Racism In America

[Danni]

Well, Bush doesn't like black people as clearly demonstrated in his inability to DO anything during Katrina (I still wonder how in the hell the Canadian Mounties got to NOLA before the National Guard). If you bring up Condi's name, that [!@#$%^&*] sure as hell don't care about her own people with her ass shucking and jiving for Bush.

[Actor87]

Okay....so you expect me to believe that Bush doesn't care about black people? What about whites? Asians? Mexicans? Italians? Jews?

I'm sure there were millions of each of the above categories suffering in N.O., but somehow Bush just overlooked all them and made it a point not to help the blacks?

By Kanye West saying that Bush didn't care about black people, it not only strengthened the media's idea that all N.O. consisted of was blacks, but it made him look like an un-patriotic butthole.

I personally think that there were alot of people to blame for all the heartache and devastsation left in the wake of Katrina...and later, Rita. The thing we should be doing is finding out how WE can help, not pointing fingers at others like second graders, saying "Oooh, they didn't help!!"

Bush helped as much as he could. Okay, so he might have not done everything in his power, but he's human. Not Superman. He can't clean up a whole entire hurricane-battered city in just a few months. It takes years. Like I said, we can sit and point fingers all day long and blame all the turmoil of Katrina on this person, that person, your best friend's dad, etc. But it still won't get us anywhere.

[Danni]

Let's face facts here. NOLA is not some diverse city as people like to think it is. NOLA was a predominantly black city. Trust me, if NOLA had been predominantly middle class white (which it will be in a couple years), Bush and co. would've stepped in much quicker. After all, look at all of the hurricane relief that went on in Florida the year before.

Bush didn't do [!@#$%^&*] until the damage had been done. You can't tell me that he did all he could do, when he got the National Guard in Sri Lanka in 36 hours after the tsunami hit. The Canadian Mounties got to NOLA before Bush even acknowledged that there was a problem. And then to wait five days to even realize that there's something wrong! What president does that to his own country?

You best believe that it won't get cleaned up in a few months. Hell, if it had been cleaned up so quickly I'd say that it's possibly the first altruistic thing that Bush has ever done in his life. But then this is Bush we're talking about. When it comes to giving his boys a helping hand, he'd do it. NOLA is prime property for the major real estate developers. It has been for a long time. Only obstacle in their way is the black homeowners. Those homes are intentionally not being cleaned up to act as a deterrent. Keep it in the shape it's in, why would they want to come back to rebuild? The big time developers can step in, raise property value, and NOLA becomes a rich white city.

[Actor87]

That hurricane didn't do jack-crap compared to Katrina. Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters our country has ever seen!! There's no comparison between the hurricane in Florida comapred to Katrina. No competition whatsoever. Katrina left behind more damage than.......I mean, it flooded a whole friggin' city for goodness grief!

Okay...first off, when did we start talking about tsunamis? I thought we were talking about hurricanes.

Secondly, part of the reason that it "took Bush so long to recognize there was a problem" was because Blanco and all the other higher powers in Louisiana assured him that they had it all under control and that there was no problem.

SINCE WHEN? Last time I checked, New Orleans was comaprable with the gates of hell. Drugs, sex, violence, looting, ..........

And you may think that the city of New Orleans is occupied with all blacks, but it isn't. There are still hundreds, maybe even thousands of [other culture] homeowners that are still repairing their homes, picking up the pieces. Unless the "major real estate developers" plan on clearing out the whole city to build a big outlet mall or something, I'm not seeing what you're meaning here. Plenty of whites lived there when I was last there.

Ummmm....last time I checked, the people that wanted their houses cleaned up...were doing it. The people that didn't want their houses anymore because they either moved or died or what not....weren't.

Depending on Bush to send out people to clean up homes is just bullcrap. Hey, why he's at it. Send some National Guard troops to do my yard work, maybe make a few beds, possibly dust the living room down

Oh, but....if they don't come, I'm definitely gonna get up off my lazy, fat butt and do it myself. Beacuse it's my home. My responsibility.

[Danni]

That still doesn't explain why they waited five days before they said, "Oh, [!@#$%^&*] there's a problem down there and we need to do something about it."

Were you not watching the news back then? It was the one thing that was brought up so many times. How could Bush have the national guard in Sri Lanka in 36 hours, but wait 5 days before they're in NOLA? What a way to deflect the question. Even if Blanco was saying some mess about how there was no problem, which I highly doubt she was saying since bodies were floating all over the place, all he had to do was turn on the news to see how bad it got. Oh wait, I forgot. He doesn't watch the news.

