GAHHHH!!!!

[stoney321]

I know there are folks on my flist that probably don't like rap, hip-hop or Kanye West. Well... I do. I jumped up Friday night during the Red Cross telethon and cheered when he went off script and said Bush doesn't care about black people. He's right. And Bush represents a LARGE CHUNK OF AMERICA.

Now, I'm not going to try and wow you with my essay skillz. Or be the intellectual disconnected observer saying things in a manner that impresses you with my acumen. Because I'm not that person. I am the person that is giving off a primal scream of RAGE. You've been warned.


I've tried to not add fuel to the fire, because honestly: what is my linking you to the same stuff going to do? I'd rather roll my sleeves up and do something. But this morning, I heard a man give what at first seemed like a reasonable solution for folks coming in to neighboring states and looking for work: adopt a system like FDR during the Depression and have people work for themselves - for their own improvment, their city's improvement... Excellent. Worked then, could work now if we can make the red tape disappear. Then he followed it up with this:

Sadly, I doubt we will be in danger of being trampled by the rush of people to accept that offer.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM RIGHT HERE. The general assumption being that the folks displaced by Katrina are deadbeats. Are you trying to tell me there were no working people in New Orleans? In Slidell? In Gulf Port? No teachers? Lawyers? Computer techs? Janitors? Housecleaners? Secretaries? Two guesses as to the age of this... white man.

I am not going to be liked for this, and I don't give a shit: I am fucking ready for our "Greatest Generation" to friggin' die off, take their Jim Crow southern mentality, their old fashioned "morals" and fucking decompose. I am ALSO ready for MY generation, the one that doesn't generally bat an eye at inter-racial marriages, differing sexual orientations, longing for socialized Health Care to friggin' RISE UP and start improving things. If you are of age, and don't vote, please know that I don't have a lot of respect for you. That's a shitty thing to say, I'm sure, but Jesus Christ. Shit or get off the pot. That lackadaisical attitude is what allows a region to be forgotten. We have fucking abandoned the Delta region, and it's been that way for decades. God, a century or more.

Some how, it is still okay for us to not care about lower income blacks. There are still politicians who don't see that region as "viable" and divert money from, say... SECURING A CITY from NATURAL DISASTERS, or getting MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES IN PLACE, or initiating DRUG REHABILITATION FACILITIES, in favor of spending money on ad campaigns on how the EPA is full of shit when it comes to pollutants from the PVC factories along the gulf coast. The gov't was so corrupt in LA, that they could LEGALLY pull you over and confiscate your vehicle, cash, property, etc. if they SUSPECTED you of trafficking drugs. Little old ladies in their Lincoln Town cars on their way to Ole Miss to visit their grandaughters getting hauled off so the local sheriff could get her car and diamond. I am not making this up. 20/20 did an expose on this a few years back.

And where was our outrage? Where was the disgust that we let theives and liars and crooks overrun a place? We didn't CARE because there are still people in this world that think the "blacks will kill themselves off." I could fucking chew nails at shit like that.

We need to make education, health care, and drug rehabilitation a priority. That goes a long way to helping people not LIVE in the conditions they were living in. And now there are 10,000 people still living in New Orleans because the battered four walls that are still standing are ALL THEY HAD. And their shot-gun shacks were what was left from their 40 acres. One man in the local paper told a man who tried to evacuate him yesterday, "Son, I've lived through worse." I cannot tell you how much that statement breaks my heart, because it is fucking TRUE.

There are still confederate flags in the south. There are still old-timer Dixiecrats that wish there were whites only bathrooms. I am fucking ready for those people to leave this life, and I don't care how that makes me sound.

