All you feel gooders shut your self satisfied mouths. None of you are interested in fixing anything because if things get fixed there's nothing to be sanctimonious about.
This is kind of analogous to your presence here, wouldn't you say?
I can pretty quickly come up with a list of NOLA-based organizations that could use that money in much better and efficient ways than would Habitat for Humanity, if that's what you want.
then do it.
from what I can tell, whether it's me telling you to or not, many of you are flat-out refusing to give up even an inch of your societally-constructed comfort zones in order to actually do a damned thing for NOLA...which ultimately wants you to learn the lesson of Katrina long before thinking that you can come in and materially recreate what in many ways is already lost forever.
My socially-constructed comfort zone does not afford me the ability to give much in terms of charity or even time. But I have donated both to the efforts to rebuild. Your disgusting attitude toward anyones kind words or efforts makes me wonder if you even have a point beyond crying out just how real you are keeping it and fake were all being. First you shit all over Olivers ode to Groove Merchant than you shit on my request that people donate money towards habitat for humanity, were you ever hugged as a child?
Honestly man, its all a conspiracy right? the invisible hand of the ancient sect of controlling whatever...
an observation:
Since we are all sheep that are societally pre-conditioned to accept and obey, and seeing as you, through your amazing powers of deduction, and/or a natural gift can see what we mere followers cant and you continuously do us all favours by bestowing upon us your wisdom via this worldwide forum... dont you think the powers that be would have shut you down?
or is your realness like kryptonite to the dark lords?
ok, enough of that shit: Get your head outta your ass and recognise when someone is just trying to help.
I do see what you are saying HC. So be clear that my criticism is regarding the time before Katrina and shortly thereafter. After the establishment of the DHS. And, of course, the 5 days after Katrina.
Pull that the government is hopeless, they're all crooks shit all day. But Clinton has a better record.
During HW Bush. I sat through hurricane Hugo 1989 beginning to end. It literally flattened and flooded 80% of the Charleston area including my Dad's entire block, my Mom's house and both Grandparents. Then we went without power and water for over 3 months. The demographic there is the same, albeit smaller, lots of poor blacks and whites flat up against wealthy whites. There was looting and hysteria. But not for one second were people starving, dying and rotting in the streets.
But he then went on to pull that "help is n the Way" shit after Andrew.
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
I can pretty quickly come up with a list of NOLA-based organizations that could use that money in much better and efficient ways than would Habitat for Humanity, if that's what you want.
then do it.
Per Cyril Neville:
As far as kicking New Orleans when it???s down and all that kind of stuff, I am one of the people of New Orleans. I lost everything too. The bottom line is that everybody should be pissed off but if you want to talk about looting, who looted all that money from the Red Cross? Three days after the storm I had to leave my family in a hotel room to go up to New York and Nashville and LA to raise money for the Red Cross. Every suggestion I gave them as far as information on who to send money to, people who I knew personally, they didn???t want to hear that. So I put a t-shirt on that said ???Ethnic Cleansing in New Orleans??? because I had to get my voice heard some kind of way. The point I???m making is that the same questions that I asked in the beginning and got shut down for asking, now everybody wants to know. In between the initial raising of the money and the public finding out that we all got ripped off, I asked the councilman at large Oliver Thomas what was going on with the city and how I could get back in and do my house. I had already cleaned up everything. Anyway, in the conversation he asked me if I could get in touch with my brother Aaron to tell him to take his voice off of the PSA???s for the Red Cross because we have seen not one dime. This was months ago before the bullshit hit the fan. I???m talking about millions of dollars. From the Big Apple to the Big Easy was on pay-per-view. I???m looking out and Madison Square Garden is packed to the gills and I know that wasn???t no cheap ticket to get in there. That same night I was driven from there to Radio City Music Hall and did another thing with the Meters and the Wild Magnolias and a bunch of other people, all New Orleans people. And we felt that we were doing something good for the city, but at the same time let???s get some other information involved in this. The Tambourine and Fan Club[/b] needs money. The Backstreet Cultural Museum[/b] needs money. Miss Antoinette K. Doe needs money for the only club in New Orleans named after an African??? American artist, Ernie K. Doe???s Mother-in-Law Lounge[/b]. So keep that going. Backstreet Museum holds that part of our culture, the Mardi Gras Indians, those Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs like the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club[/b] that were put together back in the day because black folks couldn???t get insurance from white folks. So we had to form those Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs to get from one end of year to the other end of the year. So in October everybody got together and partied and second lined. But at the same time, your name was on the roster so that if anything ever happened to you, they???d help take care of your family. The Tambourine and Fan Club with Jerome Smith has been actually taking care and nurturing our kids for years. Big Chief Victor Harris of the Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi[/b] for 17 to 18 years, he???s been giving out suppers and things by his house in the 9th Ward to raise money to send our kids back to school with supplies and clothing. So I???m trying to tell them, OK, you???re talking about people who need help, well here I know where they???re at. I know how you can get straight to them. Tambourine, Backstreet Museum, St Augustine Church[/b]. That???s our culture. Erase that and you done erased us.
