9.02.2005

"George Bush does not care about black people."

Amen, Kanye. Am I the only one surprised that someone went off script in the televised lovefest that was the NBC fundraising show entitled "Hugs and Denial: No Rapes Here!"

Kanye, in pleading for donations to the Red Cross (ICK) aside Mike Myers, ignores the teleprompter.

What makes me angry is the coverage of Kanye after the fact. This shitty site, for example, briefly discusses his comments in a handfuls of paragraphs, states they were out of place (where is the place?), follows with a lengthily diatribe painting the picture of the spoiled, rich, out-of-touch, simple nigger*.

I'm sorry. While GWB left his vacation slightly early, he did not leave when the hurricane hit. George Bush doesn't give a shit. He cared so little about the people of New Orleans that the seven minutes he sat around reading a book to kids on 9/11 actually looks good in comparison. Maybe he is just under the impression that the Republicans have the South covered anyway, and what are a few dead niggers* in the long run? They aren't going to vote for a Republican anyway.

Because that's who is traditionally left behind and unable to evacuate - the poor. And you know what? The poor in the South are black.

112,000 African-Americans in New Orleans make less that $8K/year. They aren't able to just jump into their SUVs and head off to their other homes that are out of the path of destruction.

Sure, there are a percentage of people who are looting and taking water-logged television sets, but there are also those who are looking for food or drinkable water or a fucking pair of shoes.

The best part, as I just saw on Real Time with Bill Maher? The captions that go along with photos of the looters.

Under a picture of a young black man, bags of groceries and soda in hand:
"After looting a local grocery store..."

Under a picture of a white couple, bags of groceries in hand:
"...make their way through water after finding bread at a local grocery store."



Virtually the same picture, but it's amazing what changing one word will do.

Now, what do we do? We in the North must sit, helpless, knowing that there is no structured plan for relief. Those people who struggled so much, busting their way out of flooding attics and out onto their roof to be plucked and taken to "safety," are now dying.

The survivors are now dying. And being raped. And being attacked. And shot.

What do we do? Are we to look down upon anyone, including Kanye, for voicing their frustrations when Bush cannot even leave his vacation because he doesn't want to be troubled?

The Democratic party is dead, as I have said. If we need to have someone like Kanye stand up and point out that shit is not going well -- well, fuck it. As long as someone is saying it.

*I hate the "n" word. But you know what? In discussing this situation it is appropriate. I can't help it.

Anonymous at 11:22 PM

6 spoke

6 Comments

at Saturday, September 03, 2005 12:19:00 AM  Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

 

at Saturday, September 03, 2005 6:07:00 AM  Anonymous said...

Fuck the comment trolls.

But my thanks to you and Kanyeezy for speaking up. I've been making this argument to a co-worker for the past two days and you're the first reasonable support I've found.

 

at Saturday, September 03, 2005 9:19:00 AM  ID said...

I've also been reading, mostly from supporters of Kanye's rant, that it wasn't the time or place for expressing your views. Really? So now we have to schedule press conferences for opinions?

It took alot of balls to stand up there and say what he did. I mean, step into his shoes, he was probably asked to appear at this benefit last minute. He arrives thinking that he is probably doing the right thing, then sees a line up of musicians such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Harry Connick, Jr. Im certain that they didn't invite Jay-Z, Ludacris, or Master P to speak on behalf of the hip hop community. So what are you to do?

Here is the true test. Can Kanye hold his ground and NOT APOLOGIZE for his remarks. If he is really truly a visionary, when he is asked about his comments we should hear things like "Yeah, its the truth," or "I said it, pay attention to what's really going on." Not a released statement saying that he got swept up by emotion and that it got ahold of his better judgement.

Chicago produced some of the most radical dissenters during the 1960s. And if it now takes a producer from Chicago to stand up and say what really needs to be said, then so be it.

 

at Saturday, September 03, 2005 12:54:00 PM  Anonymous said...

They probably assumed that Kanye was a bit "Uncle Tom" because he wears golf sweaters. Maybe they confused him with Carlton Banks or something. Either way, I was impressed that he had the courage to say what was on his mind rather than simply reciting some trite piffle off of a teleprompter.

Here's a link to the footage, for anyone who hasn't seen it:

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Kayne-West-Bush-Black-People.mov

 

at Tuesday, September 06, 2005 1:30:00 PM  Kurt said...

Ok, I'm late to this party again...
Last week I heard the author of a book about MLK & LBJ discussing/defending LBJ on radio. When a caller complained about the race riots of 1964 & 1968 as unproductive and linked them to the looters, the author pointed out that LBJ "got it", even if it was late. He described LBJ as talking to an aide at that time who also complained.
His question was, "What do you expect a people to do when they have had a boot on their neck for 300 years and it is lifted? Get up and say thank you?"
The GOP appears to be about securing and consolidating power and using ANY issue to divide, after determining they will be on the winning side of the division. Karl Rove is also a master at defining issues in winning terms:
Pro-Life vs. Baby Killers
Pro-Freedom vs. Govermental Control
Pro-Jobs vs. Enviromental Wackos
Free Market vs. Burdensome Regulations
Homeland Security vs. Radical Leftists
Looks like the media has fallen into their trap as well!
On another note, in the same vein, my wife and I were at Six Flags Over Texas a month or so ago. When we went to rent lockers, we found touch-screen terminals positioned in the different sized locker groups. Prices ranged from $6 to $12, depending on the size of the locker.
The first screen in the $6 locker section had, for its first screen, a language selection - English or Espanol.
The other, more expensive sections, did not have this option and were only in English.
Is this subtle racism? My Hispanic wife told me it was probably just that Six Flags knew Hispanics were less likely to overpay.

 

at Wednesday, September 07, 2005 4:22:00 PM  chase said...

I've said it since Kanya spoke up....he did what he had to do in a time when so many are doing nothing. Please let us not be suprised if the man drops dead (gang shooting, music war, car accident, drug overdose..pick one) because many who have spoken out so blatently against the bush family have suffered dire consequences. Here;s a story on one woman who I tried to contact, only to find out she was dead, http://www.opednews.com/thoreau1103bush_rape_suicide.htm and heres a site that goes into more detail of other deaths, http://www.rightiswrong.com/zlatkinletter.php?page=showmonth&m=12&y=2004.

 

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