It's almost time for Hurrican season...
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Posted By: bob Brown on July 06, 2007 Hurrican Katrina http://www.broadcaster.com/clip/254 It is virtually impossible to witness the harrowing scenes coming out of America's Gulf Coast, without being stunned by the imagery of destruction, loss, and desperation. When you looked at the photo’s from New Orleans of a white person with a shotgun, you thought to yourself, 'he’s defending his property.' But when the news flashed a picture of a black person with a shotgun, you thought to yourself, 'this guy is a Looter.' Mainstream America too often demonizes the term OTHER, because we've been conditioned to do so. And because it's easier to put people in a box and then shove the box in the corner, away from view. It then becomes their problem, not ours. To talk about race, and how the event of Hurricane Katrina impacted African Americans and their culture; let’s first open our eyes to what this event brought to us, and to the African American way of life. First of all, Katrina blew open the box, putting the urban poor… front and center, with images of once-invisible folks pleading from rooftops, wading through flooded streets, starving at the superdome and requiring a massive federal outlay of resources. Just watching our dead flouting down the streets and wheelchairs pushed up against the walls, and blankets thrown over still bodies. The OTHER is there, staring us in the face, exposing our issues on an international stage. It is at once an embarrassment. How did we go from can-do, to can't-do-for-our-own? How do we stop ignoring the folks in the box, the inner-city destitute, and realize that their fate is ours as well? In New Orleans, you are dealing with the permanently poor -- people who don't have jobs, which are not used to getting up and organizing themselves and getting things done, and for whom sitting and waiting is a way of life. Rapper Kanye West declaring at a concert fundraiser for victims, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." He said America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, and the less well-off as slow as possible." In the worst-hit area of New Orleans, 70 percent of the residents are black. Officials did not respond with more sensitivity because most of the people who stayed were poor blacks, who did not have the resources to leave their home." The history of marginalizing black folk in America, especially poor ones, runs so deep that it occurs like second nature. That’s the reason the response to the devastation of Katrina was so slow. The devastation brought by Katrina revealed the deep chasm that continues to exist between Americans on the basis of race and class. For days leading up to landfall, the nation's media warned people to drive away from the areas of lowest elevation, which were susceptible to flooding. It's easy to tell other people to take personal responsibility for their own safety, but not so easy to do that when you don't have your own vehicle, and don't have the money (or credit card) for an out-of-town hotel room, and know that if you evacuate and you're wrong, you'll lose a few crucial days' pay. Ironically, America's response to the predicament and suffering of Katrina's victims has been eerily reminiscent of that of a Third World country. You only have to look at the faces of the victims to understand why they haven't been instantly helicoptered to dry ground, why they have been allowed to languish like animals in a crowded Superdome with no sanitation, water, or food, why there has been no outpouring of offers from concerned citizens to host them in their homes. I have been haunted by the images of those suffering and drowning in a deluged city. If there is one useful purpose that this monumental tragedy can serve, it would be to raise American consciousness about the "Third World" nation that lies within its boundaries. If America is to claim moral superiority in imposing its high ideals of freedom and democracy around the world, it needs to first serve its own "have-nots," not only in this disaster, but for the long term. If we are lucky, the flood waters of Katrina will wash away some of the ’60s-era illusions that fed today’s dysfunction. Honest observers will recognize that this natural disaster, which hit the nation so hard, was set up by the man-made disaster of a counterproductive welfare state. I realize a lot of people want to blame others for the number of lost lives. But I believe that instead of placing blame’ our energy should be, for now, to focus on saving people. Later on, the government can come up with a better evacuation plan and states can start their own education on preparation for such an event. But for now, Americans and the other countries of the word - have a much more important task - to make sacrifices for Katrina victims. Terrible experiences can really change a society. The society will become better, and the individuals will have more knowledge of their place in society and in their abilities. I cannot imagine the downfall of a society when such a thing happens as Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina showed us all the frailty of life, the smallness of man, and the vast powers of nature. It showed us that the storms raging in our souls, in our psyches, can be just as deadly and dangerous. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
Comments
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Sup Bro, want to give credit where due and appreciate the knowledge you choose to share for people. Keep up the work Bro. Sincerely William Saturday, July 7th 2007 at 5:04AM |
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Thanks for your comments, I see that you are doing a lot to keep this site upholding, keep doing what you're doing to help us become better people to our people. Again thanks.
Sunday, July 8th 2007 at 3:55PM |
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NIcely put for a tragic historical event. I am from the Atlantic Coast and have witnessed the horrific accounts of a hurricane but to experience Katrina is on another level. Thank you for giving a blatant account of the ills that we as America face especially in areas such as LA that aren't fortunate to be on the higher end of socio economics. God Speed on your personal pursuits of seeking answers. This was a good start.
Monday, July 9th 2007 at 10:08AM |
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Thanks for your comments, I too have been in several Hurrican's like Hurrican's Hugo, Gloria, and Calvin to name just a few and I know for a fact that the American people should take this event seriously and have thereselves ready for anything that may come up in the near future. As Americans, we are inundated with polls that tell us how ignorant we are about our own government and what our nations would do for us. One of the most dispiriting was a Poll released after Hurrican Katrina, that showed respondents were more familiar with the Three Stooges and the Seven Dwarfs than with the U. S. Government, and the people of New Orleans. We need a change, and we need it now. Monday, July 9th 2007 at 12:30PM |
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From your letter, you've only saw what they, want you tosee of New Orleans, La., take a visit , and you'll see MORE, of what they don't want you to see, it's HORRIBLE, I lived there, owned property,and eventually went back to take care of business. I moved to Atlanta, Ga., and met some nice people (my new neighbors), and they went back to New Orleans, and helped me and my husband, move my belongs to Atlanta, we showed them around town, and they couldn't believe there eyes.(THERE WORDS WHERE), they show you what they want you to SEE...TV), we were BLESSED at meeting this couple, we we're in a situation were we, didn't know what we were going to do, and how, but without them (Chandra & Mark),we would be lost in a new city, without out a paddle, and sinking in a large pool. We appreciate all the GREAT PEOPLE in Atlanta, Ga. and say "THANK YOU", you opened your HEART'S and some your HOMES, we "APPRECIATE IT", you will always be in our "HEARTS", put yourself in our shoes, WHAT' WOULD DO"? We're going forward and trying to put our LIVES TOGTHER, and move on. All , I ask to remember, we still trying to put closure, on a bad situation, even though we're still dealing with problems on us from New Orleans, live goes on and i can,t stop saying to people in Atlanta, Ga. Thank you, you're in our Prays.
Friday, August 3rd 2007 at 10:44AM |
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