Because New Orleans is as you described as the "gates of hell" (yeah, like some predominantly white cities are just a million times better), the property is cheap. Buy a plot for about $20K, build a nice house, sell it for $1 MM. Who's going to be able to afford that? Not the black people who were displaced by Katrina. The rich white families will buy them up. With the increase in prices for homeowners, there'll be an increase in property tax, which goes into funding of public institutions.

Cleaning up decimated houses is not the same as doing yardwork. Their homes where DESTROYED! If it wasn't completely leveled by the hurricane, the subsequent water damage and mold will make it uninhabitable. That's not something where two people can just pick up wood after wood or brick after brick and just toss it in the trash. It needs to be cleaned up in a particular way, but guess what? That costs money. Now, taking into consideration that insurance will not cover any damage with the whole wind vs. water claim, and that there are no jobs in New Orleans. How do you expect someone who is already living in the lower class bracket to pay for it themselves? Oh, right. They have to get off their fat, lazy butt to do it. Ugh.

[Bree]

Danni, you seem to think that 99.9% of the people in the US are racist when it comes to everything. Don't you think it's time to stop over-generalizing?

Don't forget that Ray Nagin, a black man, screwed Lousiana in the butt many times over when it came to Katrina. He's an embarassment to the state, to New Orleans, and to the race in general. I cringed when I heard his comments about "a chocolate city" and his comments about NYC and 9/11. It's because of men like him and Kanye West that predjudiced non-blacks think we do nothing but whine and expect others to help us out all the time.

Over 400 years has passed since slavery. Don't you think it's about time we started doing things for ourselves and to stop whining for someone else to give us a break because of our color? If we want to be on the same page as everyone else, we have to stop begging for special treatment and crying racism all the time when things don't go our way.

[Danni]

Not really because quite frankly I do think that a majority of white people are racist (I am not getting into the racism vs. racial prejudice discussion because I just do not have the time or the patience for it).

I have issues with Nagin, but he told the truth about NYC and 9/11. Ground Zero is nothing but a bureaucratic hole in the ground now. Notice how just a few weeks ago they found human remains over five years after it took place? Why shouldn't Nagin want NOLA to be a "Chocolate City". After all, wasn't it a predominantly black city that's rich with cultural history? Is it so bad that he doesn't want a city that he was born and raised in to lose its history and become a highly gentrified white suburban area?

Let's get some timeline history straight. Slavery was abolished in 1865. The Jim Crow laws were in place during Reconstruction, which lasted until the 1900s. The Civil Rights movement was ONLY 40 years ago. Do you seriously think that we're magically equal to white people and that institutionalized racism has disappeared? Wake up! We're just as segregated now as we were back in the 1950s. There is a huge disparity of black people in college. There's a huge disparity in funding for predominantly black schools. Contrary to what Bill Cosby thinks, it's not as simple as "doing things ourselves", especially not when there's an institution in place designed to keep black people and any other minorities from reaping the benefits that whites get.

[KBT]

One of the best posts I have ever read on SON! Bravo Bree!

It's black people like you who I can't stand. I am white and sure as hell not a racist, but no matter I say you won't believe me. If I were racist towards blacks school would have been hell. There were just as many black people in 5th and 6th grade and also in high school where I went. I have worked with at least 50 other black people and have many friends who are black. If I were racist this wouldnt be true.

Your comments during the Duke Lacrosse scandal had me wanting to choke your a.s.s, you automatically assumed the white people got away with rape of a black girl and no one cared because the female was black. Well now that the facts are out, your assumption was way off. The b.i.t. ch was a liar, but because she was black you assumed she was the victim. If the roles were reversed you would have defended the black guys accused of rape and called the white girl a liar. Be honest, you know ya would. Everytime I have brought up stuff with color you seem to go off, well guess what not everyone is against blacks. Don't even get me started with the Black Panthers going on Duke's campus trying to defend some piece of sh.it girl before ANY facts were given, that was so uncalled for. And no I cant stand the KKK, so dont go there.

One of the best posts I have ever read on SON! Bravo Bree!

It's black people like you who I can't stand. I am white and sure as hell not a racist, but no matter I say you won't believe me. If I were racist towards blacks school would have been hell. There were just as many black people in 5th and 6th grade and also in high school where I went. I have worked with at least 50 other black people and have many friends who are black. If I were racist this wouldnt be true.

