Race Relation debate revived

It is a sad state in America. We are in dire need. Musicians have come together. Hollywood has come together. More importantly, America is coming together for the first time since the tsunamis, and 9/11. Patriotism is high but the government failed to respond. We have a natural disaster and Gov. Fletcher decides to hold a press conference, not about delivering resources to our friends in the south, but to pardon his officials who were indicted.

The slow response to the south has revived race relation debates.

While no group is monolithic in opinion or emotion, many blacks are outraged that so many of their own were left behind in New Orleans with no evacuation plan and no urgent effort to rescue them.

"Black people are mad because they feel the reason for the slow response is because those people are black and they didn't support George Bush," said Ron Walters, a professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland. "And I don't expect that feeling to go away anytime soon."

No one questions that whites have been moved by the suffering of blacks, and vice versa. But amid images of black looters, some sympathy threatens to give way to anger and disdain.

In Web postings at Knight Ridder's Sun Herald newspaper in Mississippi's storm-ravaged Biloxi, anonymous writers debated the issue.

Said one writer of the looters: "It's one thing to be hungry, but why do you need a DVD player now?...Where is the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton now when all this is going on. Of course they won't show up because it just makes them look bad."

Another writer added: "Are you insisting that only African Americans are the ones who are looting? Because I can assure you that they aren't. Of course, the media chooses to focus on the negative images of African Americans."

Still another added: "Make no mistake, the racist element is rubbing their hands in glee over every AP photo of a black person looting and longing to get out there with their guns. (Never mind that whites do it too, AND much more often, AND much more efficiently). Talk about disaster bringing out the worst in people."

It was my understanding that Sharpton traveled to Crawford, Texas for well, you know...

For those that were not watching the special last night, here's a quote from rapper Kanye West.

In a stumbling, yet defiant statement, West proclaimed that when African-Americans were caught stealing in New Orleans, they were called looters. However when whites were caught, they were just feeding their families.

He was joined by former Saturday Night Live star Mike Myers, who returned to the script, and seemed frustrated by the the rapper's remarks.

West then declared "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Before the rapper could complete his statement, NBC producers cut away.

Senator Lieberman and gang are looking into the slow response. President Bush knew it was coming but why the crap was he in Arizona? He should have been in Washington talking with FEMA and other offcials.

Yet even as Bush's entourage toured the city, complaints that the government had taken four days to provide basic supplies to thousands of needy residents undermined his optimistic message that the administration was doing all it could.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune published an editorial on its Web site entitled: "Faster, faster -- please'' as Bush surveyed the damage from a military helicopter. Members of Congress from both parties called for an inquiry into the federal government's preparations for such an emergency and its response to Katrina.

Bush himself acknowledged the shortcomings as he left Washington Friday morning.

"A lot of people (are) working hard to help those who have been affected, and I want to thank the people for their efforts," Bush said. "The results are not acceptable."

Asked later in the day to elaborate, Bush said he was referring to "the fact that we don't have enough security in New Orleans yet."

The failure to smoothly evacuate New Orleans threatened to harm Bush's credibility at a time when his approval ratings are already at a record low. Unlike the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, in which Bush's take-charge posture earned him praise from Democrats and Republicans, the administration's response to Katrina has drawn more scorn than praise.

Four days after the Category 4 hurricane triggered floods that devastated the city, many residents and city officials were still venting at federal authorities, who insisted that their response plan was working well.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin broke protocol with a blunt, expletive-laced interview with a local radio station Thursday night in which he accused the federal government of "feeding the people a line of bull."

"Put a moratorium on press conferences," Nagin told WWL-radio. "Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city...Don't tell me 40,000 people are coming here. They're not here. It's too doggone late. Now get off your asses, and let's do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country."

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin should run for higher office. Maybe not President, but definitely Governor or even be named the VP candidate for Democrats. May Nagin, Americans have their prayers with you in this dire time of need in the most important hour. We will be with you through the rebuilding process which will take years.

The following was a statement by the President of the United States of America: George W. Bush:

We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch. (Laughter.)

It's sad that he lost his house but how will we get a fantastic gulf coast? We haven't finished the rebuilding from other hurricanes and all you have to do is think about Trent Lott's house. Shame on you, Mr. President. Shame on you. Where is Dick Cheney and Karl Rove during all this. I won't be surprised to see this on The Daily Show when they come back to air from reruns on Tuesday.

On behalf of America, thank you, Dan Aykroyd!

