Am I crazy or is this racist? - Page 3 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 09-06-2005, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxasco

Nope.... Why would it? The city's population is approximately 80% black, so what are the odds that if you are looking to photograph looters in action that would find black people doing so? On the flip side of the coin, if you saw whiet folks coming out of a place of business, a business which is not open... just like the business in the photo below, and obviously carrying merchandise out of the store....would it be considered racist to publish THAT photo?

Looters hit a drug store in the French Quarter district of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina. Fresh floods, fires and looting rode in the destructive wake of Hurricane Katrina, deepening a humanitarian crisis that left hundreds feared dead and sections of New Orleans submerged to the rooftops.(AFP/James Nielsen)

Ok... Are we missing something? There's people in the photo, carrying out merchandise from a business that is not open for business. That's looting. The people in the photo are black. So what? What is racist about it? It sounds as though the caption below the photo is pretty accurate wouldn't you say? I'd say so myself.

really? it looks like they are just out on a weekend shopping day...

i don't see a sign that says closed, I don't see bars pried open, I don't see gates pulled down.

in fact, if you look really closely... the YELLOW SIGN on the doors says NOW OPEN.

texxasco · 09-06-2005, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

really? it looks like they are just out on a weekend shopping day...

i don't see a sign that says closed, I don't see bars pried open, I don't see gates pulled down.

in fact, if you look really closely... the YELLOW SIGN on the doors says NOW OPEN.

Considering the fact the there is no power in the French Quarter, I'd say they were looting. One other thing to consider.... What motive would the reporter have for shooting a photo of customers coming out of a store carrying merchandise they bought, and then call it looting? Come on now.... Are you for real?

Cynthetiq · 09-06-2005, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxasco

Considering the fact the there is no power in the French Quarter, I'd say they were looting. One other thing to consider.... What motive would the reporter have for shooting a photo of customers coming out of a store carrying merchandise they bought, and then call it looting? Come on now.... Are you for real?

Yes I am for real.

Let's recall for a moment a young black reporter Jayson Blair who wrote articles for the NYTimes about things that happend a few thousand miles from where he was writing them in his apartment and did it for months and months.

I don't see ANYTHING in that picture that denotes it being in NOLA, French Quarters, being CLOSED or being LOOTED. In fact the roadway and sidewalk look quite dry and they people don't seem to have wet clothing.

Critical thinking doesn't stop it stays critical.

waltert · 09-06-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byesman

Wow. I don't consider it looting if they are getting necessities for life. Bread, water, other food, diapers. I do consider it looting if they are taking clothes, jewelry, breaking into ATM's, etc. However, others see looting as stealing anything in the face of a catastrophy. This is 2 different news sources, 2 different opinions. If they were both from the same source, I would say yes, it was. But I can see where it can cause problems. The wording on the picture of the 2 white people is funny: "after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store". The way it is worded sounds like it was partly changed.

If any of my ramblings make sense, I'm impressed...

This man nailed it...anyone who calls this racist is ignoring the obvious and LOOKING for something to call racist.

what kind of fool would cite an international news reporting agency's photo, and compare it directly to a photo taken by a different person with different editors and different caption writers?

classic case of someone trying to be slick and compare apples to oranges and cause an uproar.

The wording on the one with the white people was terrible, and sounds like it was written by someone who doesnt speak english as their primary language.

waltert · 09-06-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

really? it looks like they are just out on a weekend shopping day...

i don't see a sign that says closed, I don't see bars pried open, I don't see gates pulled down.

in fact, if you look really closely... the YELLOW SIGN on the doors says NOW OPEN.

now that Photo is interesting...one would really want to be able to read what else is on that "now open" sign before making a call on that.

texxasco · 09-06-2005, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Yes I am for real.

I don't see ANYTHING in that picture that denotes it being in NOLA, French Quarters, being CLOSED or being LOOTED. In fact the roadway and sidewalk look quite dry and they people don't seem to have wet clothing.

All the info you need is in the caption. That's the reason for having a caption anyway...If they put all the info you are requesting, in the actual photo itself, then it would obviously take away from the photo.

BTW Like I said before, you can read into a subject or photo too much, and there is such a thing as being overly critical.

Cynthetiq · 09-06-2005, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxasco

All the info you need is in the caption. That's the reason for having a caption anyway...If they put all the info you are requesting, in the actual photo itself, then it would obviously take away from the photo.

BTW Like I said before, you can read into a subject or photo too much, and there is such a thing as being overly critical.

you are free to believe all that you read, see, and hear.

I on the other hand will take it with a grain of salt since there's been plenty of charlatans (no relation to the TFP member) who have tried to pull the wool over many of our eyes, reporter Jayson Blair was one of them from such a trusted newsource like the grey lady, the New York Times.

If that picture was a capture from a video feed, and they showed the rest of the scene, again, maybe I'd be a bit more believing. You show me a picture of gates torn down, broken doors and glass, then I'd be much more believing, but that picture with the NOW OPEN sign... I'm going to say that I don't trust it 100%.

texxasco · 09-06-2005, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

you are free to believe all that you read, see, and hear.

I on the other hand will take it with a grain of salt since there's been plenty of charlatans (no relation to the TFP member) who have tried to pull the wool over many of our eyes, reporter Jayson Blair was one of them from such a trusted newsource like the grey lady, the New York Times.

If that picture was a capture from a video feed, and they showed the rest of the scene, again, maybe I'd be a bit more believing. You show me a picture of gates torn down, broken doors and glass, then I'd be much more believing, but that picture with the NOW OPEN sign... I'm going to say that I don't trust it 100%.

I can't say I disagree with you...and you're probably right to take it with a grain of salt... Actually a stand-offish position would be the best I think. I guess you could say it's hard to draw a conclusion onw way or the other in regards to it being racist or not without knowing.....the rest of the story...

trickyy · 09-06-2005, 08:45 PM

sorry if this has already been said, but some of the grocery stores took a "take what you want, just don't break anything" line with regard to the hurricane. much of their food would be wasted otherwise.

texxasco · 09-09-2005, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickyy

sorry if this has already been said, but some of the grocery stores took a "take what you want, just don't break anything" line with regard to the hurricane. much of their food would be wasted otherwise.

I heard this too, but was it limited to food & clothing items, or was it anything the folks wanted? Do you have any sources for this?

09-06-2005, 08:45 PM	#89 (permalink)
trickyy ►	sorry if this has already been said, but some of the grocery stores took a "take what you want, just don't break anything" line with regard to the hurricane. much of their food would be wasted otherwise.