Am I the only one who gets a chill up their spine

[HEyHEY]

Watching news reports that show all of these terrible things... and that they are all black people?
I can't help shake the feeling that if there were more white people in there more would be being done. I understand the situation, and I understand it's difficult...but how did it ever come to this? Would Bush deny aid if a bunch of wasps were in there? It reminds me of the Shatila massacre in Lebanon, Israel stood there watching as all these people died. I know that's a dramatic example... but it's just spooky.

A few days ago, I posted something about feeling that I didn't care as much as I should, and that may be because of polarization causing a lack of identification with the victims. At the time of that post the death toll was very low and reports made it seem like there was some flooding and a lot of destoyed houses, but that was all. Now this sitaution has turned so horrible I can't fathom it.

And what I think I'm seeing is upfront, and obvious racism.
Anyone else?

[Rick Myers]

1. Amen!!!

It is shocking to think that this is the nation where I grew up! It's obscene, it's sick! And WHERE THE FUCK IS GEORGE?????

[BlueJac]

2. I know you are not alone

Some of my friend are crying watching the news tonight. CNN has been fantastic with Anderson Cooper. This has affected so many of us. I feel mad and sorry for the people. Mad at the government, for not being totally committed to helping all people in need.

[HEyHEY]

4. There better be some heads on platters when this is done

[Ladyhawk]

38. I hope so, but nothing touches this admin, it seems.

So, they have low approval ratings...that doesn't get them out of office any sooner. :(

[FloridaPat]

3. I don't get the chill, but the idea has crossed my mind quite a few times.

Starting when they frisked the people going into the Super Dome on Monday. Of course, it could also be because it's not an election year. * was real prompt last year with help here in Florida. Although I can't tell you how it went here in Central Florida because I had no electricity for 3 days after the first hurricane and 11 days after the 4rd one - the worst one to hit me. But it seems to me the ice, water, and food arrived the next day.

[nickinSTL]

5. absolutely

and, as I understand it, when the media has shown white people taking stuff from stores, they've called it something like, "scavenging", "finding", something innocuous...when it's blacks, it's "looting".

Disgusting.

[HEyHEY]

6. Good point

[wysi]

17. Bartcop...

... has a graphic illustrating this on his page today.

www.bartcop.com

[libertypirate]

7. Yes and it is pissing my white ass off...

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Add my white ass in that group.

:grr:

[HEyHEY]

15. I'll slather up the sunscreen on my behind and add it to the group

[sexybomber]

18. Mine too

[Cleita]

8. Not poor white people, but if the hurricane had struck without

warning and those middle class people who left town had gotten trapped before they could leave, you can be sure a helluva lot more would have been done.

[StClone]

9. Not all but overwhelmingly...WHY?!

Why are there so many poor in this great country...why wasn't there an investment to prevent this disastrous levee break...why was there no planning for a Cat 4-5...why was response so slow and inaduquate...this is America and we are no better equipped than any third world country apparently!

[HEyHEY]

12. I heard funding to improve the levee was asked for

But because so much money had been put into homeland security, it was denied. That is only what I heard though

[wli]

27. very well documented fact, numerous posts with numerous URL's on it n/t

[Bouncy Ball]

10. Even Wolf Blitzer, of all people, commented on that on CNN today.

Can you fucking believe that?

Here is his quote (he put it in an odd way :

"These people are so poor, so black, this is so unbelievable."

[physioex]

21. I heard that too....

And I thought it was kind of strange.....

[sue_66]

13. you are not alone

It was obvious from the beginning. It doesn't surprise me, just hurts like hell to realize how much an issue race still is.

[niallmac]

14. Agreed. Is anyone thinking more about Sept 24 like I am? n/t

[distantearlywarning]

16. Yeah. It's sad but I wondered that too. n/t

[expatriate]

19. I understand your anger and frustration

and in many ways I think that you are correct. But what I see more, having lived in New Orleans for many years, is poor people - because the poor population of New Orleans is largely black.

My son is down there, if he's still alive, and he's poor - and he's white. Yet he would matter even less to the powers that be because he is hopelessly mentally ill. He's what many people call "human refuse". He's the person who upsets people when they see him. He's the person who is invisible in American society.

So I can't just see this as racism, though I do feel that it's a definite factor. I see it as an Administration that simply dismisses a large sector of society as expendable, because of their situation. If you are unfortunate, poor, sick, in need - you don't matter, and they don't care how many of you get rubbed out.

[ofrfxsk]

20. That thought has crossed my mind numerous times today

If this was a huge group of trapped middle class whites, you bet your butt more would be done by now. I don't think I've ever been this angry in my life.
They are letting these people, American citizens die! I want to know why! This is beyond criminal at this point.

[Biased Liberal Media]

22. When 9/11 happened * didn't hesistate to do what he could

It happened where?

Pentagon
World Trade Center
Flight 193 crashed into a field in PA

Think of it. Race, class, and status.

Then we have NO.

Predominantly black & poor.