For the record: the local news was at the Reunion Arena and Convention Center here in Dallas - which, for the record, the Convention Center is also set up as a hospital/prescription refill site - where there are no co-pays for prescriptsion - and interviewed some of the evacuees. One woman had spent a good hour looking through cast off clothing to find something presentable to go on a job interview today. Oh, she was black. One man was talking about how he would do any kind of work, and was trying to sign up to help keep the Convention Center clean, if only to stay busy. He was black. One kid, a little thugged out with pants sagging and lots of ink was wondering what was going to happen, and how he didn't have aplan for the future. He was white. It's really easy to sit in a clean house, intact, no armed guards patrolling outside your battered door and make blanket statements about the people displaced by Katrina. Real fucking easy.

And I'm tapped. For now. Sorry for the earful, but only kinda.


For those who are still looking for ways to help, a Utah based rescue group: Best Friends Animal Society (http://www.bestfriends.org) has rescue teams helping animals, getting them into a sanctuary in Miss. and trying to unite pets with their owners. That is all shades of wonderful.

A website: (http://www.dallashurricaneaid.org) has been set up to help small businesses that were displaced find new space, job opportunities, support.

The Dallas Morning News is offering free four-line 10 day ads to offer aid, support, goods, job offers, and services to the victims of Katrina. Call them at (214) 745-8123.

Comments

[floweringjudas.livejournal.com]

HEAR FUCKING HEAR.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

GAHH!!! *punches smug, old people in their WHEEL CHAIRS*

[xionin.livejournal.com]

thank you for posting this.
=hugs you tightly=

people that tell me that racism is 'pretty much gone' in this country, and that the racism i feel i've been subjected to - sadly, even within this fandom - is 'in my head', can kiss my ass. seriously. i'm bending over right now.

did you read anne rice's essay? fucking brilliant.

=loves you so much right now=

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and when I quit hearing of Baptist churches referring to the "mud people" and the "mark of Cain" I'll believe it, too.

*helps organize queue of shitheads behind your ass, trips them a little*

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

What struck me, yesterday, in the cover story of the NYT, was a woman being bused to Texas saying "I've never been out of the city".

New Orleans is a very old city, and the working poor and homeless there were, at least, in familiar surroundings and supported by family and friends. The failure of FEMA to recognize that fact was almost as criminal as "disaster planning" which failed to realize that it was a public transportation city.

I wish I had your faith that it's the old guys who are the problem, but I know way too many racist guys in their thirties to feel good about the inevitability of progress.

Julia, woke up cynical: blaim a commentator giving "balance" to NPR

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, see that was a little irony, what with the "I hate blanket statements" then I made a blanket statement about the "Greatest Generation." Pretty sure Ann Richards is from that generation, and she's so wonderful...

But it can't be denied that the X and Y generations are far more tolerant of inter-racial relations, etc., and more of us are in support of an overhaul of the current health care system - one of the reasons there were so many indigent people there are simply because they live in the unhealthiest region in the US. Poor medical treatment, or simply no money to get care, no money for free clinics, lack of immunizations, the mentally ill roam the streets...

There should have been busses on SATURDAY. Oh, and there should have been FUNDING for busses on Saturday. *holds flaming torch just DARING someone to drive by with a conferderate flag sticker*

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

That's my girl. You holler, 'cause I don't have the energy to right now except to spit when I see Bush and pray that this means we'll get a Democrat during the next election 'cause OH MY GOD do they have some talking points now.

::hugs you tight::

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Now, I'm no lover of the Republican party, by any stretch of the imagination, but the Democrats have been so busy victimizing the blacks of this region for DECADES, they aren't blameless either.

We have to stop this mentality of thinking "lousy welfare lazy bum" when a picture of a dark-skinned black woman with gold teeth is on screen. The republicans see that woman and grip their wallets. The democrat sees that person and thinks of ways to cushion their hiney, when the WOMAN is simply trying to feed her kids on her 9th grade education. Or... is a secretary at a local building company and just likes having gold teeth.

THAT is the attitude that needs to change, and unfortunately, it's across the board (more localized on the red side, to be sure, but not absent from the blue.)

