Racism and Katrina

[pegkerr]

In all my compulsive reading of the Katrina coverage, I've been mulling over the ugly questions that have been raised about how racism has made this whole story play out. I was withholding judgment for awhile. But then I read this, and this and saw this, among other things (there was one other link that I can't find right now). And I've decided that, yeah, chalk me up as one of the minority of whites who think that race does have something to do with the abysmal response. Along with class, I'll add.

I'm thinking about some advice I gave to two friends of mine recently who have been struggling with a troubled marriage: if one of you says, "I see a problem here" and the other says "you're imagining things, there is no problem here" then the proper response is: guess what, you both have a problem here, whether the second sees it or not. Because if it's a problem for the first one, it's a problem for the relationship.

So . . . what can a liberal but often clueless honkey woman like me do about it?

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Dear Peg,

We seem to have hijacked your LJ. Having had this happen to me a time or two, I know how irritating it can be. I hereby apologize, and I hope you have gotten something from these exchanges.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew it could happen because it's a difficult and fraught subject. I think people are at least trying to be civil, even if/when they disagree, which I appreciate. I haven't felt the need to put the kibosh on anything yet.

Each to his or her own

[joelrosenberg.livejournal.com]

I do, I think, need to put a kibosh on it. Not on what anybody else says and/or posts, of course, but I'm pretty sure that me discussing issues and meta-issues of racism in the US doesn't do anybody any good, including me, so I've deleted my postings on the subject.

Sorry for the interruption.