Unbroken cycle

At first, I didn't have the courage to write what I was thinking because I know that many of my friends who read my blog have no clue about what really goes on, of the undercurrent that constantly shades all that some people experience. This is ironic, because they should. They should have felt this, experienced this at some point in their lives. So why waste my time writing about it, just so people can think that I'm crazy? I think a lot of people refuse to believe it. But then again, we didn't grow up poor did we? We are all college graduates. The American dream works! You can get anywhere with hard work and perseverance!! If you're confused, I don't blame you. If after you read the rest of this post, you think I'm a nutcase, that I'm making mountains out of molehills, that what I'm talking about doesn't exist, well... that won't surprise me. Anyway, on with the show...

It surprised me to hear that in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina that the situation in New Orleans has deteriorated. I thought that it would turn out like the many other hurricanes the region has weathered over the years - yes, there would be widespread devastation, but most people would be fine and help would arrive quickly.

This hasn't happened yet - apparently due not only to the strength and fury of Katrina, but also to the unique environs of New Orleans, a city that lies below sea level and is surrounded by rivers, canals, and levees. Now, buildings and levees slow the recession of floodwaters, preventing help from arriving by truck. The airport is closed. Ships cannot reach the city. You can only bring so much by helicopter.

Now we are hearing reports of "lawlessness", an accurate term for rampant looting and indiscriminate gunfire. It seems much gunfire is being directed at hospitals and helicopters bringing in supplies. Granted, the looting has become more about subsistence lately, but initially, it was about personal gain.

The saddest part? The majority of the people you see left in New Orleans, the faces crying for help, the faces we are connecting to the utter despair and also to the lawlessness, are black. I suspect that the people left behind are primarily residents who are not only black, but low-income. I also suspect that these people are likely to have lost everything they have, some including family, but without much means to rebuild and restore. Thank goodness our ever wise leader is confident that the people of New Orleans will be able to rebuild. That will make it happen.

I don't think it's unbelievable to suggest that more affluent and white residents of New Orleans were able to escape the city before Katrina hit. They are more likely to have cars and thus a means to escape, they are more likely to have a place to go or be able to afford lodgings. I also think it's quite possible that the people who stayed behind to weather the storm were people who not only didn't have anywhere to go, but couldn't afford to lose their home. What would be left for them if they fled, and returned to rubble? So why not stay?

It's a shame that hundreds of years of oppression have led up to what we are seeing in the aftermath of Katrina. Black folks stay behind as a result of their lower income, which is very much the result of the overwhelming barrier of institutional racism, which is a legacy of Jim Crow, and so on (I think you know the rest). Black folks struggling to get by transformed into black folks struggling to survive, resulting in desperate attempts to stay alive. Let's put that on national TV and we have just reinforced the notion that black folks are the cause of lawlessness. And the cycle continues. Oh, while we're at it, let's eliminate welfare and social security. We're already getting rid of affirmative action, so why the hell not? Everything's equal, isn't it?