Racism or classism?

[OneGrassRoot]

Not even sure if that's a word.

I've been thinking about this a lot. My initial thought was that it was pure racism, even if subconscious and not overt, that led to this criminal negligence.

I agree with everyone who says there's no way we can even imagine white people stranded in those conditions. No friggin way.

However.....I started thinking about how my racist RW family thinks.

I then pictured the majority of those displaced and trapped down there, in plain site around the Convention Center, being what so many lovely Americans would call "trailer trash." Not-so-great grammar, waiting for the government check that doesn't arrive until the first, mixed-race kids, etc.

Now, believe me, this makes me want to puke just typing it. I'm not for handouts either....but I'm more angry at the Ken Lay's of our country than the genuine lazy opportunists living on Welfare. And those list of qualifications I just typed I did from trying to get into a racist's mind (now I need to shower).

But I honestly believe that the response still would have been dismal, though perhaps - just perhaps - a bit swifter.

That leads me to believe a lot of it is classism, along with racism.

It's a given that if it were white, middle-class folks stranded, they would have been there Monday night. But, as we know, middle-class white folks wouldn't be stranded, because they have the means to get out.

[deutsey]

1. It is "bothism"

King had it right when he said the real systemic problems in this country are rooted in class and race.

In fact, I personally believe the powers-that-be knocked him off when they did because he was expanding his focus to take on issues of class (the "Poor Peoples Campaign", for example), and the unjust war in Vietnam, which, of course, was all tangled up in issues of class and race, as well as imperialism.

[iamjoy]

2. Class, Not Race

but a greater proportion of blacks are poor.

There is some racism, but it is more subtle, like the Yahoo photos referring to whites taking supplies from a grocery store as "finding" and blacks as "looting"

But as far as not heling the people, I feel that is more class. When you have the FEMA director (or was it Homeland Security) saying these people had to take some responsibility for not evacuating, with no concept of that people may have not had the means...

[OneGrassRoot]

5. So, I wonder how this may affect military personnel?

Since many are minorities themselves, from the lower-income families.

Could be another interesting piece of the puzzle to this pending (I hope) revolution.

[liberaliraqvet26]

3. yeah i agree it's both...

Mississippi took 3 days to get fed also

[Libby2]

4. I think it's both n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Both, not one greater than the other. Both.

[Lindsay]

7. I think it's both,

with a huge helping of ignorant ass-hattery.

The have no concept of how the have-nots live. Nor do they care.

[FormerRepublican]

8. It's even worse than that.

In my opinion, it's Sociopathy. They literally don't care about others.

Yes, there is classism involved. Yes, there is racism involved. But it goes far beyond that.

They actively engage in criminal negligence to support their mental perversion. They believe they have absolutely no responsibility toward others in society whatsoever. Given the opportunity, they would contribute NOTHING to society (unless it paid them, of course). At the very same time, they believe they are the most important thing in the universe and should have everything they desire.

Very like the dreaded N(azi) word.

Locked in a gas chamber or a Convention Center without food or water - the result is the same. State sponsored mass murder.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. As far as the Administration, I absolutely agree............

I guess I'm wondering more about the Bush supporters.

[Meldread]

9. It is 80% Classism and 20% Racism.

Don't fool yourself into thinking that if they weren't rich, Black voting Republicans that the Bush Administration wouldn't have been so quick to save them. Could you see Condi stranded on a roof somewhere for five days or trapped in her attic with water to her neck?

No, it's mostly because they were poor and that combined with their race made it worse. They were people overlooked in life and they will be overlooked in death. Most of them will never be able to rebuild. At least part of them will learn that the streets will become their new home. After all, if they couldn't afford to leave the city do you honestly believe they could afford insurance on their home? Flood insurance?

Most of them most likely only have a High School Education, which in this country doesn't amount to much. Jobs are scarce as it is. FEMA is going to be stingy about what they handout and where. Those people will never be able to rebuild and will likely be trapped where the government drops them off.

[kdmorris]

15. It's even worse than not being able to afford insurance

I would think a vast majority of these people didn't own their own homes. Many lived in government subsidized housing or just rented their homes. So I would think that most of them didn't have insurance. They don't even get the choice to rebuild or not. They are at the mercy of whomever actually owned their homes.

So, they really are left with nothing. That must be the most desperate feeling in the world. I can only imagine and I'm sure my imagination can't do justice to how horrifying life is for those people right now. I was once on welfare, living in government subsidized housing, but it was never taken away from me. I have never been forced to stay in a filthy, hot building and not allowed to leave, with no food, water, or even a toothbrush.

But the answer is, it has more to do with class. That being said, the "poor" class is made up of a greater percentage of minorities. Had this happened to me when I was still terribly poor and living on welfare, they would have forgotten me, too. But, since I'm white, I would not have been shown on TV. By showing just blacks, it stirs up Americans' racism and makes the victims seem less sympathetic. If they had showed a majority of the victims as I was in that situation (a white woman with three pretty, blonde, white daughters), there is NO WAY this country would have allowed us to sit there dying. There's a lot of people like that in MS and AL.

I notice that they don't show anyone from MS or AL. And everyone in America follows the lead of the media and says, "It's just in NO". It's not though. The thing is that there is a larger mixture of poor whites and blacks in MS and AL, so if they show them on TV, they WILL look more sympathetic. Can anyone in this country honestly convince themselves that they would not have "looted" in this situation? Because everyone I've talked to has pretty much said "Hell, yeah, I'd have taken food and water".

I know without a doubt that, were I in these people's situation, I would definitely have broken into whatever store I could find to save the lives of my family, even now, when I'm not as poor anymore and own my own house.

[tedoll78]

10. Classism, BUT..

the statistical correlation between race & class is there.

[madrchsod]

11. class

and not all "black and white" middle class people left but you`ll never see them on tv...

[thefloyd]

13. Classism and Votism

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. More Class Than Race

A poor black person and a poor white person have much more in common than either would with a rich white or black person...


The problem is some poor whites vote against their class interest because of race...

As an aside, you are seeing the poorest of the poor.... Over sixty five percent of African Americans live above the poverty lines...

We still have a way to go....