from what I can tell, whether it's me telling you to or not, many of you are flat-out refusing to give up even an inch of your societally-constructed comfort zones in order to actually do a damned thing for NOLA...which ultimately wants you to learn the lesson of Katrina long before thinking that you can come in and materially recreate what in many ways is already lost forever. My socially-constructed comfort zone does not afford me the ability to give much in terms of charity or even time. But I have donated both to the efforts to rebuild. Your disgusting attitude toward anyones kind words or efforts makes me wonder if you even have a point beyond crying out just how real you are keeping it and fake were all being. First you shit all over Olivers ode to Groove Merchant than you shit on my request that people donate money towards habitat for humanity, were you ever hugged as a child? There's a common thread running through both critiques which each point to basically-white organizations (Habitat for Humanity and Groove Merchant) that deal in black culture given the juice of importance rather than going right to the source of black culture itself.
In relation to NOLA, the Groove Merchant stuff means nothing to me. But I don't see many of you really striving to understand all of this black culture that you're so obviously enamored with, instead putting all of your eggs in baskets that act as go-betweens for you and that black culture.
And yes, yesterday's love-fest over how great America is points right at some of y'all not having learned next to anything about the disgusting background that spawned the creation of the blues, jazz, soul, funk, and rap musics. It also shows that Spike Lee's commendable efforts to keep certain things fresh in your mind most likely went for naught.
Blew them up or purposefully never reinforced them knowing full well that they couldn't withstand a direct hit from even the tiniest of hurricanes...take your pick.
Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane not 24 hours before it hit New Orleans. Stop pulling bullshit out of your ass.
There's a common thread running through both critiques which each point to basically-white organizations (Habitat for Humanity and Groove Merchant) that deal in black culture given the juice of importance rather than going right to the source of black culture itself.
In relation to NOLA, the Groove Merchant stuff means nothing to me. But I don't see many of you really striving to understand all of this black culture that you're so obviously enamored with, instead putting all of your eggs in baskets that act as go-betweens for you and that black culture.
And yes, yesterday's love-fest over how great America is points right at some of y'all not having learned next to anything about the disgusting background that spawned the creation of the blues, jazz, soul, funk, and rap musics. It also shows that Spike Lee's commendable efforts to keep certain things fresh in your mind most likely went for naught.
ok, im going to bed now, in the morning ill check on this thread to see if someone managed to pick their jaw up offa the floor and replied to this waffle.
There's a common thread running through both critiques which each point to basically-white organizations (Habitat for Humanity and Groove Merchant) that deal in black culture given the juice of importance rather than going right to the source of black culture itself.
In relation to NOLA, the Groove Merchant stuff means nothing to me. But I don't see many of you really striving to understand all of this black culture that you're so obviously enamored with, instead putting all of your eggs in baskets that act as go-betweens for you and that black culture.
And yes, yesterday's love-fest over how great America is points right at some of y'all not having learned next to anything about the disgusting background that spawned the creation of the blues, jazz, soul, funk, and rap musics. It also shows that Spike Lee's commendable efforts to keep certain things fresh in your mind most likely went for naught.
ok, im going to bed now, in the morning ill check on this thread to see if someone managed to pick their jaw up offa the floor and replied to this waffle.
I'm trying a new approach, I'm going to my neighbors house after work to borrow his pet iguana. Maybe she can decipher Harvey's thought patterns and let me better understand how I can be a better person
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Blew them up or purposefully never reinforced them knowing full well that they couldn't withstand a direct hit from even the tiniest of hurricanes...take your pick.
Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane not 24 hours before it hit New Orleans. Stop pulling bullshit out of your ass.
What difference does it make if it was a category 5 hurricane 24 hours before it didn't directly hit New Orleans[/b] if engineers over the course of my entire life (35 years) have been publicly saying that the levees couldn't withstand a direct hit from even a category 1 hurricane?
I have been through several major floods in New Orleans which happened when levees couldn't even hold a sustained downpour of rain.
Y'all can say a lot of contentious stuff about me and the things I say on here, and more or less I'm fine with it...but I'm not going to let anyone tell me that it hasn't been obvious for decades that the New Orleans levee system wasn't up to par.