You'll notice that Bush had his "photo op" with a light skinned black woman who looked like she had been groomed before going on camera? Not to marginalize her OR her grief. Not at all. But... Shakira with her size 16 body, corn rows, and baby on her hip could have used a hug, too. Or a hand. GAH. Sorry... shutting up now.

[chantal87.livejournal.com]

Goddammit Woman.
If I didn't already adore you. I certainly would now.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Pfft. I'm just a stupid, angry chick pissing in the wind.

(Sure hope you and your family are fine. Lotta stress in your life right now.)

[kaydee23.livejournal.com]

I know at 43 I'm quite a bit older than you, but I have peers my age and up into their 60s who feel the same way you do. I'm quite serious. It's not just old fogey's who are out of touch.

I also have peers my age and a younger who are such narrow-minded bigots, you'd think they were born in the wrong millenium.

I have also been quite disappointed to hear the rude remarks made about "those people" coming from my African-American students and student library aides. Along the lines of, "Those people are going to destroy Houston, Texas. Houston will never be the same. South Texas will never be the same. They need to be carted off!"

I'm sure they are hearing that from their parents at home at night, but it still hurts my feelings.

Of course, I work at a majority Hispanic/African American high school. We probably have 20 white students in the the entire population of 1200.

I'm sure if I was out in (I'm not going to start naming towns because I don't want to offend people) I'd hear the white students saying horrible things too.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

(I'm 33 - not THAT much of a whippersnapper) But you have to admit that a certain demographic is more prone to hitting the lock on their door at seeing a group of black men walking down the street, or sniffing at some one and assuming they are sitting on their asses cashing welfare checks.

Jesus, my grandmother STILL says with PRIDE: "I have a black friend." Well, let me hand you a medal. And when you get into small towns, where there isn't exposure to the outside world, you just perpetuate that mentality that thinks the confederate flag is a "symbol" of the south, and not a racist trigger, or that "mixed blood" marriages are an abomination.

Racism is just disgusting to me in any form. Believe me that I get just as angry over the use of "Oriental" or "Spic."

I'm glad Kanye West said what he did - and if the African-Americans in your school are saying derogatory remarks? Well... that just lays me low.

This Is Why You Are On My Flist

[bitchygrrl.livejournal.com]

Yes. thank you for getting it. I am so tired of people thinking that racism is a thing of the past. It is NOT. Believe the South is not alone in it's mentality. People think that just because they don't say nigger, that it's okay for them to think black people are stupid and lazy. What really galls me about this is that nobody seems to think this is a problem. Well, I guess I should get my lazy black ass back to work, Oh wait, I work for myself. I must be superblack. (That term is from do the right thing)

Re: This Is Why You Are On My Flist

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I saw more racism OUTSIDE of the South, than I EVER saw here. I'm talking bomb threats to the "athletic" dorm in Utah - read: where the basketball players that were hand picked from CA and Las Vegas to give them white boys an edge, to blatant use of the N word in outlying towns outside of Detroit, to shopkeepers physically manhandling black people out of their stores in Switzerland. Because they'll rob them or something? What the fuck?

It is NOT isolated in the South, and I get sick of that mindset - it's what allows people to be lazy and not pay attention.

[kaydee23.livejournal.com]

Oh and my Bubba icon is Xenobia Hernandez, Bubba, from Brave Combo. You know him! right? Here's Jeffrey. ponders_life made this one, and a Carl one for me. Hee.

You ought to read Carl's Machine Pump newsletter at Bravecombo.com. I'm going to go there now and see what he's saying about all this. He's pretty radical.

[smashsc.livejournal.com]

Ah, I love a good rant in the morning. Thank you for this. You know what I want to do with my life so you know I agree with you on most points.

I don't share your optimism that racism will lessen automatically as older people die although I do think it is true, to an extent, that younger people are more likely to see the error of their ways. But, by the same token, unteaching hate, in anyone is damn hard.

