BOR stated things too elequently for me to recap.
I actually find the title of the thread to be racist, as if being white means that you are inherently racist.
Many
many white people went out on a limb to help people of all races down in NO while more than a few of color did not.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/Hurrica...1123495&page=1
Quote:
Amid Katrina Chaos, Congressman Used National Guard to Visit Home
Two Heavy Trucks, Helicopter Were Involved in Lawmaker's Trip at Height of Crisis
By JAKE TAPPER
Sept. 13, 3005 — Amid the chaos and confusion that engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, a congressman used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings — even while New Orleans residents were trying to get rescued from rooftops, ABC News has learned.
On Sept. 2 — five days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast — Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who represents New Orleans and is a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, was allowed through the military blockades set up around the city to reach the Superdome, where thousands of evacuees had been taken.
Military sources tells ABC News that Jefferson, an eight-term Democratic congressman, asked the National Guard that night to take him on a tour of the flooded portions of his congressional district. A 5-ton military truck and a half dozen military police were dispatched.
Lt. Col. Pete Schneider of the Louisiana National Guard tells ABC News that during the tour, Jefferson asked that the truck take him to his home on Marengo Street, in the affluent uptown neighborhood in his congressional district. According to Schneider, this was not part of Jefferson's initial request.
Jefferson defended the expedition, saying he set out to see how residents were coping at the Superdome and in his neighborhood. He also insisted that he did not ask the National Guard to transport him.
"I did not seek the use of military assets to help me get around my city," Jefferson told ABC News. "There was shooting going on. There was sniping going on. They thought I should be escorted by some military guards, both to the convention center, the Superdome and uptown."
The water reached to the third step of Jefferson's house, a military source familiar with the incident told ABC News, and the vehicle pulled up onto Jefferson's front lawn so he wouldn't have to walk in the water. Jefferson went into the house alone, the source says, while the soldiers waited on the porch for about an hour.
|
Then there are those on the left side who are also trying their damndest to make this a race issue:
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/....4fb21767.html
Quote:
Farrakhan visits Charlotte, criticizes federal response
07:13 PM EDT on Monday, September 12, 2005
By ANNA CROWLEY / 6NEWS
Minister Louis Farrakhan was very critical of the Red Cross and FEMA response to hurricane Katrina.
Minister Louis Farrakhan was in Charlotte Monday to rally support for his Millions More March. However, he did have some choice words about the response to Hurricane Katrina victims, some of whom are staying at the Charlotte Coliseum.
Farrakhan's been traveling across the country to visit shelters like the one that is set up at the coliseum. He said he's not happy with the job the American Red Cross is doing.
He had harsh words for FEMA too. But that was just the warm up. Farrakhan also shared his thoughts on how the levee breached in the first place.
"I heard from a very reliable source who saw a 25 foot deep crater under the levee breach. It may have been blown up to destroy the black part of town and keep the white part dry," Farrakhan said.
Gilton Balanos lived in the very neighborhood Farrakhan was talking about.
"I think that's ludicrous," Balanos said. "When this happened we were caught by surprise. Individuals, the government and everybody were caught by surprise."
Farrakhan also said that the Red Cross’ response to the disaster was inadequate. Red Cross Spokesperson Pam Daigle said "there was no basis for the criticism."
As for the issue of how the Red Cross spends money and on whom, Daigle said "the Red Cross’ books are open for anyone who wants to see the audits, who wants to see how we spend money."
"I'm sure some good is being done, but not enough to answer the cry." Farrakhan said.
Some evacuees who spoke to 6NEWS said they support Farrakhan and his look into what happened in New Orleans and other affected areas.
President Bush said Monday that Hurricane Katrina did not discriminate and neither will recovery efforts.
|
To reiterate, what happened was shitty and there is plenty of blame to go around, but to make this an example of class/race warfare completely bites.