unneccessary punctuation
On a telethon intended to unite the populace and raise money for victims of the worst tragedy to hit the United States since long before 9/11, Kanye West has used the airwaves to make a divisive, non productive statement that won't assist anyone effected by the hurricane and floods.
Disgusting.
On a telethon intended to raise awareness and money for victims of the worst natural disaster to hit the United States Kayne West spoke from his heart instead of what was written for him by NBC.
He said exactly what many Americans, including, I bet you, most of those still waiting for help in New Orleans were thinking: that the President had turned his back on them.
The President's priorities being questioned on worldwide tv in the midst of the tragedy that you note is courageous and admirable.
What's disgusting is that Mr Bush did not see those victims as his number one priority four and a half days before his visit, and he still doesn't see them as his priority tonight. And since the majority of those victims are Black, it's difficult to argue that West was wrong.
Wrong or right, a telethon like that isn't the place to spew hateful rhetoric. It distracts from the issue. Now is not the time to lay blame.
If I believed that Kanye's comments might inspire positive change or encourage people to give money, volunteer, or alter their actions then I'd agree with you.
I'll debate and argue and express my frustrations with the clusterfuck our government and our people have let us into when the time is right. But to prioritize the blame now verges on villainous to the people who still need rescuing, housing, and other aid as we type and read.
Tony P., you know I'm a huge fan, and I love you in the most hetero way a fan can... but... WTF? You have three frustration inspired posts about what everyone is doing wrong, but only a couple brief slug lines asking people to donate? Dude, you've got a voice that can drive people to action - can you write something that will inspire people to help?
I agree. Tony I am a huge fan of yours, but I don't really agree with all these posts about how much our government has screwed up and how much underlying rasicsm is going on. I think everyone is aware the federal government screwed up big time. I lived in New orleans for three years and now I live in one of the cities that is recieving up to 20,000 Katrina victims. I'm hearing first hand accounts of the atrocities. It's appalling. Yeah, someone will certainly feel the enormous repricussions of the treatment of these citizens of what I thought was still Ameria, but there is a bigger issues that someone with your influence needs to be pushing other than the racism factor. These people may have to call a sports arena, an old military base, and countless other abandoned buildings home for an indefinite amount of time. Supplies and money are desperately needed to keep hundreds of thousands of now-homeless people fed, clothed, schooled and occupied. Can you imagine how they must pass the days surrounded by thousands of strangers in a strange city with nothing to do but reflect on everything they have lost? It would make me crazy. I think you're awesome Tony, but I hope you use your voice to encourage everyone to donate instead of feeding everyone's already-existing anger over this situation...every little bit counts.
And Kanye West can certainly feel whatever he wants...it's hard to look at this situation without feeling that someone (be it Bush or FEMA or whoever) does not seem to care enough...or didn't care until it snowballed into a tragedy of bibilical proportions. His timing, in my opinion was off...that was a telethon after all. Plus, how off was it that he had to comment on how he would have to "check with his business manager" to see what he could give? Why not just say he was going to give all that he could instead of (maybe unintentionally) pointing out his substantial finances? We didn't need to know he went shopping for himself before he donated. But whatever, hopefully he will follow through and donate some of his millions...because even at 190 million raised so far,it's not even close to enough.
My name is Steve, I live (or at least used to) in New Orleans, Louisiana. My house is currently under 20 feet of water. I got out before the storm with my car, dog, and the clothes on my back. All else is lost. I am a refugee and yes, I AM WHITE. While you jackasses sit around and discuss the racial implications of a storm and flood, down here in Louisiana, we are all suffering together, black, white, asian, etc. This is a natural disaster that we in Louisiana have been warned about for years. The city, state and federal government all share some blame in this, but particularly the city for not having a plan for getting the poorer elements of the city a way out BEFORE the storm hit and the levees broke. Our city govt. has a history (particulalrly recently) of extreme corruption and inneffectiveness(?). Getting people out before a storm by buses, trains, planes, however, was the job and responsibility of the New Orleans city government, not the feds, not Bush, but the city and it failed and left its own people (and by "own people" I mean it in any and every way you can read into it) behind. Where I am here in Baton Rouge, we are trying to help, the finger pointing and race baiting can wait. I'm very dissapointed with this bog.
Steve
Well, I had a nicer way of putting it, but that's been my point all along.
Race is a huge huge factor.
And a lot of people, including the city officials definitely, share blame for how terribly this disaster's been handled but I agree that the current administration has shown incredible incredible ineffectiveness in dealing with it.
You all -- including Kanye West -- are right.
I saw this live on TV - it was really surreal, and I couldn't believe what i was seeing on TV. It was almost like an SNL skit. It was comedy gold. The reactions of Meyers and Tucker - it's too bad that the clips floating around on the internet don't show Tucker's subsequent monologue. The way he was trying to play it straight - it just killed me.
