Kanye West adds more fodder to racial divisions over Katrina

from JoeUser Forums
Just so everyone can get themselves prepared, Drudge is reporting that Kanye West opted to take more than a few swipes at anything and everything and try to claim huge differences in the treatment of Blacks compared to Whites in the relief efforts.

I know there's been a rash of race related discussions here at Joe User lately, I hope that people are ready for another one after these comments hit the main stream media (or even if not there, but instead are picked up by Fox News and other sources that won't try to sugarcoat this away).
politics
8,622 views 25 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hahaha...I'll be surprised if very many folks on here know who Kanye West is.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'll be surprised if very many folks on here know who Kanye West is.


Could be a good question, but he's made similar incendiary (sp?) claims in the not to distant past. (Check my prior blog articles for at least one such reference).

Drudge had a few other headlines referring to racial issues as well though, and it seems that we are in the post hurricane racism still divides the country cycle. Sad but true.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
The "rap" industry is mostly responsible for this kind of behavior we are seeing anyways.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hahaha...I'll be surprised if very many folks on here know who Kanye West is.

Kanye West is the incendiary entertainer who has called for an end to 'gay bashing'.
Link
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'll be surprised if very many folks on here know who Kanye West is.


I do...though it was quite by accident when I came across that name...it was during the music video, "Diamonds" (at least I believe that's the name).

What's the deal with all the race stuff? Everytime something happens it's because the white people did it, or the black people did it, or the hispanics did it...*gah*...it's annoying....

~Zoo
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
What's the deal with all the race stuff? Everytime something happens it's because the white people did it, or the black people did it, or the hispanics did it...*gah*...it's annoying....


Family Guy has a word of advice in this situation:

"Peter, you need to stop worrying about color so much. If I did, would I have banged your white great granny?" -ghost of Nate Griffin
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
and it seems that we are in the post hurricane racism still divides the country cycle. Sad but true.


Just like looting, it only takes a few.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
I wonder if any of these "leaders" who are so quick to jump on the race baiting bandwagon include the fact that all the authorities in the New Orleans area are Black. Are they willing to accuse Mayor Ray Nagin of racism, or are they merely going to pick and choose who they'll blame, just to fit their bigoted agenda?
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
are they merely going to pick and choose who they'll blame, just to fit their bigoted agenda?


I think you are right on the money here Para.... I saw Al Sharpton on with Tucker Carlson tonight, and Sharpton was on another race tirade, blaming Pres. Bush for the lack of relief. Tucker quickly agreed that there is blame to be laid at the feet of several levels of government here, but race had nothing to do with it. Sharpton then asked if Tucker thought this lack of relief would have happened in West Palm Beach, to which Tucker agreed that it wouldn't. Tucker clarified that this atrocity wouldn't have happened there because the people there are wealthy. They are wealthy whites, blacks, and latinos. Sharpton wasn't having it... he INSISTED that class wasn't the problem here, but rather race was.... Way to be a leader and help bring the country together to help these people there Reverend.

The fact is that it is the poor that suffer. Sure, there are a disproportionate number of blacks that fall into this category in New Orleans, but there are still a fair number of whites and other races there as well, and they are suffering just as much... why? Because they are poor. Unfortunately, you get the shaft when you are poor in this country.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
all the authorities in the New Orleans area are


Are helpless, just like me.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Are helpless, just like me.


The point is, the authorities of New Orleans were not helpless, their was a lot that could have been done in preparation for this catastrophe. The magnitude of the disaster obviously overwhelmed the infrastructure, so I am not blaming the mayor for any of the destruction or outcome. I am merely pointing out that he is throwing a lot of accusations around, while making plenty of excuses, and not providing much leadership.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Mayor of New Orleans (black) sends busses to evacuate tourists from a big hotel downtown. They are bussed to the dome, where the thousands of people who have been waiting for 3 days to get out are told to "get back". The people from the fancy hotel are added to the FRONT of the line, they fill up the buses, and the poor (mostly black) people are told they'll have to keep waiting.

Race? I think not, unless the (black) mayor is a closet whitey.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
I think what many black people do not realize is that we have actually come a long way.

Yes there are still problems and yes we fill most of the poor category, but it is becoming more and more about class then race and I think we need to see that.


I heard about the situation with the buses and the tourists and I am sure many will think racism first because we are just used to it being racism, but it was class and money. Tourists bring money and just like in the tsuami, the tourist were helped first or given priority.