I knew it as a 6 year old. So did everyone of any age around me. The Army Corp. of Engineers knew it too, but they didn't do their jobs and should be held liable for it. Too bad that there are laws already on the books that state that they can't.
Just wanted to offer an alternative to Habitat for Humanity, if people are looking for some other aspect of rebuilding to which they can contribute.
A former roommate and close friend of mine has recently opened a college preparatory charter middle school in New Orleans, KIPP BELIEVE Academy.
KIPP is a well-respected charter organization that has provided many children with uncompromisingly outstanding educations, and they are committed to truly revolutionizing education in New Orleans. They operate successful schools in numerous cities including Houston, NYC, Chicago, Oakland, and so on.
Their is a link at the top for "Support Us" if anyone is interested. The issue of education in NOLA issue is near and dear to me, as I spent a couple years teaching there myself. For an interesting article about KIPP BELIEVE and some of the other changes in New Orleans education check out this article: Gambit Weekly Article
honestly Kerry and the Dems did it to himself/themselves. I mean I voted for him, but jesus what a flaccid, uninspired campaign. Those debates were so hard to watch, he had so many chances to just bury Dubya and time and time again he'd go back to his Tora Bora sound byte or some other crap.
thank you so much for your posts and contributions. I am more than open to learning and donating to other charities that will benefit New Orleans if anybody has any other links to charitable organizations that will concentrate on NO please post them up here so that those of us that are willing to give have some viable options to choose from.
honestly Kerry and the Dems did it to himself/themselves. I mean I voted for him, but jesus what a flaccid, uninspired campaign. Those debates were so hard to watch, he had so many chances to just bury Dubya and time and time again he'd go back to his Tora Bora sound byte or some other crap.
I'm no Kerry cheerleader, but if you think what was constantly advertised about him in many key states for a year wasn't slanderous, you're tripping.
Y'all can say a lot of contentious stuff about me and the things I say on here, and more or less I'm fine with it...but I'm not going to let anyone tell me that it hasn't been obvious for decades that the New Orleans levee system wasn't up to par.
I knew it as a 6 year old. So did everyone of any age around me. The Army Corp. of Engineers knew it too, but they didn't do their jobs and should be held liable for it. Too bad that there are laws already on the books that state that they can't.
I don't like this dude, but he's right. In my short time in New Orleans, and my background in science, New Orleans was seemingly man trying to have a dick measuring contest with nature. The problem here is specifically one of two possibilities:
1) Army Corps of Engineers knew the levees sucked and intentionally misrepresented their capabilities OR 2) They really believed they did a good job.
Either way, hubris.
The Netherlands is hanging out and doing ok, and they have to battle the ocean. Let's steal their technology to reconstruct New Orleans OR create more wetlands around NOLA (that's a better idea).
Blaming Bush for everything is exactly what Bush wants you to do.
Actually, I think you totally have this wrong. After reflecting on the coverage of the anniversary yesterday, it's pretty clear that the administration is not accepting responsibility. And, of course, the press gave them a free pass. Sigh. In all of the clips and coverage, I don't recall Bush actually taking any responsibility. He kept saying that "the government failed" and "the government's response was unacceptable" etc.
As you can see, they are framing the situation by diffusing the responsibility. Not only does this protect responsible officials from accountability, but it also reinforces the idea that the government is inept at all levels[/b].
So, no! Not even close. The last thing Bush wants is to be blamed for failures in the government specifically related to his management [sic] and policies. But those are the facts. While one can argue that the government certainly has it's share of problems, there is no doubt this administration has done the worst job EVAR.
Brownie? Dude was demoted and stayed on the payroll at 6 figures for almost a year
Nagin? re-elected.
Chertoff? nice work on the shampoo scare btw
Bush? i guess the historians will take care of that?
Blanco? she should get hers in 07
Seriously folks, this is disgraceful!
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Blaming Bush for everything is exactly what Bush wants you to do.
Actually, I think you totally have this wrong. After reflecting on the coverage of the anniversary yesterday, it's pretty clear that the administration is not accepting responsibility. And, of course, the press gave them a free pass. Sigh. In all of the clips and coverage, I don't recall Bush actually taking any responsibility. He kept saying that "the government failed" and "the government's response was unacceptable" etc.
As you can see, they are framing the situation by diffusing the responsibility. Not only does this protect responsible officials from accountability, but it also reinforces the idea that the government is inept at all levels[/b].
So, no! Not even close. The last thing Bush wants is to be blamed for failures in the government specifically related to his management [sic] and policies. But those are the facts. While one can argue that the government certainly has it's share of problems, there is no doubt this administration has done the worst job EVAR.
