in Biloxi/Gulfport/the suburbs of it that were hit really badly, are white.

I don't think anyone on here is saying that it's "all about race," they're saying that race is a factor in it, just as their class is a factor in it.

GateandGarden · #21 09-06-2005, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

I don't think anyone on here is saying that it's "all about race," they're saying that race is a factor in it, just as their class is a factor in it.

I guess so. I didn't want that to be true so much.

gldstwmn · #22 09-06-2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

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.

Oh dear god. Horrible.

strandinthewind · #23 09-06-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Oh dear god. Horrible.

It was rumored to have been blown once before for that purpose, though that is not exactly true - It was blown for a variety of reasons, most of which I cannot remember now.

dissention · #24 09-06-2005, 02:19 PM

Howard Dean is on Randi right now.

SuzeQuze · #25 09-06-2005, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WELSH WITCH

I don't think that the levee was blown up, water can be pretty distructive. My country has known that since 1953.
But I can understand why that man thought it was foul play. Just like you said they have been discriminated for so long, they just think like that.

I have to say that some images I have seen on CNN made me think. It looked like the caucasiun people were shipped out before the African American. And the rescue people not knowing about the huge amount of people at the confention centre is hard to believe too. It was one of the places people were supposed to go to.

Hopefully the government learned something.

Anyone who says race wasn't a factor in this is naive at best. It is all so very disturbing. I'm not saying anyone thought, "those are black people we can take our time saving them" but the fact that they are black definitely was a subconscious factor in their inertia, IMO. They did not have a sense of urgency that they would have had if the people there were white and middle/upper-class. White and poor? That may have made them "only" wait 3 days.

I don't know.

SuzeQuze · #26 09-06-2005, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

Howard Dean is on Randi right now.

Dammit I missed this. Do you have time to give us a synopsis?

I am listening to her and Rhandi is saying the delay in action was due to fighting for control. The feds wanted control over the National Guard which the governor would not give them because they would only be able to shoot people as opposed to protecting them.

GateandGarden · #27 09-06-2005, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Anyone who says race wasn't a factor in this is naive at best.

I guess I am/was/pretty much always will be.

SuzeQuze · #28 09-06-2005, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I guess I am/was/pretty much always will be.

Hmm, I thought you decided that you saw the racist factor in this? At any rate, that was not in any way a dig at you.

GateandGarden · #29 09-06-2005, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Hmm, I thought you decided that you saw the racist factor in this? At any rate, that was not in any way a dig at you.

Oh, I know it wasn't directed at me. I can see the race factor now, but I was pointing out that I was being naive before, and then it occurred to me that I'm tragically naive anyway in other cases and ways and I don't see that changing.

reebokandlace · #30 09-06-2005, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

I guess I am/was/pretty much always will be.

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...."