[...] One of the key questions to emerge in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is what role race and class may have played in the government's initial response. Lots of debate on this issue right now.
Thousands of the storm's displaced victims in Louisiana and Mississippi are African-American. Many are also very, very poor.
Joining us now to talk about that and much more is the ranking Democrat of the House Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.
Congressman Thompson, welcome to "Late Edition." I wish we were speaking under different circumstances, but give us your immediate reaction to the way the federal government responded to Hurricane Katrina.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Well, I don't think there's any question, Wolf. It was too little too late. The initial response was very slow, very inadequate, and it basically said from a planning standpoint that we missed the mark.
BLITZER: Why did that happen? I know there's going to be a lot of investigations down the road, a lot of finger-pointing. But in your initial thoughts -- and you've studied this for some time now as a member of this committee -- why do you think the federal government was caught flat-footed?
THOMPSON: Well, it's twofold. One is, you know, we merged FEMA with the Department of Homeland Security. For a long time, it was a freestanding agency with the freedom to respond accordingly without politics.
The other thing is, with the shift on the war on terrorism, the domestic preparedness effort for situations like Katrina took a back seat. And so what you have in New Orleans and Mississippi is clearly what happens when domestic preparedness takes a second seat.
BLITZER: Listen to what Kanye West, the artist, said the other night on NBC at a fund raiser for relief victims. I'll read it to you, and I want your reaction.
"I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family -- it says they are looting. You see a white family -- it says they are looking for food. And you know, it has been five days because most of the people are black. George Bush doesn't care about black people."
Controversial remarks, but I'm anxious for your reaction.
THOMPSON: Well, I think the response from FEMA and the United States government was slow. I've heard that from a number of people, not just Cornel West.
BLITZER: That was Kanye West, not Cornel West -- Kanye West.
THOMPSON: Oh, OK. Well, I've heard it from a number of people.
The real problem associated with this is why did it take four days to amass the kind of response necessary to deal with the situation? We have all the assets necessary to do this.
We could have staged them in an area and said, as soon as the storm leaves we can move forward and assess this situation in a better matter. If CNN can get its news crews into New Orleans and Biloxi and Gulfport in a timely manner, why can't we get the assets of FEMA and the United States government there to help the people?
BLITZER: And what's the answer?
THOMPSON: Well, we failed on that test, so what we have to do is continue to support the men and women in the rescue, to make sure that we get people out. But at the end of the day, somebody has to be held accountable. The president was absolutely correct. FEMA and DHS failed in its adequate response to this dilemma.
BLITZER: Listen to what your colleague in the Congressional Black Caucus, the immediate past chairman, Elijah Cummings, said earlier this week on Friday here in Washington.
He said, "We cannot allow it to be said by history that the difference between those who lived and those who died in this great storm and flood of 2005 was nothing more than the poverty, age or skin color."
You know, a lot of people believe that if this had hit another area -- at least the accusation is -- perhaps the federal government would have been more attuned, would have been better prepared.
THOMPSON: Well, all the records indicated that every time we've had such a disaster as Katrina we've responded in a far superior manner than we responded in this point. So, Congressmen Cummings and my colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus are absolutely correct.
That does not take away from the men and women who responded. We just did not respond in enough fashion to deal with the situation, so what we're having to do now -- we're moving assets into a situation that should have been there five days ago and that's why we are in such a dilemma and I think people are absolutely proper to be incensed at how we've done.
The president was absolutely correct. He had to take control of the situation from his own people to get the assets into the area necessary.
BLITZER: We're going to have to leave it there. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, good luck to you. Good luck to all your friends in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. I appreciate it very much.
We'll take a quick break. When we come back, much more of our coverage. We're also going to be speaking with the secretary of homeland security, Michael Chertoff. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
| That's from Sunday's CNN "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," which I had to read to believe after hearing about it at the end of Jim DeRogatis' Chicago Sun-Times article "A flood of words" DeRogatis also mentions Robert Hilburn's Los Angeles Times critic's-notebook column "The Show Didn't Benefit by Censors"
What show? This show (QuickTime format) (via Crooks and Liars).
MYERS: [...] The face of the city has changed dramatically, tragically and perhaps irreversibly. There is now over 25 feet of water where there was once city streets and thriving neighborhoods.
WEST: I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food. And you know, it's been five days because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the T. ... the TV, because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is, what is the biggest amount I can give. And, and just to imagine if I was, if I was down there, and those are my people down there, so anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help with the setup the way America is set up to help the, uh, uh, the poor, the black people, the, uh, the less well off as slow as possible. I mean, this is, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize that a lot of the people who could help are at war right now, fighting another way, and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us.
MYERS: And several, but in even, more profoundly devastating is the lasting damage to the survivors' will to rebuild and remain in the area. The destruction of the spirit of the people of southern Louisiana and Mississippi may end up being the most tragic loss of all.
WEST: George Bush doesn't care about black people.
MYERS: Please call ...
CUT TO CHRIS TUCKER
TUCKER: In the past few days ...
posted in articles on September 6, 2005 4:15 AM | t (0)
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GMA was having a discussion about whether or not the inaction had racist undertones. Diane Sawyer asked every question incredulously, scoffing at the slightest suggestion of racism. It was a pretty pathetic sight.
I wonder how long until the backlash against Kanye begins.
Someone on a discussion board said that bringing up issues of race is like "bringing stinky cheese to a potluck": It is considered rude (even in many "liberal" circles) and folks would rather just avoid your topic, navigate around it on the buffet table, than confront it--or you--directly. Like Myers, NBC, etc on this telethon broadcast.
A Kanye(/Cornell) West backlash will be ineffective with help. Not just the help of those of us who agree with what he said, but those of us who believe in his right, as an American, to say what he felt.
Ask NBC to Honor Kanye West's First Amendment Rights
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/FreeKanye/
Peace.
I know it doesn't really fit here, but please can you comment on this: From boing boing: http://www.boingboing.net/2005/09/07/katrina_rape_murder_.html, the part where they say:
"the 17th street levee was bombed by the Army Corps of Engineers to save the more valuable real estate in the city… to keep the French Quarter protected, the ninth ward was sacrificed… people are afraid to speak out… everyone who was near there heard the bombings… they bombed seven times."
Is this f---ing shit possible? I mean, this is... unbelievable and probably possible, considering how greedy and unconcerned the bastards in charge can be ...
I'm a new employee of FEMA and I had the pleasure of having a training instructor who keeps stuff real. He explained the chain of command and how the city has to to notify the state and the state has to notify the president before he can sign off on a federal disaster and put FEMA into effect. Bush signed off on Katrina "After" the fact on Air Force One as he was leaving his vacation from Crawford, TX. He signed off on the hurricanes last year that hit Florida "Before" they hit and FEMA's preparedness was infinitely greater. "It's nice to have your big brother in the White House ain't it?" That's my trainer's words not mine.
I LOVE that title!
Actually, I'm surprised the guy even knew about Cornel West. Easy enough mistake to make.
Thank you very much!
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