I didn't say that Bush is ever going to accept responsibility. I just said that his fumbling idiot schtick in many ways is purposefully aimed at making him the scapegoat that is ultimately beyond reproach. He's like that blow-up clown punching bag that I had as a kid that no matter how many times I knocked it down it would return to an upright position with a stupid smile on its face.
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
I agree with your contention that blaming Bush is an easy way out for a lot of folks. Calling out a lame-duck second term president or large amorphous entities like "the federal government" is largely a waste of time.
My question though, and one I would direct to Michael Eric Dyson as well (and mind you I haven't heard all of his comments from Spike Lee's film - had to TiVo it, will get on it soon), is this: Leaving charity aside, what precisely are the actionable steps that must be taken to "affect any significant change?"
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
I agree with your contention that blaming Bush is an easy way out for a lot of folks. Calling out a lame-duck second term president or large amorphous entities like "the federal government" is largely a waste of time.
My question though, and one I would direct to Michael Eric Dyson as well (and mind you I haven't heard all of his comments from Spike Lee's film - had to TiVo it, will get on it soon), is this: Leaving charity aside, what precisely are the actionable steps that must be taken to "affect any significant change?"
As Dyson put it in the doc, one can walk the Jericho Road all day passing out charitable goods. But at what point does one actually stop to connect with those in need in a brotherly manner that works to identify and help cure the source of the problem rather than merely catering to the symptoms of that problem?
What I would say that means right now in relation to the New Orleans situation is for every American to strive to fully understand the repurcussions of a society that promotes such racism that it is perfectly feasible for rescue crews to neglect their duties for fear of the black masses that they would be working to save.
Each of us must analyze how we too may contribute to the fostering of that racist environment. And if for whatever reason you choose not to do that in the wake of what happened in NOLA, then you might as well be George Bush yourself.
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
I agree with your contention that blaming Bush is an easy way out for a lot of folks. Calling out a lame-duck second term president or large amorphous entities like "the federal government" is largely a waste of time.
First off JFree, welcome to the board. secondly, I beleive that trying to pinpoint the blame takes away a lot of the effort and energy that could be used to help rebuild. I understand the want to find who was responsible, but in doing so you aren't helping those who are going without. If the energy people used in trying to find the guilty party were used instead towards funraising to rebuild homes or preserve New Orleans cultural history we'd be in much better shape.
This goes to further my puzzlement at Harveys belief that we shouldn't be giving to charities dedicated to helping the area & the people. I really don't care anymore if its Brown, Chertof, Nagin, or even Krusty the Clown. The damage has been done, now lets figure out how were going to fix it.
The only real fault in this I can plainly see is the federal government's reluctance to quickly restore New Orleans to its former self. Its sad and ongoing, the ball has been dropped and its still on the floor and if no one from the US government is going to pick it up than I guess its up to us as concerned citizens to make something happen.
My question though, and one I would direct to Michael Eric Dyson as well (and mind you I haven't heard all of his comments from Spike Lee's film - had to TiVo it, will get on it soon), is this: Leaving charity aside, what precisely are the actionable steps that must be taken to "affect any significant change?"
basically the same question I'm asking. It should also be stated that Michael Eric Dyson makes some seriously over-dramatic statements such as comparing the post Katrina displacement of families to the slave auctions. I kinda lost respect when he opened his mouth and let that gem out.
basically the same question I'm asking. It should also be stated that Michael Eric Dyson makes some seriously over-dramatic statements such as comparing the post Katrina displacement of families to the slave auctions. I kinda lost respect when he opened his mouth and let that gem out.
It may sound like a bit of a wild connection, but if what was said about how people were split up while being loaded onto busses is true, it's not too far off.
What I heard (and don't know for fact):
- Families were being split up?
- Children being plucked from the arms of their mothers? Hmmm...skeptical on that one.
- The weaker and the stronger being directed to different busses and shipped off to a destinations with no choice whatsoever?
Like I said, if those thing are true, making the slave auction analyogy doesn't sound so ridiculous.
basically the same question I'm asking. It should also be stated that Michael Eric Dyson makes some seriously over-dramatic statements such as comparing the post Katrina displacement of families to the slave auctions. I kinda lost respect when he opened his mouth and let that gem out.
It may sound like a bit of a wild connection, but if what was said about how people were split up while being loaded onto busses is true, it's not too far off.
What I heard (and don't know for fact):
- Families were being split up?
- Children being plucked from the arms of their mothers? Hmmm...skeptical on that one.
- The weaker and the stronger being directed to different busses and shipped off to a destinations with no choice whatsoever?
Like I said, if those thing are true, making the slave auction analyogy doesn't sound so ridiculous.
