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Text Box: means to be my brother’s keeper. Lisa Ling, a reporter on the road with Oprah voiced what Kanye West said a few days ago. She wondered if this tragedy of historic proportion had taken place in an affluent neighborhood in Miami, Chicago or LA would help have taken so long. The poor have no voice and in times like these, it’s abundantly clear that affluence buys opportunity and access. Many of the people didn’t leave simply because they couldn’t afford to leave. What could be sadder than that? Being rich doesn’t guarantee happiness, but it sure as hell gives you a choice most poor folks aren’t lucky enough to have. Dean Anthony Jean-Pierre 9-7-05 6:45 in the pm (I have food and shelter how lucky am I)
Text Box: I watched Oprah on September 6-7th as she covered the devastation left behind by Katrina in New Orleans and other hard hit states. As I sat there transfixed by the images of faces predominantly black, an anger that I rarely feel swelled inside of me and alone in my apartment I wept for these forgotten people. The inhumanity of how these people were left to basically fend for themselves leaves me cold. People have died in the streets; their bodies lay rotting there for days because there’s basically nowhere to put them at this point. There is no dignity in this death as your last days are spent on a highway baking under an unforgiving sun. In this society, we preach to be the beacon of light for the world to follow, but we’re off fighting for the rights of other citizens, as we rightfully should. But on the home front, the people who government was established to fight for have been washed away by indifference. Indifference is usually masked in words and not easily deciphered, but now we see it in the light of day by the inaction of ou Text Box: elected officials. The head of FEMA, Michael Brown waited five hours after Katrina to deploy personnel to New Orleans. When interviewed on Nightline, the FEMA head wasn’t even aware that there were 20,000 evacuees enduring heinous conditions at the Superdome. Everyone in the world knew these people were there in the dark, hungry, while their children were being raped and terrorized by roving gangs. As is the case, in times of tragedy a scapegoat must be found, and Mr. Brown shouldn’t be the only one that should be vilified by an angry nation. America has been shamed as its poorer citizens “refugees” as the media have called them remain shell shocked by devastation. Oprah echoed my thoughts when she said these people aren’t refugees and shouldn’t be called that. They are American citizens and deserve our help. Blame can be ascertained later, and inquiries and investigations can be held later so all the blow hearts can get on their Sunday pulpits and decry which party is to blame fo Text Box: this massive failure of its less privileged citizens. One event shouldn’t define the character of a nation or of a person, but you look to the history of that person or nation in question, and if a pattern of blatant disregard can be found then the deepest sentiments of their hearts will be revealed. If the only thing you were able to see of the devastation of Katrina is a picture without words, one would immediately assume it was taking place in a third or fourth world country. At least these places can explain away their indifference because of a lack of resources. What’s our excuse this time? In times of tragedy, we find out who we truly are and the cream of the crop always rises to the top. Good people even when left devastated won’t abandon their fellow man. Over and over I’ve read and seen stories of everyday heroes reaching out to help their homeless and hungry neighbors when they themselves have been left with nothing but the clothes on their back. The true spirit of America resides in those people in New Orleans who haven’t forgotten what it