Current Affairs Racist police in Katrina rescues

"They saved white people; black and latinos were left to die"

(Translated with Google from http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?idc=201003 . Original note by José Contreras
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The city of Houston is turned a great refuge. Every day they arrive at the shelters and hotels thousands of victims; all desperate ones by water, food and clothes. All with a history that to count. Maria Ines Tapia, original of Puebla, was witness of how the police and firemen of the New Orleans only saved to the targets and let die to the black and the Latins. -- "Want water? Swim to my canoe", the police and firemen mocked when the Hispanic and black families requested from the ceilings a little the vital liquid. For that reason the black got angry and began to shoot; because they had arms in their houses and the hunger and the desperation made them use them to demand food, Maria Ines narrated.

She and her family also was rescued of the New Orleans by volunteers. When the canoe furrowed the water streets of the city, it was intercepted by a boat of the National Guard of the United States. All were guntipped and escorted to the exit. Maria Ines did not imagine that at the same time that her family was rescued, the evacuation of the city of the New Orleans had begun. A member of the group of volunteers who rescued them, swam thru the reeking water to where her family was, to warn to them that they had to leave at that same moment, since the National Guard tried to sweep all the ceilings so that nobody could see what was hidden under the water.
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That just isn't right. All people deserve to be treated fairly, no matter what race/ethnicity/color.


-Ian

 

*insert general reaction of disgust and anger here. I mean really, what else are we going to say? If you agree with me just quote this post and leave it at that instead of a genuine reply*

 

Fill up space.

 

No i dont think its racist i heard that like 80% of the population are black

 

That's exactly why it's racism. So many black people in the city, and so few are being recued. And guess what? They're all white.

:anger2:

 

Race could be part of it, but New Orleans also has a large poor population. The people stuck to ride the storm out weren't just there because they didn't want to leave their precious home behind, but many couldn't afford the transportation. I saw recently on the news pictures of a large bus depot, with hundreds of school buses in New Orleans that weren't even used to help evacuate people in need of transportation.

Might not only be racism, it could be discrimination of those in lower economic status also. "Why save the poor? It'll better society having them wiped out.."

Yes, this is on the extreme side, but the extreme of what? Compared to CNN, which only tells us "some bad people are attacking rescue workers, because they're mean!" People would only resort to that if their needs weren't being met fast enough, and they felt oppressed. It is unreasonable to do this, but when people haven't eaten, are drinking bad water, and have corpses all around them, their Ids will take over so they can survive.

 

We all are discusted by this. It is a darn shame the way people act. It shouldn't matter what are skin looks like. We should care about the content of the persons character. We are all human. I think we should beat the crap out these racist sons of *****s. But we want to be bigger then them right. I think whoever has been doing this should go to jail. Make them think long and hard about how they mistreat people.

I also heard that people were supposed to ignore the dead bodies and get only the surviors.

 

its true.. on the BBC they interviewed some park rangers i think it was who came to help.. He said.. Or job right now is to save the living.. The dead can wait..

And its true.. Why would you go out of your way to move some dead bodies when there are ppl on the brink of starving to death.. Dead bodies are not a priority..

As for the rascist thing.. Odds are its just one or to reports.. And when it gets out the media Says.. OH RACIST, lets make all the police and firemen look racist now.. Or it could be a racist black person making up a story because they were not rescued fast enough..

 

YES, I think that the media is blowing a lot of this stuff out of perportion, just because it is a major destaster, and these stations want the most viewers.

I don't get why some people are like, It is there fault for not getting out they knew it was going to hit them.

I will use where I live..

It is like, if the weather reporter said, there is a large t-storm that has been producing Tornadoes and should hit where I live in around an hour or so, do you think that everyone here should pack up all they can and leave the area or it is there fault for staying?
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I heard that tomorrow we are going to start getting New Students in our schools from New Orleans. ( I know that is kinnda not in place, but it does go along with the issue)

 

Honestly.. Most people wont leave because its the mentality that.. YEah right that reporter is full of crap.. And some people are like.. Wow i want to see then.. I know i would

 

Sad but what you people are saying makes sense reminds me of other things that has happened. Well if there is someone who did that we should still beat the crap out of them. The whole dead body thing I wonder if that is the reason why some of this happened. Some volunteers could have saved alive white people instead of the dead people. Making it seam like considering that person wouldn't be able in that part to know that they are dead.