But I can totally sympathize if people are wondering, is this happening because Bush doesn't like black people? I think everyone is baffled and casting around for explanations for what the fucking hell is going on in that empty little noggin of his as they stare at their TV sets in absolute stupefaction. Everyone has been asking themselves, why? why???? What the fuck is going ON?!?!? Why doesn't anybody DO something to help these poor people???????? Is this happening here, in the United fucking States??? What the hell is going on???
Myself, I don't know if it's because the man's a racist, or just a heartless fuck in general.
Oh, by the way, I liked the podcast, Tony!
tony. how can a person not agree with anything you and Matt talked about. how about that hey? cameras and helicopters flying aroun with the media and no help from them. They are so fuckign worried about getting the story they have no problem watching people suffer and die
It is incredibly amazing how uncomfortable people are about discussing race in this country. People would like to pretend that Dr. King's dream is real and we live in a color blind society. The fact is, we don't.
If this were Iowa or Idaho or any other place where the majority was white, you can bet they would have had troops there already dropping sandbags and trying to make sure the town didn't flood.
To the guy upthread that said he's white and got out with his dog and his clothes and his CAR, exactly. A lot of those black faces you see didn't have cars and even if they did, they didn't have enough money for the $3 gas to pay to get out of town. No one is saying that the white people weren't harmed either. We're just saying that all the "refugees" we keep seeing displayed on the television are overwhelmingly black, they did what they were told and went to the Superdome, where they were caged in like animals without food or water. Draw from that what you will.
so, unless you can be on the ground and helping the situation with your own hands, you can't point out that the government's response has been a failure?
BULL-shit.
if it hadn't been for reporters showing starving and dying people in new orleans, and the news media airing complaints and doing a lot of howling themselves (including many on Fox News - !), the cavalry wouldn't have gotten there when it did. think it was a coincidence that the Prez got there the same day the trucks, food and water first started rolling in? HELL no.
the argument that 'it isn't the time to criticize' makes no more sense than the idea that criticizing the war 'emboldens the terrorists'. both are the last desperate defense of the indefensible.
This all reminds me of the movie, "A Time to Kill" at the very end when there's a speech about the rape of a black girl and substituting it for the rape of a white girl with blue eyes.
Think about it. If those were all middle-income whites, would we even be having this discussion? I think not. There would have been plans in place already from day one to get them out of there. To believe otherwise is burying your head in your sand about the problem.
I'm on the westcoast and I tuned in to the live eastcoast broadcast and missed Kanye's speech the first time. I tuned in when I heard reference to it on CNN and they seem to have edited out that particular part.
As for the "right time" to bring up this issue. Would people be more apt to listen 3 months from now when everything's died down and the world's moved on? I think history's shown if you wait to protest something due to it being "the wrong time" people stop paying attention.
If not now, when? Maybe the next president (and thank God there's a two term limit) will think twice the next time a natural disaster devastates an entire region about what his priorities are.
I think we can all agree, regardless of the race of those left behind, that the reaction time was WAY TOO SLOW. The fact that 5 days later, bodies are still floating around the city is unacceptable to me given America is the "richest most powerful country in the world".
I applaud Tony for sticking to his guns and his values in the face of adversity from those condemning him for bringing this issue to the forefront. More people should question their government. Perhaps if questions were raised a long time ago about this current administration things would have been different now.
I just like how he spoke from his heart. I felt what he was saying even before he made the remark about Bush. And what he says is probably what a lot of people are feeling right now. Bush is weak. Period.
Oh, and Tony, et al, thanks for all the good wishes to us down here in LA who don't have time to bitch and scream about politics, race and finger pointing. We really appreciate your support. Sarcasm is so hard to get across electronically. And Monique, what should we have done, wait around with a Cat-5 bearing down us as a show of solidarity with the poorer classes? I reiterate, WE HAVE ALL LOST EVERYTHING DOWN HERE, MY FAMILY IS SCATTERED, SOME OF WHICH I HAVE NOT CONTACTED AND DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE STILL IN N.O., MISSISSIPPI . . . NO WORD. Y'all just don't get it, you see this merely as an opportunity to bash politicians like a broken record. I ain't no fan of Bush I assure you. News flash: they all suck: Mayor Nagin (Demo) Gov. Blanco (Demo), Sen. Landrieu (Demo), Bush (Repub.), bash them all, bash away b/c that's all y'all are really good for on your silly little blogs. It accomplishes nothing when there is a lot to be accomplished. Y'all are nothinmg more than predictable, impotent, broken records. Adios, I'm on my way to volunteer in coastal Mississippi. I'd love to get into N.O., retrieve any belongings I could salvage and help with the effort in MY CITY, but they won't let us in, and probably won't for months. Again, thanks for your best wishes.
the fact that myers and tucker had no worthwhile reactions it just shows they are washed up entertainers
I like shab00ty's comment; lol.
