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Politics : Welcome to Slider's Dugout -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dave54 who wrote (585)	9/7/2005 6:46:07 PM
From: SOROS	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50729

Certainly not trying to make light of this horrible tragedy, but are there any accurate statistics on percentages of displaced people who were on 100% government assistance and not employed pre-hurricane? I remain, SOROS

To: Dave54 who wrote (585)	9/9/2005 8:33:17 PM
From: SliderOnTheBlack	Read Replies (7) \| Respond to of 50729

re: Lessons Learned from the Hurricaine Katrina Disaster: a.k.a. The Politic's of "Race Card Extortion" and leveraging White Guilt. After returning from delivering some supplies to those in need I have to comment on what has become an incredulous insult to the literal - tens, if not hundreds of thousands of everyday US Citizens who left their jobs and families and loaded up vehicles with supplies, clothes, water, food and volunteered their time to help those in need; as well as those who have donated supplies in innumerable local charity drives in virtually every American City and who made Cash donations to support those same efforts. Natural Disasters are colorblind, as were the masses of volunteers who came by the tens of thousands to lend a helping hand and to donate supplies and aid to the victims of Hurricaine Katrina. Upon returning, to now have to hear and see the incredulity of the Race Card being played by all the usual suspects such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and even Oprah... was beyond disgusting and in this case - just over the top and a complete slap in the face to those that answered the cries for help. I believe that New Orleans has a population of approx 65 % Black .... so I guess the premis of the Race Card arguement was that the "Racists" were then willing to let 3.5 whites die for every 6.5 blacks ? ...simply incredulous. While the News Media certainly reflected that in the City of New Orleans the vast majority of the victims were Black... it may need to be pointed out that the amongst the tens of thousands of volunteers, many who came from hundreds, if not in some cases; thousands of miles away - were about 95%+ White from what I saw. ...somehow that point seems to escape those who are trying to turn the politic's of incompetance - into the politic's of Race. Both the Mayor and the Police Chief of New Orleans - as well as much of the infrastructure leadership of the City of New Orleans which was responsible for the evacuation and protection of the citizenry of New Orleans - are Black. They say one Photo speaks a thousand words... The one color that now stands out in my mind - is yellow. The Photo that showed the hundreds of Yellow School Busses sitting in the flooded parking lot of the Super Dome that could have been used to evacuate virtually all of those in need, as well as the hundreds of New Orleans Police Vehicles that were not moved to higher ground and thus became useless were under the control of the "black" Chief of Police and the "black" Mayor of the City of New Orleans...and those realities can hardly be dismissed by Playing the Race Card. I am sure that over time, America will discover that there were many things that should have and could have - been done differently. And the Red Tape with FEMA is certainly a problem... but, to label incompetance, or merely being overwhelmed with an unprecedented event as "Racism" is beyond the pale. Many parallels will be drawn to New York City's Sept 11th Tragedy. On Sept. 11th - New York City's Finest - Police, Fire and Rescue - ran toward the unknown, directly into unknown danger and to the aid of their citizenry with what became an uplifting display of valor and courage that will never be forgotten by any American. In New Orleans....they ran from the "known"... numbers were being reported that as many as 1/4th to 1/3rd of New Orleans Police, Fire & Rescue Personnel never answered, or responded to the call of duty. The difference between the leadership displayed by NYC's Rudy Guilliani and the lack thereof - by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could not be more apparent. Ray Nagin holed up in the Hilton and began spewing curse words on National Television and Throwing Down the Race Card within hours... and within days was lining up Trips to Las Vegas for himself and his Department ? ...compare that to what you saw from the City of New York and Rudy Guilliani. Leadership and Courage were 2 things in plentifull supply on Sept 11th... sadly; they were in short supply recently in New Orleans - when they were most needed. Sadly, America has indeed become a Country divided by Race and Racism....but, the reality of the disaster from Hurricaine Katrina reflects a new sad reality that it is coming from the hands and mouths of the Jesse Jacksons, the Al Sharptons, the Ray Nagin's and the Opran Winfrey's... Political Extortion via leveraging "White Guilt" by playing the Race Card over and over and over and over again in the Media.... has now created a social & political environment whereby neither the next O.J., or Michael Jackson will ever be convicted...where a Ray Nagin will never be held accountable to his responsibility and to where all that has to be done is for any of the "usual Suspects" such as Jesse Jackson ...who has made an entire career out of the Politic's of Race Card Extortion... to merely fan the flames of "Racism" in the Media and US Politicians just start breaking out the Cash, the Handouts, the Entitlements and in essence - pay the extortionists... I heard an interview on Sean Hannity's National Show with a Lady from Houston - who was White, talking about volunteering for the last Week in the Houston Astrodome - by literally washing & bathing the elderly and the sick - virtually all Black for 12 to 14 hours a day... only to come home each evening to hear about "Racism"... ...this just entirely disgusts me - as it does the thousands who just gave freely of their time and efforts. There has now come a time to where the Leadership within the Black Community must rise up and stop all of this Race-Baiting and the Politic's of the Blame Game. - Hurricaine Katrina was color-blind as were the Tens, if not Hundreds of Thousands of Volunteers who came to THEIR aid. I can only hope that one day - Jesse Jackson, Al Shartpon, Oprah Winfrey et al - can be as well... The Politic's of Race Based Extortion are about to unleash a Hundred Billion Dollars of Federal Spending that will undoubtedly entail Tens, upon Tens of Billions of Dollars of Waste & Corruption... and sadly, somehow after giving my time, my effort and my money to aid the victims of Katrina; to then be divided and labeled by "Race" ...and to have to sit by and watch the real "Racists" Extort the US Government & Tax Payers out of $100 Billion+... and then hand You and I the Bill for it....leaves me in a state of complete and total disbelief and disgust. Someone needs to have the Political Courage to Stand Up and put an End once and for all to the most destructive form of Racism now prevelant in America - the constant playing of the Race Card by Black America. I am sure that Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey would rather have not seen all the looting and what became a complete breakdown of humanity in the SuperDome...and rather than face the Truth - it became easier to obsfuscate the Truth by playing the Race Card. Black America has a problem that only Black America can solve. No amount of money, no amount of Affirmative Action, or Entitlements can solve the problem. Bill Cosby broke the unspoken "omerta" of the African American Community by speaking the Truth... Well the World just saw the Truth in New Orleans. Many can't take the Truth...and it was a political opportunity to once again; instead of facing the grim realities of the Truth - to play the Race Card and leverage the Politic's of Race Based Extortion. In America, somehow it's now become Politically Incorrect to Speak some Truths....at a time when the Truth may be needed more than ever. ....sadly, none of us - not black, yellow, white, or brown will benefit by it. Racism was a concept that had no place in this Tragedy and for the tens and hundreds of thousand who responded to the call for Help ... they brought none. And that is what makes it such a sad day in America for those same people to now return home only to be slapped in the face & Extorted by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey's Race Card & the Politic's of White Guilt. Sadly, Racism is indeed alive and well in American today....just not in the form that many would like it to be. ...and that is a Truth that America must somehow address and rise above. It won't be easy, nor will it be soon forgotten.