I've spent some time with a large family who were displaced they came together in Moreno Valley, CA (about 50 miles east of Los Angeles) I asked the matriarch of the family several questions about post Katrina efforts and she never once mentioned anyone trying to split her family or anyone elses family apart. I'm not doubting that it happened I just think its a little too much to say "this was just like the slave auctions".
anyways thats neither here nor there, what is important is getting help to the reigon and to its people. I'm asking again for people to donate $10 (if they can) to the New Orleans chapter of Habitat for Humanity. If you don't feel comfortable tsending them dough then find a charity you do feel comfortable with.
Trying to find a scapegoat ain't putting a roof over anyones head
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
I agree with your contention that blaming Bush is an easy way out for a lot of folks. Calling out a lame-duck second term president or large amorphous entities like "the federal government" is largely a waste of time.
My question though, and one I would direct to Michael Eric Dyson as well (and mind you I haven't heard all of his comments from Spike Lee's film - had to TiVo it, will get on it soon), is this: Leaving charity aside, what precisely are the actionable steps that must be taken to "affect any significant change?"
As Dyson put it in the doc, one can walk the Jericho Road all day passing out charitable goods. But at what point does one actually stop to connect with those in need in a brotherly manner that works to identify and help cure the source of the problem rather than merely catering to the symptoms of that problem?
What I would say that means right now in relation to the New Orleans situation is for every American to strive to fully understand the repurcussions of a society that promotes such racism that it is perfectly feasible for rescue crews to neglect their duties for fear of the black masses that they would be working to save.
Each of us must analyze how we too may contribute to the fostering of that racist environment. And if for whatever reason you choose not to do that in the wake of what happened in NOLA, then you might as well be George Bush yourself.
Again though, how does striving "to fully understand the repercussions of a society that promotes such racism" translate into action. Does this mean (in no particular order):
A. I attend some sort of forum with community leaders to talk about this event and its historical context or something similar.
B. I go door to door in a black community to discuss similar issues.
C. I provide monetary support to try and redress these societal ills (I know that some of us have already eliminated this option, but I felt like listing it for purposes of comparison).
D. I go to Lousiana to talk to people to try "to fully understand the repercussions of a society that promotes such racism."
E. I go to Louisiana and offer my free labor to help a family rebuild their home.
F. I go listen to Michael Eric Dyson pontificate for an evening.
G. I go to New Orleans at teach middle school for two years at a school whose students' homes are being replaced by a Wal-Mart, and attempt to empower them through education.
H. I write letters to my congressmen and senators.
I. I attempt to overthrow the government.
J. I talk to people on SoulStrut about it when I really need to be getting work done.
K. I can keep going on with ideas, unless you actually have something that is more productive than pure abstract thought.
As an white American male (and born into all the privilege that that supposedly entails), I've been aware (some times more than others) that many good people in this country have been treated with pure evil for centuries, in the form of overt and covert racism, classism, sexism, etc.
My question, that I still solicit answers to is, what can I DO about it? And I do not at all mean that facetiously.
All right, I'm done venting for now.
"Action speaks louder than words." - New Orleans' own Chocolate Milk
What I would say that means right now in relation to the New Orleans situation is for every American to strive to fully understand the repurcussions of a society that promotes such racism that it is perfectly feasible for rescue crews to neglect their duties for fear of the black masses that they would be working to save.
soooo...what does that mean in practical terms? Kinda sounds like diarrhea of the mouth to me.
Comments
This is kind of analogous to your presence here, wouldn't you say?
then do it.
My socially-constructed comfort zone does not afford me the ability to give much in terms of charity or even time. But I have donated both to the efforts to rebuild. Your disgusting attitude toward anyones kind words or efforts makes me wonder if you even have a point beyond crying out just how real you are keeping it and fake were all being. First you shit all over Olivers ode to Groove Merchant than you shit on my request that people donate money towards habitat for humanity, were you ever hugged as a child?
Honestly man, its all a conspiracy right? the invisible hand of the ancient sect of controlling whatever...
an observation:
Since we are all sheep that are societally pre-conditioned to accept and obey, and seeing as you, through your amazing powers of deduction, and/or a natural gift can see what we mere followers cant and you continuously do us all favours by bestowing upon us your wisdom via this worldwide forum... dont you think the powers that be would have shut you down?
or is your realness like kryptonite to the dark lords?
ok, enough of that shit: Get your head outta your ass and recognise when someone is just trying to help.
Pull that the government is hopeless, they're all crooks shit all day. But Clinton has a better record.