Class and money.


West Palm Beach?
LOL

Guess what? West Palm Beach could have been all black socialites and it would have gotten more relief. Nobody would be shooting at helicotper either (its amazing what education and wealth can do when in situations like this), you wouldn't have thousands of people, you would have hundreds (there are no projects in West Palm Beach), better biult houses, levees, and even the money to exist during the clean up...

IN FACT I WOULD SAY that this would not happen in West Palm Beach because much like New Orleans, the rich live mostly on higher ground.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Amazingly, IWON.com had some reports about this issue this a.m. I haven't seen anything via the normal channels that grab news headlines from say Reuters, USA Today or other places. Hmmm, I wonder why.


Meanwhile, the reports that Mayor is frustrated at slow response from Bush don't seem to mention at all that the same Mayor never bothered to order the school buses (now shown in pictures sitting in pool of water) from the area to load up people and get them out of town before the storm arrived.

For all the crying that it's a poor city, with poor people that can't afford to travel, etc., why wasn't public transportation (such as school buses) used?

Because the mayor is an incompetent boob.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
but it is becoming more and more about class then race and I think we need to see that.


Exactly. I've been saying this for a long time. Just so happens that the blacks are at the bottom of the class structure. And, no it's not their faults. It's about having access. It's all about money. Without access and money, you go nowhere, unless you're very lucky. And, that's the case with whites, too. Except, as I said, blacks and people of color make up most of the bottom, and therefore take the misplaced blame. And it's about whities who blame blacks for their predicaments, without anything other than their hate and ignorance to back it up.

As we all know, most inner cities are predominantly black. Had this happened in NYC, I'm not sure it would have been much different. Or, Miami. Or, San Francisco. Or anywhere. Maybe, variations of people of color, rather than just blacks, but people of color do make up most of the inner cities. It's about jobs, not needing cars and high insurance expenses, transportation availability, etc. It's ALL about class and money. And access.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
Because the mayor is an incompetent boob.


There is a lot of blame to go around. I'm sure an investigation will ensue, as it should. I'm not defending the mayor. I don't know. But it seems he got absolutely no assistance at all from the feds, who were either vacationing, missing, or preoccupied with Iraq. There is a whole lot of blame to go around.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
And it's about whities who blame blacks for their predicaments, without anything other than their hate and ignorance to back it up.


Not at all. It is mostly their fault if they are poor or can't get a job. It's all about people like, who just like them, blame everybody else for their situation.

There is a whole lot of blame to go around


But of course you and col won't blame anybody but Bush.
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
The only time I'd ever heard Kanye's name was seeing it in the lineup for the NFL Kick-Off Show. After the lovely Rolling Stones. Ugh. Link
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
Great post whip.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
LW I don't see what was wrong with what I said. Once the tourists from the hotel got to the dome, they had access to the same amount of food and water as the rest of the "refugees". At that point everyone was equal. The fact that they jumped over sick and dying people is the problem.

People were bussed from the hotel and added to the FRONT of the line at the dome. Thereafter, people have died there. A pregnant lady gave birth at the dome yesterday and the baby died. AFaIaC, the Mayor is culpable for those deaths by not establishing some sort of triage.

I'm thinking of writing an article once I find a good linkable source. So far I have only heard about it on TV.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
to the idea of putting all these people in the dome in the first place.


I may be mistaken, but from the concert it seemed that Noew Orleans was spared the brunt of Katrina, and it was not until hte levees failed that the floding started. The dome was the perfecrt place if you thoughtthe levees would hold.

You are rigt about the mandatory evac. He shold have commandeered any public transport and used them to get people out. There is a picture on Yahoo that shows rows and rows of school busses tire-deep in water.

IG
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top

Kanye West is the incendiary entertainer who has called for an end to 'gay bashing'.

While promoting racism.  Interesting.

Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
While promoting racism. Interesting.

Bigotry is so exhausting. Only the most energetic can cope with more than one prejudice at a time.
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Because the mayor is an incompetent boob.



Exactly... I wonder if the people of NO think that?
I sure do.

It is becoming very clear that he did not do his job at all. He knew what was coming and it was him who mad a mandatory evacuation 24 hours before the stormhit. 24 hours??? Give me a break!
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Bill O'Reilly just did a segment on West's comments. He said NBC censored West on the west coast. I bet O'Reilly didn't. What's the difference?