* hesistated. I completely see this as a racist and classist issue.

[miss_kitty]

24. You're right, when 9/11 happened * didn't hesistate to do what he could

As soon as he was done reading that book, and flying around 'in hiding' on Airforce One for most the rest of the day.

[Biased Liberal Media]

25. Well yes, but the man was in front of the camera

offering whatever means to help 9/11, almost instantly.

Where was he on Monday?? Oh that's right, he was eating cake & playing guitar.

[noiretextatique]

23. this regime has been very clear about its racism

i am not the least bit surprised. i want so badly to ask bill cosby if THIS is a part of what he meant by "black people not relying on goverment?" it seems the bush administration heard him loud and clear: black people aren't "ordinary citizens," and therefore do not deserve the benefits of ordinary citizenship. yes...the message couldn't be clearer.

[tnlefty]

40. Let's not forget Condiliar, taking in a play and then shopping for

$2K pair of shoes! Doesn't seem to bother her in the least that her State Dept. turned down aid that was offered Mon./Tues. I think I read earlier that now that she's finished with her fun, she's reconsidered and foreign aid isn't such a bad idea after all.

This is clearly classism/racism on steriods on display for all to see.

[Eloriel]

26. No, you're not the only one who noticed

A classist/racist tragedy...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4531590

Katrina Exposes Racism
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x152045
Link: http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=8625§ionID=10

Racism - if it was white people on the roofs...........
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4552081

Wolf is getting it....Jack is getting it....we KNEW this was going to
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4557241

Well well well well well, would you look what made it to Snopes!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4562212
Link: http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/looters.asp

[wli]

28. I said it was racist on the air on Ray Taliaferro's show last night. n/t

[Redstone]

29. No. Absolutely fucking not. How many of the police and firemen

and National Guard people down there do you suppose are black?

A lot of them. And the white ones are working as hard as they can, too.

And bushyboy and them are MUCH more conderned with their PR image than could possible be overcome by racism.

They're not racist, they're just fucking stupid.

Redstone

[Biased Liberal Media]

35. NG will follow orders as necessary

that still doesn't mean that actions are not racist.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that they are poor, as well.

[LisaL]

30. Who knows?

[one_true_leroy]

31. the most telling fact of all...

go over to Free Republic, and look at the blatantly racist and genocidal posts over there and realize that these were the voters that Bush, Inc targeted and have selected as their most zealous fan-base. I really believe now that Bush would rather do nothing and let that city and it black and poor population die, especially since it's an either-or situation... either NOLA or Iraq? (and we know which one has the oil). he's is adamantly NOT the 'humanitarian' president, but a sociopathic and delusional 'war' president, and i believe he has no more concern for NOLA than he would for a fire-ant bed. He truly represents the worst of America, as evidenced by his most ardent fan-base.

[Chovexani]

32. Welcome to enlightenment

It's a lonely place.

[Just Me]

33. It's right there,...right there for the whole country and world to see.

Are our eyes lying to us? :cry: I think NOT!!!

The VAST majority of those ABANDONED people are black and poor! :cry:

This is BLATANT PROOF of the economic and social disparity in our country.

It's right there,...right there for the whole country and world to see.

It's right there!!!

[Aviation Pro]

34. What this proves....

...completely is that the U.S. is unprepared for any kind of disaster, natural or man-made. I'm sure the terrorist networks are taking note of the chaos and utter incompetence of our government as BubbleBoyBush drools all over himself.

New bumper sticker for the upcoming election: Bush/Cheney Out In 2007. Vote Democrat.

[Terran]

36. Racism can ultimately explain why so many Black folks were left behind...

but I think over all, once you establish that, the rest just follows as an unfortunate chain of screw-ups by the Bush administration. Bush cronyized FEMA, sent all the National Guard to Iraq, and cut funding for hurricane preparedness...all of which leads to the circumstances we now have. The people who have been subjected to those circumstances are the ones who couldn't afford to leave the area, and they happen to be mostly African-American.

So, in other words, I'm seeing racism, yes, but it's the expected racism of America for the last 150 years, which ensures that Black people will always get the shitty end of the stick in almost any situation.

[Must_B_Free]

37. I can't help but feel that way also.

How can racists have that much insitiutional power though? Is there a conscious effort to just kill the poor off?

[Clintmax]

39. You're probably right...

I have been watching footage of it also and have been thinking the same thing. So many of them my heart breaks!

[newswolf56]

41. More class warfare than racism -- extermination of the poor with...

genocide-by-neglect -- an extreme expression of the same policy manifest in the Bush Administration's methodical destruction of the social safety net. Where blatant racism factors into the equation is in the public's seeming indifference to the black victims: note the (reported) lack of charitable contributions when compared to the tsunami response. This is probably also a partial explanation for the lack of political outcry over Bush's outrageous delays in providing relief.


Edit: addition of last sentence.

[really annoyed]

42. Yep

Amen. I can't even express my sadness at this moment... When I see children and babies crying on the television, I just want to cry forever.