Kanye West’s comments during a relief concert were dismissed as out of place and rude-- which they were. That is not how you go about raising money for disaster victims. But, as monstro put it in another thread: Race is an elephant sitting in the the room that everyone is trying to ignore. The fact of the matter is Kanye was voicing what many blacks (the majority, it think) feel. Personally, I don’t think President Bush hates black people. I think he does not care one way or another about blacks. Or, more honestly, he doesn’t give a shit about blacks. We don’t vote for him, we don’t count. At all.
How can the president change this perception in the black community? Does the president even want to change it? Convince me that I’m being silly and the president really does care about me and mine.
I’m serious. What is your question? Does he hate black people? It appears not, since his top advisor/now SoS is black, and AFAIK he has had no problem working with blacks in various positions of authority.
Does he oppose some programs that some say would benefit african-americans? Yes, because he disagrees; if you want to assume that disagreeing on policy constitutes “not caring,” go ahead.
I’m not getting the point; then again, I don’t see how this is something “everyone is trying to ignore.”
Bush can’t change that perception. It’s not in the man to do it. He’s entirely removed himself from mainstream black culture, political leadership and concerns. This is especially apparent in contrast to his predeccesor Bill Clinton, who loved black culture.
The bigger elephant in the room besides race is class and politics. I might be persuaded that Bushco cares for some blacks as long as they’re wealthy and Republican, but there’s no way that anyone in that whole family gives two vigorous tugs of a (checks forum name)… okay, two tugs about the concerns and needs of disenfranchised poor Democratic blacks.
To be perfectly fair, Bill Clinton didn’t do much for poor blacks either, but he didn’t demonize or marginalize them as the Bushes have done, and he did at least appeal mightily to the black middle class.
If New Orleans had unevacuated poor whites who voted Red, aid would have been there within the first ten hours. TOPS.
Horseshit. The country is overly focused on ‘race’ IMHO. Now, if you wanted to say class ‘is an elephant sitting in the the room that everyone is trying to ignore’ in the US, I’d be more inclined to agree with you. But race?!? Get real.
No doubt. Just because the majority thinks something doesn’t make it right though. The majority of voting American’s re-elected Bush after all, yes?
Funny that he has more blacks (and hispanics) in his administration than (IIRC) any of US President before him. Especially since having blacks (and hispanics) in his administration doesn’t get him anything (since they don’t vote for him and all).
IMHO he can’t…nor can the Republican party change that perception. Its the same in the hispanic community…overwhelmingly my bretheren (and sisteren I suppose) feel that the Republicans are out to screw us over because of our ‘race’, and so nearly everyone in my family votes Democrat…reflexively. There isn’t any way for the 'Pubs to change that perception, because its not reality based. Again, if you switch from ‘race’ to ‘class’ then you might have something. Even then the perception isn’t exactly reality, but at least its closer.
This is like a flat earther asking to be convinced that the world is really a sphere, or the creationist wanting someone to show they they are silly and convince them that Evolution is real. If you are already convinced the President hates blacks (or just doesn’t give a shit about them) then you will filter any evidence through that perception…as many are doing with the hurricane/NO situation currently going on.
I agree with everything you said, but I don’t recall saying race was an elephant sitting in the room. I think someone else (maybe you with the face?) did.
Is he concerned about the health and welfare of black citizens? Does he concern himself with the issues that affect the blacks in this country? Does he know what issues affect the black community? Does he care?
Only if god had stepped in and made sure the roadways and infrastructure was intact, that the flooding wasn’t so bad, and that the officials had access to the future knowledge they would need to know exactly what was going on, and what exactly the needs would be, the extent of the disaster. Oh, and if god had also been good enough to pile up all the goods needed so that they could be rapidly shipped off to the disaster area. :dubious:
So, everyone is going to get defensive and not answer the questions asked? The perception among blacks is that Bush hates them, how can this be fixed.
It can’t, is that the answer?
I think a lot of people feel like the president doesn’t care about them.
I know I don’t. After Sept. 11th, he went off about how the world was never going to feel the same because we couldn’t feel safe. HELLO, lots of us havn’t felt safe in a long time for various reasons. His only concept of the American experience is one of a born-wealthy white male. I think most of us have the nagging feeling that he’s not our president- he’s a president for corporations and oil barons (and maybe a few deluded ranchers) not a president for people. Women, the poor, gays, non-christians, minorities of all types…we all feel it.