During HW Bush. I sat through hurricane Hugo 1989 beginning to end. It literally flattened and flooded 80% of the Charleston area including my Dad's entire block, my Mom's house and both Grandparents. Then we went without power and water for over 3 months. The demographic there is the same, albeit smaller, lots of poor blacks and whites flat up against wealthy whites. There was looting and hysteria. But not for one second were people starving, dying and rotting in the streets.
But he then went on to pull that "help is n the Way" shit after Andrew.
Per Cyril Neville:
As far as kicking New Orleans when it???s down and all that kind of stuff, I am one of the people of New Orleans. I lost everything too. The bottom line is that everybody should be pissed off but if you want to talk about looting, who looted all that money from the Red Cross? Three days after the storm I had to leave my family in a hotel room to go up to New York and Nashville and LA to raise money for the Red Cross. Every suggestion I gave them as far as information on who to send money to, people who I knew personally, they didn???t want to hear that. So I put a t-shirt on that said ???Ethnic Cleansing in New Orleans??? because I had to get my voice heard some kind of way. The point I???m making is that the same questions that I asked in the beginning and got shut down for asking, now everybody wants to know. In between the initial raising of the money and the public finding out that we all got ripped off, I asked the councilman at large Oliver Thomas what was going on with the city and how I could get back in and do my house. I had already cleaned up everything. Anyway, in the conversation he asked me if I could get in touch with my brother Aaron to tell him to take his voice off of the PSA???s for the Red Cross because we have seen not one dime. This was months ago before the bullshit hit the fan. I???m talking about millions of dollars. From the Big Apple to the Big Easy was on pay-per-view. I???m looking out and Madison Square Garden is packed to the gills and I know that wasn???t no cheap ticket to get in there. That same night I was driven from there to Radio City Music Hall and did another thing with the Meters and the Wild Magnolias and a bunch of other people, all New Orleans people. And we felt that we were doing something good for the city, but at the same time let???s get some other information involved in this. The Tambourine and Fan Club[/b] needs money. The Backstreet Cultural Museum[/b] needs money. Miss Antoinette K. Doe needs money for the only club in New Orleans named after an African??? American artist, Ernie K. Doe???s Mother-in-Law Lounge[/b]. So keep that going. Backstreet Museum holds that part of our culture, the Mardi Gras Indians, those Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs like the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club[/b] that were put together back in the day because black folks couldn???t get insurance from white folks. So we had to form those Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs to get from one end of year to the other end of the year. So in October everybody got together and partied and second lined. But at the same time, your name was on the roster so that if anything ever happened to you, they???d help take care of your family. The Tambourine and Fan Club with Jerome Smith has been actually taking care and nurturing our kids for years. Big Chief Victor Harris of the Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi[/b] for 17 to 18 years, he???s been giving out suppers and things by his house in the 9th Ward to raise money to send our kids back to school with supplies and clothing. So I???m trying to tell them, OK, you???re talking about people who need help, well here I know where they???re at. I know how you can get straight to them. Tambourine, Backstreet Museum, St Augustine Church[/b]. That???s our culture. Erase that and you done erased us.
from what I can tell, whether it's me telling you to or not, many of you are flat-out refusing to give up even an inch of your societally-constructed comfort zones in order to actually do a damned thing for NOLA...which ultimately wants you to learn the lesson of Katrina long before thinking that you can come in and materially recreate what in many ways is already lost forever.
My socially-constructed comfort zone does not afford me the ability to give much in terms of charity or even time. But I have donated both to the efforts to rebuild. Your disgusting attitude toward anyones kind words or efforts makes me wonder if you even have a point beyond crying out just how real you are keeping it and fake were all being. First you shit all over Olivers ode to Groove Merchant than you shit on my request that people donate money towards habitat for humanity, were you ever hugged as a child?
There's a common thread running through both critiques which each point to basically-white organizations (Habitat for Humanity and Groove Merchant) that deal in black culture given the juice of importance rather than going right to the source of black culture itself.
In relation to NOLA, the Groove Merchant stuff means nothing to me. But I don't see many of you really striving to understand all of this black culture that you're so obviously enamored with, instead putting all of your eggs in baskets that act as go-betweens for you and that black culture.
And yes, yesterday's love-fest over how great America is points right at some of y'all not having learned next to anything about the disgusting background that spawned the creation of the blues, jazz, soul, funk, and rap musics. It also shows that Spike Lee's commendable efforts to keep certain things fresh in your mind most likely went for naught.
Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane not 24 hours before it hit New Orleans. Stop pulling bullshit out of your ass.
ok, im going to bed now, in the morning ill check on this thread to see if someone managed to pick their jaw up offa the floor and replied to this waffle.
