Hurricane Katrina

[The Black Hand ®]

I wonder if the fact that New Orleans is 70% Black and Hispanic is any factor in the slwo responce

 

Not much doubt about that. If those were 17 year old blonde girls and 55 year old white CEOs stranded down there, I think things would have been just a little quicker.

 

I have a lot of doubt about that! I don't think race played any part in response time in this situation. There are plenty of caucasian people (and Asians, too) in Alabama & Miss. who are still awaiting more aid, too! They don't have the added misfortune of being trapped in NO, so they aren't getting the extra media coverage.

 

Not race so much as economic class, which happens to have racial implications.

 

I have no doubt whatsover that economic class and race are playing a part in this. Also, if the Presidents brother were Govenor, I think things would have gone quicker. I'm feeling a lot of shame for the way we handled this and I have absolutely no confidence in this President and this administration. Maybe tax cuts to the wealthy will solve this problem.

[october]

Maybe tax cuts to the wealthy will solve this problem.

 

Gotta love trickle-down economics!

[Ares]

I wonder if the fact that New Orleans is 70% Black and Hispanic is any factor in the slwo responce

 

Not much doubt about that. If those were 17 year old blonde girls and 55 year old white CEOs stranded down there, I think things would have been just a little quicker.

 

I have a lot of doubt about that! I don't think race played any part in response time in this situation. There are plenty of caucasian people (and Asians, too) in Alabama & Miss. who are still awaiting more aid, too! They don't have the added misfortune of being trapped in NO, so they aren't getting the extra media coverage.

 

Those caucasians and Asians are victims as well, but if it was Texas or a city that had less minoroties there woudl have (in my opinion been a faster responce)

 

Why for all that is good and holy has it take 5 days for the Goverment to repsond.

Why did they delay in allowing international assistance in?

[precodekeith]

 

I have no doubt whatsover that economic class and race are playing a part in this. Also, if the Presidents brother were Govenor, I think things would have gone quicker. I'm feeling a lot of shame for the way we handled this and I have absolutely no confidence in this President and this administration. Maybe tax cuts to the wealthy will solve this problem.

 

You want to enlighten us as to how RACE has been a factor in response time? Given that blacks, caucasians, asians, and hispanics (sorry if I missed anybody) have ALL been dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane?!

 

Did the Democratic Governor of Lousiana say, " ah, screw those people in NO, I won't need their votes!" Yeah, right!

 

Did the Pres say "Why bother helping NO, most of our oil comes through that port. Who likes oil?!" Sure!

 

This is a national tragedy & it whizzes me off to see partisan politics & finger pointing becoming the most important things on some people's minds.

 

You are so friggin' ashamed how the disaster has been handled? Fine:

1. Sell your comic collection & donate the proceeds to hurricane victims.

2. Open up your house to families displaced by the hurricane.

 

That should relieve you of some of the shame you are feeling!

[The Black Hand ®]

Your anger is quite telling. It's a lot like the "Swift Boat Attack Mode" your kind goes into after they've screwd up. The people who are suffering now were too poor or too old or too sick to evacuate themselves and the government didn't help because they weren't important enough. I've made a dondation to the Red Cross..Have you? I'm a combat veteran whose fought for his country... Are you? I also have a right to express my feelings and thoughts about these issues with having someone like you try to jump up my arse! And you know what, my comic books are on the bottom of my list of things that are important to me. I know how how to keep things in perspective.

[mica]

Your anger is quite telling. It's a lot like the "Swift Boat Attack Mode" your kind goes into after they've screwd up. The people who are suffering now were too poor or too old or too sick to evacuate themselves and the government didn't help because they weren't important enough. I've made a dondation to the Red Cross..Have you? I'm a combat veteran whose fought for his country... Are you? I also have a right to express my feelings and thoughts about these issues with having someone like you try to jump up my arse! And you know what, my comic books are on the bottom of my list of things that are important to me. I know how how to keep things in perspective.

He's not angry, he's frustrated.

There's a difference. I believe you've made your point. I'm pretty sure I follow and have read your posts.

Thank you for serving the country.

[The Black Hand ®]

I understand. Thank's for being a calming voice. I'm going to back off of this subject. I may have gone too far with my anger. Sorry all.