Biggirl. Hey, I answered the question. I said, “Bush can’t change that perception. He’s not the man to do it. Blame the whole family.”
xtisme. Logistics would not have stopped the aid that was really needed: a combination of state and federal authority rising to the occassion. That didn’t happen until after the first 48-72 hours after the hurricane hit.
If New Orleans had been Bush country, somebody in federal authority would have been IN New Orleans talking to people, making public personal explanations what the problem is, that help was on the way and doing a better job securing the Superdome. Of this I have no question in my mind. Most of the panic in New Orleans happened because news reports focussed on looting, blaming the flood victims as obstinate people who ignored the evac orders instead of relief and personal need.
I answered this. The answer is ‘no’…it can’t be ‘fixed’.
I’d say he’s interested in the health and welfare of American citizens, yes. He has his own ideas on whats the best way to handle their health and welfare…or at least the Republicans as a whole do. That philosophy may be different than what you (or the ‘black community’) thinks is best…but doesn’t mean he (or the 'Pubs) don’t care at all. It just means they think they have a better plan…just like YOU think YOU do.
Donno…should he? Should he focus on the issues that affect the blacks in this country? Or should he focus on issues that affect American citizens in this country? Should black or other minorities local issue be taken care of at, well, the local level?
My guess is, ‘yes’. This doesn’t mean he is going to pick your solutions to those issues in order to ‘fix’ them though.
Donno. Do you have any indications that he doesn’t care? I mean, something that isn’t subjective like your disagreeing with his policies…something like a statement or some other indication that he really doesn’t care about blacks in this country. Because on the surface of it I’d say he ‘cares’ enough to have several of them in his administration. He seems to ‘care’ about women too, as he has several of them in his administration. Same with other minorities. Maybe if you listed out your reasons for thinking he doesn’t ‘care’ about blacks we could go through the list and see if its really an indication he doesn’t care, or its just a philosophical difference of viewpoint between Bush/Republicans and minorities.
Honestly, I suppose it cannot. It is such a ridiculous assertion that the fact that it has any currency at all does not bode well for any changing of it. Especially when people who have stature in the black community repeat it as if it were true.
Bush has not done enough for blacks? Maybe.
Bush does not care what blacks think? Maybe.
Bush does not have the best interests of blacks at heart? Maybe.
I completely agree. I almost said that I would prefer on opponent who hated me to one who who was indifferent. At least in the former case, we would be engaged.
The President does not hate black people in particular. He’s a dry drunk who hates everyone for making him stop drinking and taking drugs, and his Presidency is his revenge on the world. Nasty one, too.
Well, monstro it’s because the two of you look so much alike.
Whether or not it is true that if the face of the NO disaster had been white the federal response would have been better, quicker or more urgent is not what I’m asking. Regan and Bush I were also conservative and I never got the feeling that blacks felt hatred coming from them.
Again I ask: Can this perception be changed? How can it be changed? Does the president even care to change it?
Obviously I disagree. About the only thing that may have helped is if the local officials had been more on the ball and mobilized their local resources (bus’s and such) before the leeves burst. But IMHO that would have taken a level of forknowledge as well.
As to the 48-72 hours, that sounds about right to get massive aid into a local region from the federal level. Such resources need to be mobilized and concentrated, supplies gathered for shipment…and thats all about logisitics. On the LOCAL level they were crippled by the devastation and perhaps the fact that they hadn’t been properly mobilized before hand either, and that the local evac and rescue plans hadn’t been implimented. I’m willing to cut them some slack though seeing how crippling things were, causing problems with transport and evacuation, getting rescue workers to where the people were trapped, etc. I know I’m going against the SDMB meme, but the more I’m reading about this the more convinced that, while things COULD have been better, there are a lot of mitigating special circumstances that blocked efforts…and none of them had anything to do with NO having a lot of blacks and Bush’s not caring about them.
Anyway, there are countless threads about NO and I certainly don’t want to hijack this on in that direction. For THIS thread I’m unconvinced that race had jack shit to do with the perceived slowness of the relief efforts. I’m going to need some convincing on that score.