Your comments during the Duke Lacrosse scandal had me wanting to choke your a.s.s, you automatically assumed the white people got away with rape of a black girl and no one cared because the female was black. Well now that the facts are out, your assumption was way off. The b.i.t. ch was a liar, but because she was black you assumed she was the victim. If the roles were reversed you would have defended the black guys accused of rape and called the white girl a liar. Be honest, you know ya would. Everytime I have brought up stuff with color you seem to go off, well guess what not everyone is against blacks. Don't even get me started with the Black Panthers going on Duke's campus trying to defend some piece of sh.it girl before ANY facts were given, that was so uncalled for. And no I cant stand the KKK, so dont go there.

[Danni]

I don't care if you can't stand "black people like me" (which shows your racism anyways, but whatever). I've learned how to deal with people like you who think that they're completely not racist because they have [insert random number] of black associates/friends/neighbors. Besides, even if you were overtly racist, you may be physically attacked in 5th and 6th grade, but in the long term you won't be affected because you don't have to associate yourself with POC. You don't have to befriend them. You don't have to go out of your way to do any of it. Whether you decide to or not is your choice. It doesn't make you any less racist, especially with your first statement.

Now, with the Duke Lacrosse scandal, I still believe that the stripper was raped. You cannot tell me that they those guys, who lied about how many people were going to be at the party were just going to have a jolly good time with the boys and some strippers. Give me a break. They certainly did not have any good intentions that night, and what matters is that she's moving forward. If there's anyone who's lying and has the most to gain by lying, it's Miss Kim Roberts. The fact that she's hired 5WPR for her spin team is highly suspect, and that [!@#$%^&*] had liar written all over her face during the 60 Minutes segment. And please tell me how it's wrong for the BP to defend the victim, but it's okay for people to defend the three scumbags without there being a trial? Give me a break.

I had no intentions on bringing up the KKK until you did. Now, what does that say about you?

[Bree]

Oh boy, here we go again. "Black people like you" is not a racist statement. Neither is "white people like you." It's negative, but not racist.

Danni, you're coming off the prejudiced one here in this thread. Both whites and blacks here were not condoning Kanye West's stupid outburst until you came on and started playing your race card again. You know, enough is enough.

[Marilyn_M]

IA! Lets be real here. Its not just white people who are racists. Black people can be just as racist too. I don't think that we should get a free pass to be racist just because of slavery and the fallout from it. That would make us no better than the people who hate us and therefore not accomplishing a damn thing. We need to take a stand and not let the pass cause us to have tunnel vision.

Now, Kanye had a point, HOWEVER it wasn't the time or place for it. They asked him to come and do something and I don't believe that included giving his personal opinion that would ultimately lead to controversy. He should have stuck to what was important and not playing the blame game. It just wasn't the time for it. If he wanted to put it out, why not put it in an album or something like that? It would have cause controversy yes, but it would have been more appropriate. Maybe he did it then just to get some attention and knowing if he put it on an album he wouldn't get the attention he wanted. Why do it at a time when its not needed? Instead of just talking, he should have thought about what he said.

[Danni]

Black people and other racial minorites can be racially prejudiced, but only white people can be racist. Why? Because racism carries power along with the racial prejudice. I can call a white person slurs until I'm blue in the face, and it won't affect the overall power structure that racism has created.

Back up, Bree. How about you read my statements in regards to what Kanye said about Bush? I think he's an egotistical SOB, and what he did at the MTVE Awards was childish. However, when he called out Bush, I thought it was the smartest thing he has done. He said what undoubtedly millions of black people think about him.

Bigger question: Why should appropriate matter when it came to a situation like that, when there's mass desperation and nothing being done? Would you call Nagin inappropriate for cursing up a storm when he was begging for help?

[Marilyn_M]

Oh wow! That has to be the most incredible thing I've heard. That is outragous!

[Marilyn_M]

Oh wow! That has to be the most incredible thing I've heard. That is outragous!

[KBT]

The BP were there faster than the supposed victim even said rape, they just need some excuse to go bully people. Come on Danni, BP or the KKK or any other group like these people arent needed. The alleged "victim" has cried rape before(sometime in the 90's) and dropped that case as well because she is a liar. Take your colored glasses off and look at the facts. Just admit if the roles were reveresed you would be on the 3 black guys side, saying black men are always wrongfully accused. Have you even atteneded parties, the number of people who are suppose to be at a party is usually always wrong. Word of mouth gets around and parties usually have double the amount of people it was suppose to originally have.

And again no matter what I say you assume yet again I am racist. Hello, if someone is racist they don't talk to them or associate with them. That's why I bring up having black friends, if i were racist I wouldn't want or talk to black people, yet alone let them enter my house. Of course I don't like some black folk, but that goes for all races. Your posts no matter the subject are 9 times out of 10 negative, so I am sorry your life sucks so bad and you feel like the world is againsy you. I don't care for people like you, no matter your skin color.