Subj : Re: Um...no comment?
To   : Frank Reid
From : Daemon
Date : Wed Sep 07 2005 23:49:00

  Re: Re: Um...no comment?
  By: Frank Reid to Angus McLeod on Wed Sep 07 2005

 > that reality.  In fact, it might be postulated that government "dependency"
 > actually manifested itself in this disaster.  I've heard a figure that one i
 > three New Orleans residents lives below "poverty" income levels and receives
 > some form of government subsidy, e.g. welfare, food stamps, etc.  Could ther
 > be a correlation?

  Could be, Rabbit.  Could be.

  Beyond that, though, there's an assertion of internal racism that I actually
have a little hard time even trying to swallow.  The city's - what - 63%
African American, and the local government is (if I'm not mistaken) almost
entirely so.

  If a disordinately-high percentage of African Americans are in poverty... 
Well... WERE, since they're now pretty officially off the standard radar in
that regard...  Then I think the question of "racism" takes quite a major back
seat to pure self-serving greed on the part of the politicians in general.  In
that regard something very positive COULD ultimately come out of it when the
dust settles and things get rebuilt one way or another.

  If not...  If the populace puts MORE self-serving people in charge again... 
*shakes head*  I'd hate to disparage them at this point in a just-in-case
scenario at the level of contempt they'd earn from me.  I prefer to hope
they'll learn something from this that sticks.

  As for the regional poverty in general, though...  I'd also hate to outright
say it's because of federal/state/county neglect BECAUSE of race, but haven't
found any other reason for it yet (and I've been looking - major tourist
center, plenty of commerce at hand, excellent strategic position for industrial
planning...)

  I just have a hard time imagining that affluent, white refugees (even
moderately affluent, suburban white refugees) fleeing via the interstates would
have been met at the county line by attack dogs as these poor people were when
their mayor sent them on the only remaining route out of the city.

  Hmm.  That's a sloppy post above.  Sorry - looks like I've jumped back and
forth a bit, but too tired to correct it.  Bottom line, to me, is that
SOMEthing may be a little fishy there regarding racism regionally, and
certainly poverty levels in general, but I don't buy the internal racism deal,
because the "minority" in this case was the majority.

       [daemon]                 
       In the shuffling madness...      






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