And I'm all for a New New Deal. inlovewithnight and I were discussing it the other day. It'll never happens, sadly, because why would are government allow those who have the most need benefit when their voting base of rich companies can benefit instead?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

The BEST course of action to changing mindsets is to friggin' EDUCATE people. This "mass exodus" of blacks from the Delta all across the US will hopefully show people that just because you are a dark-skinned black, and talk with the patois of the delta region, doesn't mean you are a good for nothing bum with your hand out. These people had lives, had property, and to treat them like common criminals... Or to say it's going to ruin YOUR town to have them there?

GAH. I'm all for a New New Deal, too. I don't know... I think enough people are getting outraged... I hope. If I keep hoping, and working, and talking, maybe more people will think that? Jesus, that sounds like I'm a "voice of the people" and I'm not in any way shape or form, I'm just yelling with my friends, but if we ALL start yelling and suggesting and DOING? Gotta have hope.

Yes.

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

Re: Yes.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

JON STEWART. ♥ him. And you.

[sweptawaybayou.livejournal.com]

*clings*

Amen, baby. Amen.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

SERIOUSLY. *makes many loaves of bread with you because kneading dough is a GREAT WAY to get out aggression*

tangentially related

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

you know, I had car trouble last week, which is the third or fourth time in my life I've ended up sitting on the side of the road, in need of help until the triple A guy or a friend or someone could come.

and I noticed something. maybe it's just me, it's a small sample, it's the area I live in or something but. . .I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE HAD A WHITE PERSON STOP AND ASK ME IF I NEEDED HELP. Every single time, the people who volunteered to help me, asked what they could do etc, were minorities -- black, Hispanic, East Indian, whatever. All kinds. Never a white person. And you know me. Harmless-looking little white girl.

I really don't know what this means, or if it means anything, but I mentioned it to smashsc and asked her, "How can anybody possibly still be racist in this world, when there is so much evidence out there of, you know, nice people wanting to help out." And she said, "That just proves that some people are determined to believe what they want to believe, period."

This reminds me also of the story I never got around to posting from my family vacation -- my mother's cousin's kid and his wife, a couple in their 20s from Utah. They are living in Blacksburg, VA, which I must tell you is NOT exactly the melting pot of diversity. This woman was talking about how she hadn't really met any people "outside the church" and didn't know her neighbors very well. She then went on to comment that, "Of course, so many of them are black." Like it was just an accepted fact. And when my sis and my dad started to comment on "you know, black people are capable of conversation, too" (in much nicer terms than I would have been able to; I didn't say a word), she was like "well, I'm just not used to it". THEY HAVE LIVED HERE FOR TWO YEARS.

Re: tangentially related

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Ooops, I wasn't done

what I was going to say is that those conversations blow me away on 3 different levels.

1) you actually think that way.
2) you actually think that it is socially acceptable to think that way out loud.
3) you actually think that it is acceptable to say that in front of me (and my family).

[desoto-hia873.livejournal.com]

Word. Many words.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

ARRGGHHH!!!

*cans vegetables*
*finds more to do*

[amybnnyc.livejournal.com]

Huz-fucking-zah to all of that!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

*stomps and slams doors*
*rolls up sleeves and friggin' DOES something*

[elcazavampiros.livejournal.com]

Go Stoney!

It just amazes and saddens me when I hear people making those blanket statements. I wish that people of our generation would make a stand. Get involved. Then again, I know that getting involved starts with me and mine.

Like you said, "It's really easy to sit in a clean house, intact, no armed guards patrolling outside your battered door and make blanket statements about the people displaced by Katrina."

The only way to make a change in this attitude is through education and getting involved.

Okay, that was a little unfocused and rambly, but I think you understand what I'm saying.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Not unfocused in the SLIGHTEST. And it starts with you telling that woman that it is UNACCEPTABLE to use words like "wetback" in a friggin' SPANISH CLASS. And more importantly, WHY it's wrong.