[skybolt]

A good chunk of our salaries is already being taken by the government to respond to tragedies like this. So on top of the income, food, property, etc. taxes that we pay every year, should we also give them the rest of our pay checks as well? If that's the case, then why do we need a government at all?

[precodekeith]

It's a lot like the "Swift Boat Attack Mode" your kind goes into after they've screwd up.

 

My kind? What would that be? American?

 

The people who are suffering now were too poor or too old or too sick to evacuate themselves and the government didn't help because they weren't important enough.

 

Wait a minute! You said they weren't helped because of their race! Make up your mind! Oh, and your right, why would the government think the people of the nation's largest oil port were important? That would be silly, wouldn't it?

 

I've made a dondation to the Red Cross..Have you?

 

YES!

 

I also have a right to express my feelings and thoughts about these issues with having someone like you try to jump up my arse!

 

And I have just as much right to "jump your arse" when you come to a public forum dedicated to comics & use it to exploit national tragedy to play the political blame game...

 

 

And you know what, my comic books are on the bottom of my list of things that are important to me.

 

Guess you won't mind taking my suggestion & selling them off for relief funds to ease your "shame," then.

[october]

 

I have no doubt whatsover that economic class and race are playing a part in this. Also, if the Presidents brother were Govenor, I think things would have gone quicker. I'm feeling a lot of shame for the way we handled this and I have absolutely no confidence in this President and this administration. Maybe tax cuts to the wealthy will solve this problem.

 

You want to enlighten us as to how RACE has been a factor in response time? Given that blacks, caucasians, asians, and hispanics (sorry if I missed anybody) have ALL been dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane?!

 

Did the Democratic Governor of Lousiana say, " ah, screw those people in NO, I won't need their votes!" Yeah, right!

 

Did the Pres say "Why bother helping NO, most of our oil comes through that port. Who likes oil?!" Sure!

 

This is a national tragedy & it whizzes me off to see partisan politics & finger pointing becoming the most important things on some people's minds.

 

You are so friggin' ashamed how the disaster has been handled? Fine:

1. Sell your comic collection & donate the proceeds to hurricane victims.

2. Open up your house to families displaced by the hurricane.

 

That should relieve you of some of the shame you are feeling!

 

Last time I checked, the government was the one responsible for policing the populace, preventing/dealing with disasters, and making sure things run smoothly in general. That's THIER JOB. I should have to sell my possessions to finance disaster relief because the government dropped the ball?

 

As far as every race being involved, have you seen the television broadcasts? 99% of the people I have seen stuck down there are black. That's just a fact. Read into it what you will. I am not saying there was some secret racist government agenda, but as usual, the poor are screwed over and, as usual, the poor are almost all black.

[ft88]

October,

 

The problem i have with the argument that - Its the job of the government is that we then rely on them to "take care of us" If there were less federal government from the beginning the self relience and/or neighborhood relience would be the natural order of things. I think it would work better. Not anarchy, not zero law enforcement - just more localized responsibility all the way down to the individual.

 

Here's an article (from a right leaning website) that describes the issue a little bit

 

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/js20050824.shtml

[precodekeith]

[ I should have to sell my possessions to finance disaster relief because the government dropped the ball?

 

Andy, this was not serious. It was a shot at the "I'm so ashamed at how this was handled- who can I blame instead of how can I help" mentality.

 

As far as every race being involved, have you seen the television broadcasts? 99% of the people I have seen stuck down there are black. That's just a fact. Read into it what you will. I am not saying there was some secret racist government agenda, but as usual, the poor are screwed over and, as usual, the poor are almost all black.

 

Obviously I have seen the broadcasts, they are all I have been watching since the whole thing started. True, in NO proper 99% are black, but what about the other cities and states? Have you not seen that coverage? Caucasians, Viet Namese immigrants, etc. They are in NEED TOO!

 

I refuse to believe that a Democratic governor would purposely be slow to help "black people," and I don't think a president would puposely delay aid to the nation's largest oil port because 99% of the victims were black.