I also stand by they should have left. They have no way. They can still walk right? I can see that old lady thing I said before. Only a hand full of her family should have stayed not all. People staying makes it hardier on the rescuers. What are you going to lose personal things? At least it isn't your life.

I heard Wal-Mart has had 30 million in donations so far.

 

ditto

I think it was Colin Powell who said it, it isn't about color but about money. One of ten people there had a car. They just weren't rich.

 

What I'm getting sick of is hearing about Bush's reaction to Katrina. It's not the Federal governments responsibility to do rescue first (it's the State that has first responsibility in that), which I think a lot of people ignore. Could he have moved faster? Yeah, but I don't think he was deliberately trying to kill people or anything that certain groups are screaming.

 

If he wanted to deliberately kill people then he would just use a gun, it's faster and cost less money.
How sad that we are willing to discriminate whether or not a person is more or less worthy of helping based solely on the fact that they are a different color or that they have less money? They can die just as easily as that rich white woman sitting on the roof.... wait if she had money then why didn't she leave? Some people didn't leave because they brushed it off as just being another hurricane. If you forget the destruction that a hurricane can cause, then you are less likely to take it seriously. Of course New Orleans is a city where you can walk to where ever you need to go, so not every one has a car. How far could you walk if a hurricane is coming? Do you honestly think that some one could walk away from a hurricane? It would be more like backpacking because you would need supplies. Some people fled to Slidell... and Slidell got hit just pretty hard too. It's not as though a regular person could walk all the way to "safety". I'm sorry Basher but how far could you walk in a day? Maybe to the Greyhound bus depot. I wonder how many thought of that. I don't think I could walk to the Grey hound bus station in my town, then again it is on the other side of town and Montgomery isn't what I would call a walking town. Maybe the city buses then. The problem is that most people wait until the hurricane is almost upon them. Unfortunately a couple day's wage is worth more to some than fleeing for their lives from a force of nature that is unpredictable. Others would rather stay with their possessions, some how in the mind set that maybe it won’t get as damaged if I stay here(?). oh well. In the end they all ended up in the same boat, stuck on roof tops with out food and water. It shouldn’t matter how they got there or their reasons for staying and it certainly shouldn’t matter their race or status. All that should matter is that they need help.



Bush denies racist Katrina response

 

well this IS the media... and we all know that racism goes both ways more often than not these days. complaints about racism are usually way bigger than the actual offense. unless you've been there and spoken to more than the ones who simply want to be on tv, i really wouldnt trust the media too much. (although there is going to be around 1k refugees living in a local school auditorium, and if i get a chance i'll run over there and see for myself, and post aboot it)

 

I can walk half my town in 15 min. it is ten plus miles long. It isn't that hard. If you wanted to leave you could. I was evacuated before because of a flood. At the time I lived with my mom who doesn't know how to drive. We left with help from the army trucks. The water was 3 feet high when we left. One thing I am wondering is that did these people receiving information to evacuate? And if they did were there vehicles to help? Wouldn't they have some type of evacuation planned? Obviously a flood can’t compare to a hurricane. But they would have to of had an evacuation plan. I think they could have walked to at least a shelter that way they could have left sooner. It would have been easier for rescuers.

Nature is unpredictable why would you want to gamble your life with it. It is far worse then playing Russian roulette.

I don’t get peoples mind set when it comes to something that they can’t control. You may lose your things but at least it isn’t your life. I understand people wanting to stay and all of a sudden it is too late. The best thing for them after that would be to stay put or move to higher ground. If you wanted to leave you could. I will always believe that.

Claiming racism is just making the rescues harder. People won’t want to help. It should be investigated after this.

Actually once it becomes a natural disaster the government has to step in to protect the people. The thing is though the government will look to what is best for rescuers. If it is dangerous they can’t let them in. There isn’t a point in having more people die because of this.

Yep they are all stuck without food or clean water on their roof tops needing help because they chose to stay. Hopefully those that can get rescued can in time.

 

If I recall correctly, Bush aided lot of people in Florida when a hurricane hit them... *BEFORE* the elections. Makes you wonder.

 

makes you wonder what? why the storm was bigger this time? theres been 4 hurricanes this year and more coming. he screws up one (according to the people who are paid by how controversial the story is) and he's Satan incarnate.

 

I was meaning how fast he helped the people in florida... oh, and don't worry, I already thought he was satan's incarnate way before Katrina.