I'm trying a new approach, I'm going to my neighbors house after work to borrow his pet iguana. Maybe she can decipher Harvey's thought patterns and let me better understand how I can be a better person
What difference does it make if it was a category 5 hurricane 24 hours before it didn't directly hit New Orleans[/b] if engineers over the course of my entire life (35 years) have been publicly saying that the levees couldn't withstand a direct hit from even a category 1 hurricane?
I have been through several major floods in New Orleans which happened when levees couldn't even hold a sustained downpour of rain.
Y'all can say a lot of contentious stuff about me and the things I say on here, and more or less I'm fine with it...but I'm not going to let anyone tell me that it hasn't been obvious for decades that the New Orleans levee system wasn't up to par.
I knew it as a 6 year old. So did everyone of any age around me. The Army Corp. of Engineers knew it too, but they didn't do their jobs and should be held liable for it. Too bad that there are laws already on the books that state that they can't.
Is it because Port Arthur and the surrounding cities didn't produce enough music you like?
The only person I've seen here enamored with Black culture is you.
Listening to music does not equate with being enamored with a culture.
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!
Also, Guzzo, in relation to the original point of this thread, count me in.
How did the c*nt get voted in, in the first place?
Seriously, it just beggars belief that people are not interested in voting the guy out.
Is that the case?
Fear. And a heavy dose of slander.
Extremely clever strategy, highlighted by voter suppression.
??? "voting out" is not an option once elected.
A former roommate and close friend of mine has recently opened a college preparatory charter middle school in New Orleans, KIPP BELIEVE Academy.
KIPP is a well-respected charter organization that has provided many children with uncompromisingly outstanding educations, and they are committed to truly revolutionizing education in New Orleans. They operate successful schools in numerous cities including Houston, NYC, Chicago, Oakland, and so on.
You can read more about it here: KIPP BELIEVE
Their is a link at the top for "Support Us" if anyone is interested. The issue of education in NOLA issue is near and dear to me, as I spent a couple years teaching there myself. For an interesting article about KIPP BELIEVE and some of the other changes in New Orleans education check out this article: Gambit Weekly Article
thank you so much for your posts and contributions. I am more than open to learning and donating to other charities that will benefit New Orleans if anybody has any other links to charitable organizations that will concentrate on NO please post them up here so that those of us that are willing to give have some viable options to choose from.
I'm no Kerry cheerleader, but if you think what was constantly advertised
about him in many key states for a year wasn't slanderous, you're tripping.
I don't like this dude, but he's right. In my short time in New Orleans, and my background in science, New Orleans was seemingly man trying to have a dick measuring contest with nature. The problem here is specifically one of two possibilities:
1) Army Corps of Engineers knew the levees sucked and intentionally misrepresented their capabilities OR
2) They really believed they did a good job.
Either way, hubris.
The Netherlands is hanging out and doing ok, and they have to battle the ocean. Let's steal their technology to reconstruct New Orleans OR create more wetlands around NOLA (that's a better idea).
Actually, I think you totally have this wrong. After reflecting on the coverage of the anniversary yesterday, it's pretty clear that the administration is not accepting responsibility. And, of course, the press gave them a free pass. Sigh. In all of the clips and coverage, I don't recall Bush actually taking any responsibility. He kept saying that "the government failed" and "the government's response was unacceptable" etc.
As you can see, they are framing the situation by diffusing the responsibility. Not only does this protect responsible officials from accountability, but it also reinforces the idea that the government is inept at all levels[/b].
So, no! Not even close. The last thing Bush wants is to be blamed for failures in the government specifically related to his management [sic] and policies. But those are the facts. While one can argue that the government certainly has it's share of problems, there is no doubt this administration has done the worst job EVAR.
Brownie? Dude was demoted and stayed on the payroll at 6 figures for almost a year
Nagin? re-elected.
Chertoff? nice work on the shampoo scare btw
Bush? i guess the historians will take care of that?
Blanco? she should get hers in 07
Seriously folks, this is disgraceful!
I didn't say that Bush is ever going to accept responsibility. I just said that his fumbling idiot schtick in many ways is purposefully aimed at making him the scapegoat that is ultimately beyond reproach. He's like that blow-up clown punching bag that I had as a kid that no matter how many times I knocked it down it would return to an upright position with a stupid smile on its face.
Also, I was rewatching the third act of Spike Lee's documentary last night and at one point Michael Eric Dyson says the exact same thing that I said yesterday about charity being positive but not nearly enough to affect any significant change. And he was quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. paraphrasing the Bible when he said it.
It like playing a game of biblical telephone!
I agree with your contention that blaming Bush is an easy way out for a lot of folks. Calling out a lame-duck second term president or large amorphous entities like "the federal government" is largely a waste of time.
