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September 07, 2005
No Excuse for Feeding Racial Hatred
It is fair and appropriate to debate the competence and conduct of public officials in the response to the hurricane, broken levees, and urban anarchy. But there is no excuse for contentions by politicians, celebrities, and some journalists that delays and malfeasance were in any way related to the race of hurricane victims. These claims have absolutely no basis in fact, and they dreg up stereotypes and prejudices that have been steadily declined in American public life. Worse, they feed racial hatred and put us on a dangerous path to the assent of racial warfare.
This political cartoon by Mike Luckovich in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution represents this irresponsible public discourse. It is beyond the pale; although playing the race card is a common political ploy, even today, to advance the charge that the federal government is purposefully allowing black victims of a natural disaster to die is beyond irresponsible. It is morally reprehensible.
Many of the bodies floating in the New Orleans sludge are there because the mayor of the city--a black man--did not forcefully and effectively evacuate his majority-black city. An anti-black policy? Of course not.
Critique the efficacy of the response, but stop questioning the morality of federal officials. They are fighting words, and there is no place for them in 21st Century America.
Posted by Jim at September 7, 2005 11:22 PM
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference No Excuse for Feeding Racial Hatred :
» The Katrina Blame Game from Mike's Noise
As far as ongoing blogging related to the Katrina mess goes, no one is doing a better job of rounding up evidence than WizBang. One of their bloggers, Paul, is a resident of the greater New Orleans area, so he [Read More]
Tracked on September 8, 2005 01:46 PM
» Reprehensible from CrosSwords
Mike Luckovich, while a liberal, normally has some good cartoons. The Stones Cry Out reprints one with a commentary that can't be beaten here. We do NOT need those who would stir up ethnic hatred at a time like this. We need to remember that we are... [Read More]
Tracked on September 8, 2005 10:20 PM