*fistheart*

[thisside.livejournal.com]

So well said. Yours are about the only thoughts on the subject I can truly stand to read right now.

I was going to ask you, I keep hearing rumors about there being woeful shortages of plus-sized clothes in shelters, etc. in Texas, but then everyone says they aren't accepting donations of clothing. Do you know of a reliable place for information about this, or where one could donate?

*sends hugs down south*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, according to last night's newscast, the feds took seized counterfeit clothing to the shelters here. But. They stop at size 12 in most cases. The best thing to do is to contact the Dallas COunty Commissioner, Maurine Dickey to see what sizes, types are needed. Her number was listed in the paper today for adult clothing donations:

(972) 247-1735, and her office (for anyone tooling along and reading this) is 2311 Joe Field Road here in Dallas.

*hugs you*
*slaps your ass to keep the fire burning! ROWR!*

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

This should make you laugh, Stoney.
My friend got this in an email from a friend:

Ya know, it was a real lack of foresight not to note who had Bush signs
in my neighborhood last fall. I'd like to sneak out late at night with
signs that read "Remember? - I voted for Bush" and plant them on their
lawns.

Long rambly comment...

[serenelystrange.livejournal.com]

I'm not even sure what to say here. I'm from MA, so I know I cant understand the insanity of racsim in the South. I mean, plenty of people are bad up here, but I know its worse elswhere. My whole life I've lived where white people, like myself, were the minority percentage. I grew up where hearing seven different languages on one sidewalk was nothing. Half my childhood friends were Milato or some other kind of mixed. But I never noticed the difference until I was older. I wish that nobody thought there was anything to notice. Its sad to say, but even my Mother's generation, and shes only 42, alot of them still have this, "Well, everybody is equal, as long as they dont "mix", you shouldnt mix races," thing going on. It makes me sick. Even my mother doesnt like the idea of mixed relationships, even though I've never known her to be racist at all. Its just these crazy ideas that get passed along the generations and people who refuse to change even when they know they're wrong. And dont get me started on some of the Older(65+) people. They blatantly speak against any kind of mingling, unless of course they work for you. And it isnt just whites either. Around here, plenty of black people are racist to whites and hispanics and asians, and its the same about everybody to all the others. I do thank my luck that my generation at least seems to be making progress. I'm glad I grew up in diversity. We're all human, and we all have an equal right to live in peace. I know its cheesy, but why cant it just be as simple as that? It frustrates me so much! I know I'm young, and I know I have so much to learn about the world and our past, but I also know that I do see problems and I'm not blind to everything. I'm not sure what my point is here, I just got angry and went off, but I think it was just that I agree with you. Yeah, :)

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

I'd say it's hard to confine criticism to the Greatest Generation when so many people in this country are racist and harbor major class prejudices.

But dude, I've got no complaints whatsoever with the anger, because this is a time to be freaking angry. Did you read/hear Barbara Bush's remarks? The fuck?

So yeah. Time for angry. Rock on.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well *cough* I was being a bit ironic with the whole "I hate blanket statements" however... "blanket statement" but it's um, a bit hard to tell that. I'm a lot calmer (saner) now than I was this morning....

I DID hear Barbara Bush and am just mortified. She's HORRIBLE. God, I miss Clinton.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

Hey sweetie -

Just got your email - I am so busy today, I'm turning circles. We've gotten requests from 3 displaced NOLA nursing students to join our program. RSC has waived out-of-state tuition and is offering fee waivers as well, for victims of Katrina.

Unfortunately, we still have to have transcripts and proof enrollment; and for entrance into the program we need to verify curriculum to see if it matches and the registrar's office is not so much open at Tulane, Loyola, LA Tech, etc. So I've been calling all over creation, trying to find anyone who knows anything about transcript retrieval and what we're to do in lieu of.

Because we're gettin' these kids (okay, two are older than me) back in school! I feel productive!

I still haven't heard anything about my friend who's a professor at Tulane, though. Not sure if he got out before Katrina or what. All emails have been returned. Worried.

