Saturday, September 10, 2005

katrina

I keep forgetting that when I get all pissed off and tense and it starts affecting my sleep, that I can unload some of the internal stress into a rant, tuck it into a nice little html envelope and send it into blogland and be done with it.

Since I'm not updating any of these blogs with any regularity, something I would have initially reserved for the be appalled blog I'm going to just stick here.

Things that are stuck in my craw:

To "F the President": No, you fuckwit, it's not "Blame" it's accountability, and it's not a "game" it's your fucking job.

To Babs: Was four years in the White House not long enough to teach you how not to say really stupid things in public?

To the black community: Yes, this is a tragedy that affected black Americans WAY more than white. NO question about it. But, do you really think the response was bad because the victims were black, or could it be that the response was bad because the administration was off with their thumbs stuck up their asses in Iraq, that people who needed the most help were the poor, and that the REAL tragedy, and one that is pervasive and should not be ignored, is that the population of poor are growing, and that THE POOR ARE PRIMARILY BLACK? Isn't this the bottom line, not that the administration doesn't care about saving black people? I just think that framing the accusation as "the administration hates black people" is the wrong tack to take because it gives them something to argue about. They LOVE arguing because that, in turn, gives them something with which to distract the public from realizing that they keep giving tax breaks to the rich. Make them own up to the REAL disaster! Make the case that poverty is growing and that the poor are mostly black. They can't argue with this, and because poverty usually plays out in the public in terms of crime and drugs, Katrina is one of the few vehicles that allows the public to be made aware of the poverty and be sympathetic instead of afraid! This is an opportunity! Don't blow it by reacting like a victim, Mr. West! Take control and be an activist!

To the press: You guys have the opportunity of an 8 year presidency right now. The public has their eyes open. There's no way for the administration to spin this and look good. Don't let them stop showing the dead. While I understand protecting the privacy of grief and mourning, at some level it's important for the public to actually have visceral evidence of tragedy. If nothing else will spur them into action, let horror and disgust be the motivator. Hiding the dead serves ONLY to squash that visceral response. That's why Bush won't show the coffins of the dead as they arrive back from Iraq. It's not to protect the families, it's to protect his image and public support for the war. I'm afraid that the ban for Katrina is for a similar purpose. The public doesn't gain anything by having its news sanitized. The news needs to reflect the nasty, pustulating sores of society. Of course, it doesn't need to be sensationalized, just reported on. If seeing the dead turns people's stomachs, well, then, maybe they'll start voting for officials who treat war and the risks of nature a little less glibly. So... KEEP POINTING YOUR GODDAMN FINGERS AND DON'T FUCKING STOP UNTIL THEY'RE ALL GONE!!! Impeached. Resigned. Fired... I don't care. I just want them gone...

To Jon Stewart: Marry me?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said. With you all the way. Andy

Anonymous said...

1) I think he talks about the Blame Game because he likes the rhyme. Accountability doesn't rhyme with much.

2) Here's a little joke:
Q: What's President Bush's opinion of Roe Vs. Wade?
A: He doesn't really care how people leave New Orleans.

xiki said...

Hey Jen!

Send me your address. My computer crashed over July 4th and I lost all my contact info...