Dan Aykroyd stopped his two-hour tequila talk yesterday long enough to raise more than $6,300 for the people of New Orleans.

"It's just devastating," he said. "I've gone down there every year since I was 21. I really feel for those people."

Three hundred employees worked at the House of Blues in New Orleans.

On the subject of Kentucky politics, Ernie Fletcher knew early on that people would be hired based on their political beliefs. Ernie, if you have any honor left in you, please consider submitting your resignation.

I'm sure Haliburton is getting another no-bid contract from the wrath of Katrina.

Pressed by constituents alarmed by skyrocketing gasoline prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) accused oil companies of manipulating energy markets to enhance profits and decried a lack of national leadership for a plan to free the country from dependence on foreign oil.

"I want to go after the oil companies and the oil speculators and the manipulators of the money, because they're the ones who I think are really behind this," Clinton told an audience in Elmira Heights on Thursday. "You have a hurricane, and all of a sudden you see prices going up like that. That has...everything to do with people trying to make money off the backs of this tragedy."[...]

Citing Exxon Mobil Corp.'s record $7.64 billion profit in the past quarter as evidence that the government needs to take action, she said it is time to send a message to the industry that "they're being watched" as consumers deal with rising prices. "If we don't fight Big Oil, this country's going down," she said. "We're not going to have the standard of living and the quality of life, and we're not going to be able to control our future."

Clinton sparred with one constituent who called for a rollback of state and federal gasoline taxes to ease the pain of increases that have pushed prices well above $3 a gallon in many places since the hurricane hit Monday morning. Clinton said that will not solve the problem.

"We can get some temporary relief, but that's not the answer, and we don't have the leadership we need to stand up and fight for what should be the answer and the sacrifices people should be willing to make," she said.

The anxiety and anger felt by motorists was evident at nearly every turn in her travels throughout the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. She made clear she shared the concern.

"I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in our entire economy that they're being watched," she said in explaining her call for an inquiry by the Federal Trade Commission. "I think human nature left to itself is going to push the limit as far as possible, and that's what you need a government regulatory system for: to keep an eye on people to make the rules of the game fair, to make a level playing field and not give anybody some kind of undue advantage."

Clinton criticized the new energy bill, which she opposed, as inadequate to solve the country's long-term energy problem. She said the United States has regressed over the past three decades, since the first oil shocks of the early 1970s. "We've had 30 years to do some things we haven't done," she said. "In fact we've gotten, we've gone backwards in many respects.

"I am tired of being at the mercy of people in the Middle East and elsewhere, and I'm tired frankly of being at the mercy of these large oil companies," Clinton said.

The music scene is in a bad time right now. Not just because of Katrina but illegal downloads as well.

Celebrity Updates:
Ellen DeGeneres is taping a show dedicated to the disaster.
Jay Leno is asking guests to sign a Harley-Davidson which will be auctioned.
Warner Brothers Entertainment is donating $500,000 and will match viewers up to $500,000.
Dave Matthews Band will hold a benefit concert on September 12th in Denver.
Master P is starting Team Rescue to rebuild the neighborhood and communities.
"E! Networks announced that it would produce a public service announcement to support the American Red Cross featuring Eva Longoria, Pamela Anderson, Destiny's Child, Steve Carell, Nicole Richie, John Larroquette, Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana and Paula Abdul."
Alan Jackson, Keith Urban and Alison Krauss will perform on Sept. 27th in Nashville that will air on Great American Country.
Velvet Revolver will do a benefit concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando.
Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello and Diana Krall will be in New York City on September 17th to perform at the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert for Jazz at the Lincoln Center.
Celine Dion has pledged $1 million.
Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z have both pledged $1 million (combined).
Nicholas Cage has also pledged $1 million.
Hilary Duff has donated $200,000 to the Red Cross and $50,000 to USA Harvest, and is asking fans to bring canned food as donations to her concerts.
Pat Sajak, through his foundation, has donated $100,000.
Jerry Lewis's MDA telethon will do some donations to relief victims.
The September 9th telethon on BET will feature Chris Rock, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Diddy, Russell Simmons, Wynton Marsalis and Master P.
The VH1/MTV/CMT concert has added more musicians to its lineup: The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Green Day, Paul McCartney, West, Brian Wilson, Sheryl Crow, Ludacris, Gretchen Wilson, Usher, Alicia Keys, John Mellencamp and Rob Thomas.
John Grisham is donating $5 million.