And finally - you rock. More on the rocking-ness of you later. Oh, and our former church camp in Davis, OK opened to 3,000 evacuees yesterday. One thing about the Baptists - they've already got the towels fluffed and the hamburgers grilling. *cough* They come with "Jesus Loves You," bookmarks, but you know, he does...*g*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I dont' rock, because I'm afriad to let strangers stay in my home. I bought frozen dinners to make things easier this week, and I could have saved money by buying whole chickens and getting off my ass in the kitchen and sending that money on, so I'm nothing special. Jesus, we have folks on our flist like Bead who are working around the clock to get people hotel rooms, people who are doing EVERYTHING possible to help out.

Did you know the New Orleans' newspaper, the Picayune, is STILL printing? Talk about making sure the people's voices are being heard... One good thing coming out of this is a return to friggin' JOURNALISM. There are still the ambulance chasers out there, but nothing is making me feel better about this situation than seeing normal Joe Schmo Brian Wilson get in the face of the FEMA director and cut him off and tell him it isn't enough. Course, I'd like to see him take the clean shirt off his back and hand it to someone, but... And you know: maybe he is doing that off camera, and good for him.

Talk about a tangent... I need handlers, Sue. I'm proud of you for working so hard. Can you imagine paying for school and then *poof!* it's gone? All those years of work? how wonderful of the universities around that are taking in students.

ANd you know me and Baptists: oil and water. Not all Baptists are racist bastards. Just like not all Mormons are polygamist bigots. Wait... I KID!! I kid because I love. Kinda. I love you, though. Feel free to call me tonight if you get the chance. I'll be here...

[ropo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm in agreement with everyone else saying things like "You ROCK, Stoney!" and such.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Pffft. I'm a dumbass. I'm just mad and have a place to vent.

[phfeenikz.livejournal.com]

I disagree with Kanye and his statement is a little misguided. Condolezza Rice? Colin Powell? Just to drop a few names. No, Kanye would have been more accurate had he been more inclusive or as the right will no doubt say, had he not played the race card. I think it more accurate instead to say the Bush is an equal opportunity hater. He doesn't hate black people, he hates poor people. Other than that, rock on with your rage sista.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

As to Kanye's off-script speech, to me it was fairly apparent that he was speaking off the cuff, not anything prepared, and was trying to say as much as he could before getting cut off. Could it have been more eloquent? Sure. Could he have been more hard-hitting with examples and such? Sure. But I follow his music, the messages of his and others like NaS and get what he was trying to say, and I agree with him. But I don't want to argue with you on that point, because that's a time waster, you are intelligent, and you have your ideas and I respect that.

But I WILL agree with you that he hates poor people. That whole administration of him and his cabinet do - they can't make anything off of them. I'm waiting for the US people to finally be outraged enough with big business owning our country and take it fucking back. If only in regards to health care. Just... just give me that much...

Always glad to see your name pop up.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

Amen, sister. I went to a damned good elementary school that was in the ghetto (or as ghetto as Pittsburgh gets) and often terrifies people to realize that *gasp* I had black kids in my classes! Not as many as I would've liked, but they were there. I tutored one, Kenny, through middle school, and that was a good thing for just about everybody.

He's a Harvard-trained lawyer now, still working in Boston. He'll make partner in a few more years, and he's 26 like me. His baby's momma is his wife, and that little boy's got himself a little sister. I hear from him time to time so I went and emailed him this weekend. His wife answered.

He's in Mississippi, cataloging damages because he wants to sue the federal government for negligence. And oh, while he's there, he's doing what he can to hide from FEMA employees who want to stop him (the rate runs about 75-25% for people who help him, cause he's there and able and willing) and doing what he can on the ground at the same time.

