May 13, 2010

It's better when you just admit the real issue!

This morning over my Twitter I blurted out something to the effect of "it's always raciiiissssmmm" in all caps because I'd had too much sugar

but anyway

I had a point I just didn't make it then. Again I don't take well to sugar.

So anyway, there was a news article mom was talking about regarding communities hit most by the flood, strangely enough feeling left behind! I said, "How the hell could they feel left behind?" Again, sugar.

Mom rattled off a list of communities hit hardest by the flood versus the communities that had gotten the most help whether they had been hit bad or not. When she did this, I simply shrugged nonchalantly.

"*cough*White people*cough*", I said. Mom looked at me with those "don't say that!" eyes but I said it again.

"*coughwhiteycough*"

Again with the "don't say that!" So I turned around to prove my point.

First off, the extremely damaging flood didn't even get that much national coverage and it wouldn't have gotten that much if people hadn't raised hell about it. I don't doubt that. The aid is only just now pouring in. I don't question the strange injustice of this.

Now the news articles are coming. Homeless people left behind in aid. Communities hit hard not receiving aid. Whole cities & rural areas shut off from receiving help & we're just now realizing how bad the damage is. This is in newspapers, meanwhile the local news has been all over this search for a missing young white man after he disappeared when his friends decided to go tubing in the flood waters.

Tubing in the flood waters. The fast moving UNCONTROLLABLE FLOOD WATERS.

At this point my facade of empathy is starting to crack as I roll around to my main point.

The communities/areas she listed that got the most help? White places.

"But Bellevue isn't white," Mom protests. Well, sure there are black folks in Bellevue! But...

"Is it majority black? Is it even half black?" Mom smiles wryly and nods.

(the answer is no)

The communities that WEREN'T receiving aid... "Would it have been better if I just said bougie areas?"

Bougie = bourgeoisie

So if you haven't caught on yet I highly suspect there is some racism and classism interconnecting here. The area that got hit the hardest and has received the least aid is an area of mostly elderly black folks. Elderly people of all colors not receiving a whole lot of help. Where did Anderson Cooper go when he came? A middle class white suburb that didn't even get hit that badly.

I rested my case and exclaimed, "Isn't it better when you just admit the real issue?"

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