Posted on 09/04/2005 6:25:47 PM PDT by CreviceTool
What If They Were White?
NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2005
(CBS) The fact that many of those suffering most in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are poor, and black, has outraged a lot of people. Justifiably so, in the opinion of CBS News Sunday Morning Contributor Nancy Giles. Here is her commentary from Sept. 4, 2005:
After meeting with Louisiana officials last week, Rev. Jesse Jackson said: "Many black people feel that their race, their property conditions and their voting patterns have been a factor in the response." He continued: "I'm not saying that myself."
Then I'll say it.
If the majority of the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were white people, they would not have gone for days without food and water, forcing many to steal for mere survival.
Their bodies would not have been left to float in putrid water.
They would have been rescued and relocated a hell of a lot faster than this. Period.
I mean, reporters and crews are getting to stranded people, and government and military agencies can't? Why doesn't CNN run FEMA?
When I saw pictures of black people taking things from stores, my first thought was: "How are those Air Jordans necessary for your survival?"
Then it hit me: People needed shoes and clothing. Some escaped the floods with just the clothing on their backs
We have American citizens, not "refugees" from an underdeveloped country, still waiting for shelter.
Waiting.
Waiting.
You leave children, pregnant women, the elderly, even the able-bodied, in a city destroyed with no help, no food, no water, no electricity for three, four, five days? What would you do if your family was starving, and you saw people dying in the street?
And why didn't the stores in the disaster areas simply make their goods available to these desperate folks? Surely, they've got insurance.
Love thy neighbor. Didn't I read that somewhere?
The real war is not in Iraq, but right here in America. It's the War on Poverty, and it's a war that's been ignored and lost. An estimated 37 million Americans are living in poverty. New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the country, with 40 percent of its children living in poverty. Mississippi has the highest poverty rate of any state. We've repeatedly given tax cuts to the wealthiest, and left our most vulnerable American citizens to basically fend for themselves.
The whole world is watching. And once again, a day late and a dollar short, words of wisdom from our president: "This is a huge task that we're dealing with." "These are tough times." "Give cash."
Once again, he finds the photo op: Some black folks to hug, some white men in Mississippi to bond with. He flies over the messy parts of New Orleans, waves and leaves.
The president has put himself at risk by visiting the troops in Iraq, but didn't venture anywhere near the Superdome or the Convention Center, where thousands of victims, mostly black and poor, needed to see that he gave a damn.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
"What If They Were White?"
The exact same thing would have happened (and did) to whitey if they were stupid enough to not leave when told to do so.
What If They Were Yellow?
12000 Vietnamese refugees, most of whom came here broke, live in NOLA and most were devastated like the rest. Do we see any of them race baiting? So we see any of them complaining? Do we see any of them whining about having to live in squalid conditions for a few days instead of being dead in their homes? No. Why not?
Oooo! Oooo! I know the answer to that one! They would have graduated from high school and possibly college, married before having children, not lived in the sixth or ninth wards, and when told to evacuate a city below sea level before a Catagory 5 hurricane was to hit would have followed instructions and left town.
When scripture said, "God helps those who help themselves," I don't think that meant God helps those who help themselves TO...somebody else's merchandise!
Am I also to understand that Rev. Al, Nancy Giles and all the others claiming racism and favoritism are going to reach deep into their pockets to help alleviate all that misery? What amount can I put you down for, Ms. Giles?
I made the exact same comment to my husband today while watching the coverage. Then I had the misfortune of turning to CNN (I know, I know) and saw them interviewing Jesse Jackson. Contrast his rhetoric with the response Rice gave today concerning the rescue effort.
It's hard to rescue someone who is taking potshots at you.
How would the media react if they were black? Would jackson or sharpton have been there? Would the white people then have been looting instead of finding?
What people like this Nancy person will do for money.
