Disaster, Relief and the Charge of Racism

Soon after the Katrina disaster struck the US Gulf Coast in August 2005 liberal pundits, politicians, entertainers, movie producers and others charged that the US Government’s limping response was caused by racism. Some were even so bold as to claim that the US Government deliberately sabotaged the levy protecting New Orleans that the predominately black city might be destroyed. Does any rational thinking person really believe this?

Is it racist to observe that the predominance of people on welfare is black? Is it racist to observe that the majority of people in prison are black? Is it racist to observe that the majority of those who were looting and pillaging, in New Orleans and in dozens of cities and towns that graciously have resettled thousands of evacuees, are black? Is it racist to observe that the NAACP and other black advocate groups and leaders had not been involved in a tangible way in the on-going relief effort? Is it racist to observe that an African American Church in a community refused to help in the relief convoy a “white” church organized and sent to the Gulf Coast? Is it racist to observe that the overwhelming population of New Orleans was African American and that the unemployment rate exceeded 30%, while the national unemployment rate is less than 7%?

How does one know they are being racist? When Jesse Jackson or Spike Lee say so? When CNN or the Washington Post say so?

It is now time for the leaders in this great nation and the African American community to stop crying “racism” and begin addressing the problems that are so painfully obvious. Many African Americans drop out of school before they can read and write, many perpetrate crime on their own kind, and many refuse to work in the only jobs they are qualified for because they are service jobs with low pay and low prestige. If one is not qualified for anything else why should they be paid as if they were?

Observe other minority communities; Cuban, Mexican, Cambodian, Vietnamese, etc. People arrive in this country with no English language skills and very limited resources. Many work hard, go to school and seize the American dream. It would seem that black leaders and liberal politicians would be embarrassed by this in contrast to much of the African American community that seems to languish in poverty and Welfare.

Millions of people of all races have made extraordinary sacrifices to provide relief to the victims of Katrina. We don’t hear, “We’ll only help white people.” Katrina just happened to hit a predominately black community and therefore all of America is racist, from the President to the furthest citizen? Those screaming “racism” simply are pandering to the African American victims that they may remain respected as community leaders. These so-called leaders do not have solutions for the deeply rooted problems in much of the black community. Therefore they attempt to divert national attention to the real issues by crying “racism.”

It is time for a national effort to break the cycle of welfare dependence and a failed education system. It is possible for those remaining in New Orleans and those relocated across the country to get a new start. They can pursue education and job training while receiving the private and government aide they so desperately need.