Playing the Disaster Race Card

*SPLEEN VENT WARNING--YOU MIGHT WANT TO REMOVE CHILDREN AND SMALL ANIMALS FROM THE ROOM BEFORE READING FURTHER*
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No doubt you’ve heard the same disgusting things I heard about the emergency response to the California wildfires, and how it differed from the response to Hurricane Katrina—particularly when the discussion turned to race.

I have to ask, “Oh really?” Funny how Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson never appeared in any of the coverage to denounce the lack of federal presence or even a FEMA representative on site.

The news crowd shots showed people of all races and ethnicities doing what they were supposed to be doing, and that is helping themselves—something you didn’t see much of in New Orleans until AFTER the water got to its highest point. People in the wildfire region evacuated when told to (sometimes beforehand), brought what they could in the way of emergency supplies (or at least their families), and even got the pets they owned to safe shelter away from the house. Not much of the same can be said for New Orleans.

Yes, political alignments have been brought up time and time again—Louisiana is a red state with a Republican leadership tier, while California is a blue state with a Republican governor and Democrat leadership tier. Political representation has nothing to do with it, unless you factored in priorities, and the degree of corruption that goes along with it.

Louisiana has been corrupt ever since we bought it from the French, and now we have a better understanding of why they sold it in the first place. California is much less corrupt, or at least Aaahnold has a better understanding of what needs to be done in emergency situations. Besides, he married into the Kennedy clan, so he doesn’t need any more money. Louisiana has a senator stashing money in his freezer—money that could’ve gone to helping build a reverse-911 system, build some sort of emergency communication system for fire fighters, police, and the governor, reinforcing levies, or maybe firming up an evacuation plan for the elderly, disabled, and those without a car.

You ask me, I say that race had absolutely nothing to do with the stark contrast in disaster outcomes, even though some news pundits would have you think otherwise. My opinion is that these particular people who quickly whip out the race card at any given moment are professional victimizers, hell-bent on ensuring they have a personal cause to champion as long as they have a job in front of the camera.

Natural disasters know no color, and an emergency response is a response to whoever needs it—regardless of color, income, or intent. Illegal aliens were receiving help at the Qualcomm Stadium and other shelters right along with everyone else who showed up. To single out a disastrous disaster response and accuse people of shortchanging blacks solely because of color and income level is ludicrous and laughable at best.

If you pundits out there waving the race card for ratings want someone to blame, look in the mirror. The so-called “forgotten” residents of New Orleans have learned their lesson with blood, sweat, and tears—they cannot and must not rely on anyone but themselves to get through an emergency. California residents live with emergencies all the time—little ones like earthquakes, and big ones like whole freeway overpasses going into flames and collapsing—and thus are ready to leave when word is given. Nobody there is waiting for anyone to rescue them, because they know nobody is coming.

Precisely because they know nobody is coming, they made all kinds of plans—plans for evacuation, plans for pets, and plans for rebuilding with some sort of insurance settlement. Some have already put their past plans into action by building their homes out of concrete and stucco—non-flammable materials. Those homes survived intact.

What did stranded New Orleans residents do? They started off by re-electing the same corrupt politicians who diverted compassion and funds to other projects (like a freezer). Then they relied on FEMA and Uncle Sam to make them whole again (always a bad move). Along the way, they looted stores and stole bread, along with other things.

While Katrina victims stole bread, the wildfire victims at Qualcomm Stadium were having cake and eating it too—the frosting being free massages, yoga sessions, a makeshift daycare center, clowns for the kids, and any other service that other evacuees could provide while they themselves waited for news of their house status. There was no murdering, no stampeding, no destruction of the stadium in which they were at, and above all, no panic.

One other thing I noticed was the stark contrast in health—the wildfire victims seemed healthier and younger than the New Orleans crowd. I realize health has to do directly with income, but it also seems to me that the better health one is in, the better response to crises one has. Adding this up, I get a better sense of why the Qualcommers had and made use of yoga, massage, and so forth. I also get a better sense of why the New Orlineans couldn’t seem to get out of their own way—they were behind the eight ball BEFORE the levy even broke! Topping that off, they only did for themselves, while the Qualcommers did for each other. Attitude is important--instead of getting free massages and daycare, they got stuck waiting for a bus to somewhere in front of a needlessly-destroyed stadium. These are two completely different versions of something for nothing--cooperative vs. opportunistic.

Rest assured that skin color had nothing whatsoever to do with the differences in response to this disaster—it was very much a game of preparedness. California just has more practice, and chose to adequately fund all the emergency response mechanisms it needs and has in place. New Orleans chose to look the other way while certain politicians’ pockets and freezers were lined, as well as remain silent while the boulevards and town squares were dotted with various monuments in tribute to people loosely tied to the sugar racket. A huge and obvious waste of money right there in plain sight!

Priorities, people…priorities! Unfortunately, those won’t garner network ratings for the ever-struggling pundits. The race card should have sharper edges, so the wielder gets cut every time he/she uses it attempting to go for our emotional jugular—maybe then they’ll know what real suffering’s all about.