What makes me cry isn't that there's so much bad -- is that there's so much bad and so much good out there. Kenny's name is going to be known, I think, because that's a man who grew up in the ghetto, had a fat, abused white jewish girl for a tutor, and yanked himself out by the bootstraps. I didn't make him smart, he did that all himself. I just gave him the chance he didn't have at home -- and I did have a lot of help from our teachers, I might add. But he's raising his kids right, and Marissa (wife) thinks they'll probably end up adopting at least two.

And I have no idea where I'm going with this, so I'll go back to what I'd said before: just word.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Good for him. That is what's needed: more folks rolling up their sleeves and FIXING what's broke. I wish I had that kind of power to DO something.

In other news, there are tens of FEMA workers cooling their heels here in Dallas waiting to be ALLOWED into the region to pitch in. WHAT??? They're so frustrated... It's not their fault - it's the cockamamie adminitration of a neutered organization fumbling like a 15 year old in the dark.

Okay, sorry. I've gone too long without smut. Ha! *loves*

[tracyraz.livejournal.com]

I'm not really into rap, hip-hop and I didn't even realize that was Kanye West. I actually forgot the telethon was on and switched it over right as he began talking. My point being, I jumped for joy with what he said!!

Sadly, people are still making excuses for Bush!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yep, but just you watch; he's at his lowest approval ratings of his career. I hope is that this will cause enough outrage amongst the American people and they'll shake off their malaise and get their asses in gear to fix what's broke.

Thanks for piping up - that is always welcomed here. (And so you know, normally this is a place of peace - I'm just frustrated by current events. Not normally so confrontational/angsty.)

[anelith.livejournal.com]

Last night we had our two closest families of friends over for dinner, and during the after-dinner conversation it became apparent that there was a disconnect between the other two couples and Ron and myself in our perception of the Katrina news. Primarily because Ron and I had gotten the majority of our news from the Net (me through LJ, mostly, and Ron through CNN, Drudge, Crooks & Liars, etc.) It made an amazing difference. Now remember that the Boston Globe is very liberal, so you'd think that it wouldn't have been that different, but while we were all lamenting Bush & Co., etc., there were several news stories that our friends had never heard of, several outrages that had passed them by.

And most relevant to your post, I was the one who made the statement that obviously race and class had a huge amount to do with it. This was met with a moment of shocked silence from our friends. It's not that they are racist themselves, I think it's just that they haven't (yet) perceived how it has really shaped this debacle. Especially the history behind it, which really I wouldn't have seen myself if not for the very informative posts on LJ.

We live in a very white community, and our little closed world of school and work doesn't give us much of a window into a variety of economic strata either. Sometimes I look back on my own childhood, living overseas, and think about what my children are missing. It really makes me think about whether we should move somewhere else. I don't think my kids will grow up racist, but I do think if they grow up here they will grow up ignorant.

Anyway, you are always so expressive, Laura. Feel like running for election?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Of course, I suffer from diahrrea of the mouth and voice emodulation, so I really shouldn't be allowed in public.

And honey, people in OKLAHOMA didn't know about Louisiana, and they butt up to each other. For me, that's part of the problem: these people are so neglected, so seperate from our normal US life... it's hard for someone in your neighborhood to realize that shot-gun shacks are still lived in. That some blacks have never been to the "white side" of the town they live in. It seems like something out of the past, out of a book, and it still happens. And middle class white men who live in Idaho rant and rave about the three blacks "bussed" in for the basketball team at Ricks College because they are going to "rape our girls." I fucking wish I was making that up.

There is this old mentality of the bugaboo black man, the whore/hand out black woman that still exists, and I just don't understand it. I can't comprehend how assumptions are made. Christ, people still think of the "sleepy/lazy Mexican" stereotype, and honey, ain't NOBODY working harder for you than a Mexican. Or, as I call them, a co-worker.

I'm not hearing a lot of talk about the race issue - maybe I'm not listening to the right programs. But believe you me: that's at the heart of this giant catastrophe. My opinion, for all it's worth.

Oh, and love you. *hugs*