"George Bush Hates Black People" is an extreemly general statement. I don't agree, but I can concede that evacuation and relief efforts have been extreemly slow, disorganized and pathetic; This coming from one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.
Watching CNN feels like an extended World Vision commercial, who would ever think that we would have to beg Americans (and Canadians the same) for AID on our own continent?
I don't believe it's strictly a racial issue (what is happening in New Orleans); But the Media should be ashamed for such blathering oversights in reporting. The New Orleans Gov't should have been more prepared for this type of emergency.
Fuck asking for donations - nobody should have to be asked. Right now, it's not a black/white issue - it's an American issue; These are all our brothers/sisters suffering in our own country.
P.S. You're still the shit Tony.
How can everyone STILL be bitching about the politics of this after Steve's comment?? These people lost everything...does that sink in?? I seriously doubt anyone cares about your finger pointing. Perhaps if you're not here, it's hard to grasp and easier to use this as a reason to bash Bush. I'm not fan of his either, but come on! Steve is right..everyone is to blame. Ray Nagin should have had a clearly developed plan days, weeks before the storm hit with buses, boats, whatever. I don't know exactly how the plan should have been laid out, but as I am not the mayor, that's not my job. The point is the city of New Orleans failed it's people as did the federal government. Okay. They all get that. But right now we have an old base here filled to past capacity with survivors who don't give a shit about pointing fingers. They have nothing but what is being handed out to them. These are not homeless people who have lived on the streets. These are families who had homes, jobs, kids in school, etc. They need more help than I can fathom, not mindless bitching about who was to blame. A freaking monster storm was to blame, people. Get over your rants and help them.
No offense to Steve, as I feel for his loss and the situation, but he was able to leave, and obviously has the ability to comment on this blog using a computer. He's not stranded at the Convention Center or the Superdome.
No one is saying that this storm wasn't terrible. The point is, what has happened since.
And let's also not forget. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed by Anglo-American aggression over the last two years and rarely are passions equal to the realities of that. There is no doubt that there is bias involved, class, and how race applies to that, is most certainly a real factor.
wow, it's hot!
Here's the big question I challenge Tony and Matt Good to answer:
What the hell can those outside of the hurricane and flood ravaged areas do to help our fellow Americans? What ideas do they have to fix the current crisis?
Is it to donate cash or goods, organize/assist with shipments for needs being sent to the Gulf Coast, or maybe just watch and read the news and realize how fucked up our government is?
Or do Tony and Matt feel that their responsibility isn't to use their strong, loud and respected voices to help whats going on right now - but to criticize and keep count of everything thats been done wrong, possibly believing that it might stop the same from happening in the future?
unsom
americans dont need me to tell them what to do. theyve already volunteered and donated their hearts out.
and yesterday one american stood up on national tv and spoke from his heart.
i would recommend that americans continue to speak from their hearts, and act from that place.
but when they speak i suggest that they speak about the present in relation to the future, i suggest that they ask tough questions of the right people.
but i think you have confused an issue here. just because a critic speaks out that something is fucked up, the onious isnt on them to resolve the problem. you dont yell at the fire alarm to put out the fire.
however, in the post below and in the podcast i gave suggestions to the president and to other public servants about what they should do. i gave suggestions to republicans about what they can do to help those who got them into office and i gave suggestions to those who would want to replace them.
for a fan you really dont read much of what i write or listen to what i spend hours podcasting.
maybe i should be clearer.
uh, steve, down boy! no one said you should have stayed. i merely pointed out that unlike YOU, those poorer than you may not have had a car to leave in and if they did have a car to leave in, they probably couldn't afford the $3 per gallon to get out of town. i'm amazed that in spite of all you have lost and all the friends and family you can't get in contact with, you still have time to babysit the comments on busblog and come back with retorts that clearly indicate you did not understand the message in this post or any of the others on here.
The mayor of New Orleans is not without fault. The governor of Louisiana is not without fault. instead of sticking around and making sure there was a proper evacuation plan in place, they high-tailed it and left the others to suffer. Boo for them.
But an even bigger boo for President Bush who couldn't get his priorities straight if you let him use a ruler to do it. it was a CATEGORY 5 hurricane. That spells national disaster no matter what channel is reporting it. Action should have been taken before the flood waters, not after.
Like I said, if this was Iowa, or Montana or some other place with more whites than blacks, with more middle-upper class families than lower, the reaction and ACTION would have been a lot different.
*steve, thanks for your voice; reality is a much needed change from all this speculation. i live in little rock, AR and my friend Ben Allbright and i are trying to be as pro-active as possible, but you never feel like you do enough. we've got contact info on our pages, if you're looking for someone, (we're both gov't people--not FEMA bastards), we've could run the names through the agencies, churches, support groups, etc we're working with.
we're both white southerners by the way. the anglo-agressors too, i might mention.
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