[skybolt]

October,

 

The problem i have with the argument that - Its the job of the government is that we then rely on them to "take care of us" If there were less federal government from the beginning the self relience and/or neighborhood relience would be the natural order of things. I think it would work better. Not anarchy, not zero law enforcement - just more localized responsibility all the way down to the individual.

 

Here's an article (from a right leaning website) that describes the issue a little bit

 

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/js20050824.shtml

 

The problem with a scenario like this is how many people will actually pick-up that responsibility. I don't want to be working 5 times as hard while 80% of the community is slacking off. I don't mind paying taxes as long as the money is used properly by the government.

[october]

October,

 

The problem i have with the argument that - Its the job of the government is that we then rely on them to "take care of us" If there were less federal government from the beginning the self relience and/or neighborhood relience would be the natural order of things. I think it would work better. Not anarchy, not zero law enforcement - just more localized responsibility all the way down to the individual.

 

Here's an article (from a right leaning website) that describes the issue a little bit

 

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/js20050824.shtml

 

It's a good idea, but like Skybolt said, people are seemingly incapable of pulling their fair share in a communal or self-reliant type of environment.

[The Black Hand ®]

Just back from giving a pint of blood at the mobile blood bank. You know, I'm curious precode... I've been active in search and rescue, I've served in the military and helped with hospital charity functions, donating time and money. What have you done in an active way to serve and protect your country?

[Psylocke Smythe-migration]

I look at it this way, could things be handled different, yes. Should they have gotten more people out before the storm, yes. Should the response to the disaster be faster, yes. Could the levee's been upgraded to withstand the cat 5 hurricane, yes.

 

But the problem with all the of the above is that hindsight is 20/20, the coulda, woulda, shoulda, are all nice and stuff, but the whole area was smacked hard. It is very easy to arm chair quarterback this thing and say, this is how it should be handled, but unless you are there and stuck in the middle, we really don't know what is happening that is not being showed on the news to get stuff to the people who need it. I don't think that the US has seen this type of disaster in a long time.

 

Right now we have people in these areas, that are doing their best to help those that are still in NO and other people trying to help others in the other states that were affected. It does not help that are are people taking advantage of what is happening and firing on the resuce people. I can understand taking stuff that you need to survive or protecting your own, but when people start taking TV's, Stereo's, jewelry, and the like, is where I draw the line.

 

In my opinion, there are a lot of people on both sides that are using the news for political gain and blaming race and other factors for what is happening. I just wish they all would shut the hell up and get their butts down there and help, instead of calling press conferenses and condeming the relief efforts.

 

On a brighter note, I did find out from a friend who I have known for about 8 years due to FFB and an online mux game, that lived in NO, is ok, but it sounds like his place is underwater.

 

Psy

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

In my opinion, there are a lot of people on both sides that are using the news for political gain and blaming race and other factors for what is happening. I just wish they all would shut the hell up and get their butts down there and help, instead of calling press conferenses and condeming the relief efforts.

 

I concur wholeheartedly. This is a disaster beyond anything this country has ever seen. Thousands dead, a rescue and recovery of well over $100 Billion (my estimate, but very likely), 90,000 square miles of devestated coastline...its really unimaginable.

[Larryw7]

saw a report about a fancy hotel evacuating it's people in SUV's, refusing to remove any luggage to make room for people who weren't guest. This included women and children who were wandering the area begging for help.

 

 

That something like this could still happen in this day and age just makes me sick.

[DevilBat-migration]

Just back from giving a pint of blood at the mobile blood bank. You know, I'm curious precode... I've been active in search and rescue, I've served in the military and helped with hospital charity functions, donating time and money. What have you done in an active way to serve and protect your country?

 

I'm curious, Black Hand, what does your inane question have to do with the subject of race being the reason for relief delay, which I believe was why PCK posted in this thread?!

 

BTW - didn't you say you were going to bow out for awhile? I can see you are clearly not a man of your word.

[DevilBat-migration]

blaming race and other factors for what is happening. I just wish they all would shut the hell up .....

 

Amen!

 

I believe the response would have been as slow no matter the ethnicity of the victims! (Take a look at Alabama!) We just weren't prepared!

 

Saying that things were slow due to NO being mainly black is simple minded and ignorant!