My question though, and one I would direct to Michael Eric Dyson as well (and mind you I haven't heard all of his comments from Spike Lee's film - had to TiVo it, will get on it soon), is this: Leaving charity aside, what precisely are the actionable steps that must be taken to "affect any significant change?"
As Dyson put it in the doc, one can walk the Jericho Road all day passing out charitable goods. But at what point does one actually stop to connect with those in need in a brotherly manner that works to identify and help cure the source of the problem rather than merely catering to the symptoms of that problem?
What I would say that means right now in relation to the New Orleans situation is for every American to strive to fully understand the repurcussions of a society that promotes such racism that it is perfectly feasible for rescue crews to neglect their duties for fear of the black masses that they would be working to save.
Each of us must analyze how we too may contribute to the fostering of that racist environment. And if for whatever reason you choose not to do that in the wake of what happened in NOLA, then you might as well be George Bush yourself.
First off JFree, welcome to the board. secondly, I beleive that trying to pinpoint the blame takes away a lot of the effort and energy that could be used to help rebuild. I understand the want to find who was responsible, but in doing so you aren't helping those who are going without. If the energy people used in trying to find the guilty party were used instead towards funraising to rebuild homes or preserve New Orleans cultural history we'd be in much better shape.
This goes to further my puzzlement at Harveys belief that we shouldn't be giving to charities dedicated to helping the area & the people. I really don't care anymore if its Brown, Chertof, Nagin, or even Krusty the Clown. The damage has been done, now lets figure out how were going to fix it.
The only real fault in this I can plainly see is the federal government's reluctance to quickly restore New Orleans to its former self. Its sad and ongoing, the ball has been dropped and its still on the floor and if no one from the US government is going to pick it up than I guess its up to us as concerned citizens to make something happen.
basically the same question I'm asking. It should also be stated that Michael Eric Dyson makes some seriously over-dramatic statements such as comparing the post Katrina displacement of families to the slave auctions. I kinda lost respect when he opened his mouth and let that gem out.
It may sound like a bit of a wild connection, but if what was said about how people were split up while being loaded onto busses is true, it's not too far off.
What I heard (and don't know for fact):
- Families were being split up?
- Children being plucked from the arms of their mothers?
Hmmm...skeptical on that one.
- The weaker and the stronger being directed to different busses and shipped off to a destinations with no choice whatsoever?
Like I said, if those thing are true, making the slave auction analyogy doesn't sound so ridiculous.
I've spent some time with a large family who were displaced they came together in Moreno Valley, CA (about 50 miles east of Los Angeles) I asked the matriarch of the family several questions about post Katrina efforts and she never once mentioned anyone trying to split her family or anyone elses family apart. I'm not doubting that it happened I just think its a little too much to say "this was just like the slave auctions".
anyways thats neither here nor there, what is important is getting help to the reigon and to its people. I'm asking again for people to donate $10 (if they can) to the New Orleans chapter of Habitat for Humanity. If you don't feel comfortable tsending them dough then find a charity you do feel comfortable with.
Trying to find a scapegoat ain't putting a roof over anyones head
Again though, how does striving "to fully understand the repercussions of a society that promotes such racism" translate into action. Does this mean (in no particular order):
A. I attend some sort of forum with community leaders to talk about this event and its historical context or something similar.
B. I go door to door in a black community to discuss similar issues.
C. I provide monetary support to try and redress these societal ills (I know that some of us have already eliminated this option, but I felt like listing it for purposes of comparison).
D. I go to Lousiana to talk to people to try "to fully understand the repercussions of a society that promotes such racism."
E. I go to Louisiana and offer my free labor to help a family rebuild their home.
F. I go listen to Michael Eric Dyson pontificate for an evening.
G. I go to New Orleans at teach middle school for two years at a school whose students' homes are being replaced by a Wal-Mart, and attempt to empower them through education.
H. I write letters to my congressmen and senators.
I. I attempt to overthrow the government.
J. I talk to people on SoulStrut about it when I really need to be getting work done.
K. I can keep going on with ideas, unless you actually have something that is more productive than pure abstract thought.
As an white American male (and born into all the privilege that that supposedly entails), I've been aware (some times more than others) that many good people in this country have been treated with pure evil for centuries, in the form of overt and covert racism, classism, sexism, etc.
My question, that I still solicit answers to is, what can I DO about it? And I do not at all mean that facetiously.
All right, I'm done venting for now.
"Action speaks louder than words." - New Orleans' own Chocolate Milk
soooo...what does that mean in practical terms? Kinda sounds like diarrhea of the mouth to me.