But since seeBS and the others are forcing us down that road, let's imagine that the victims had been white. Would they have been shooting at their rescuers? Not likely. Would they have waited for Uncle Sam to bring a Greyhound bus outside and carry their TV to safety? Not likely. Would they have raped women and children in shelters and terrorized the weak to steal their food and water? Hah.
I really invite the left to explore the difference between the outcome in NOLA and in the predominantly 'white' areas which were even more devastated by the storm. Come on, let's take a closer look. You'll not like what you find.
Amidst the slandering of President Bush and the majority of Americans, you'll find a generous outpouring of help and aid and sincere sympathy. Amidst the race-baiters and demagogues you'll find only racial hatred and class warfare designed to tear this country apart and demand reparations for crimes that we are not guilty of.
Hurricane Katrina by its magnitude brought upon us a disaster that surpasses easy answers and quick solutions. But we're working and giving and doing our best, bending over backwards to relocate and support those least likely to support themselves. This is the true spirit of America.
Those that would use this natural disaster to sow the seeds of racial hatred and for political gain are detestable to the extreme. They shall reap what they sow.
Talk about a mind numbed robot who marches in locked step! Nancy is one of them who spews the crap.......
What if the Mayor of New Orleans were white?
Dear Nancy, I'm cured of "white guilt" thanks to you and your poverty pimp pals. You donate and I'll do what you accuse me of doing-that will be just watching.
I saw it this morning and I fired off this email to them. Not that those race baiter's care. But I wanted to voice my disgust for them anyway....
My email to CBS Morning Show......
I saw your race baiting Bush bashing tripe that you put on this morning and I want to tell you people that you are the most disgusting excuses for human beings that I could ever imagine to air such hate! This country has been going through one of the worst times in our history and at a time when we’re all trying to pull together, a time when all our hearts are breaking for those poor people down there AND WE DON’T CARE WHAT COLOR THEIR SKIN IS!!!!!!! But all you people can think to do is play your little race baiting game so you can bash Bush?? You people are so beyond belief!
We have the internet you know. We know there are two sides to this story! We know that President Bush "PERSONALLY" called Gov Blanco and appealed to her for a mandatory evacuation of the city well before the storm came inland. But she waited. We also know that there were over 400 school buss she could have used to evacuate the poor but she didn't do it! She didn’t evacuate the poor, she sent them to the super dome! Why? God only knows!! Oh! But the Mayor could buss his people out!! But not the POOR!! NO! They just let those buss set there until they were covered in water!!!!!
And you know what? We also know that when school buss were sent from other areas to help evacuate those poor suffering people after the storm that for some unknown stupid reason they were ordered to stay 20 miles outside the city for TWO DAYS!!!!!! People were suffering!! People were dying!!!! Yet they wouldn't let the buss go in to get them out!! Try getting those two, The Governor and the Mayor to explain themselves and why they made those buss set for TWO DAYS before you go off with your hate filled race baiting tripe!!
But for me, I’m done watching anything, ANYTHING on CBS because you people have shown that you don’t care about those poor people at all. All you care about is trashing Bush! And you’ve just shown that you’d do anything, anything including tearing this Country apart just so you could do that! Well, guess what? Bush isn’t running for election again. So get off your trash mouth race baiting Bush bashing and give a damn about the people of this country for a change!
Yeah Mayor Nagin. What the hell were you thinking not helping a brother out and sitting on your ass instead of evacuating? Giles disgusts me
The hurricane wouldn't have hit them.
If you would like to see what would have happened if those in NO were white, then look to what hapened in the MS gulf coast. Of course, then THIS would NOT have gottens the coast-to-coast, wall-to-wall coverge by the MainStream Media.
It's not a matter of race.
It is a matter of personal responsibility. Some of us prepare for emergencies and plan ahead.
Some plan ahead for an emergency in the next month. Some people plan ahead for their children's college. Some people people plan ahead for next Saturday night.
It is not color -- it is drive, discipline and individual responsibility.
IMO - flame away
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