posted on September 12, 2005 05:17:09 PM new
By JAMES TARANTO
Ship of Fools
As we've heard ad nauseam the past couple of weeks, the Katrina disaster raises serious questions about race in America. Just how serious became clear Saturday afternoon, when Fox News Channel's Alicia Acuna conducted a live interview with a frustrated, foul-mouthed New Orleans evacuee in Houston. Blogger Ian Schwartz has the unexpurgated video, and we have the expurgated transcript:
Acuna: [There's] a lot of frustration, and a lot of it stems from the confusion over what a lot of the evacuees have been told is going to happen with regard to their federal assistance coming in. And I have a gentleman standing here with me who helps illustrate that picture. He has chosen not to give his name, he is from New Orleans, and he only says he is for the people.
So if you can explain to me, what has happened with your debit card? You're having a lot of problems, right?
Man: Well, for one thing, you know, they're not activating. You know, they're giving us these cards, and they're not activating these cards, and they're giving us a runaround. Then when we call, you know, for the, you know, to find out if the card is activated, they're giving us the runaround. And they send us back to Red Cross, and we go to Red Cross--nobody knows anything, you know.
I mean, c'mon now, f---, you know, excuse my French, you know, but anyway, you know, we're out here, we're stranded, you know, we don't have any godda@@ thing, nobody's not [sic] trying to help us. FEMA is a fake and a fraud. Red Cross is a fake and a fraud, you know. Where do we go from here? I mean, who should we depend on? If we can't depend on our own federal government, who can we depend on?
Acuna: The FEMA cards were supposed to be $2,000 apiece--
Man: Two thousand dollars.
Acuna: --and you received a FEMA card?
Man: I only received $700. Seven hundred dollars, and they cut my card off.
Acuna: And when you asked them why that was, what were you told?
Man: They don't know. Nobody knows.
Acuna: OK, thank you very much.
Man: Do you know?
Acuna: I do not know, no.
Man: Well, find out for me, and you tell me.
Acuna: OK, thank you. And actually, Bob [Sellers, the anchorman], one thing I can tell you--we talk about this confusion, and there are quite a few reporters who have been kind of confused during those news conferences. And we actually have direct access to a lot of these officials. And FEMA, in all fairness, has said there are going to be glitches. They understand that there are problems. They have said that everyone is going to get assistance that qualifies; however, they're still working it out. They keep reiterating to us that this is a work in progress. Back to you.
Sellers: Alicia, is that gentleman still there by any chance?
Acuna: He is still here.
Sellers: Could you ask him what he wants? What is he looking for?
Acuna: Sure, hold on one second.
The anchor in New York would like to know--his name is Bob--he would like to know what it is that you would like to happen. What do you want?
Man: What I would like to happen? I would like for them to give us at least $20,000 apiece so we can, you know, get our life together. You know, we didn't ask to come on that bus, slave. It's like a slave ship. It's just like, you know, back in history, you know, they put us on a slave ship. They separated us from our family. They did it--you know, just modern-day slavery, you know? Just give us what the f--- we deserve.
Sellers: Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa! Hold on! Hold on! That's, that's, that's enough. I mean, you've made your point, sir. We thank you very much for being with us. But Alicia--
Man: It's like a slave ship.
Sellers: --we know there's frustration there, and a lot of these folks have gone through so much, and we don't want to, you know, minimize or trivialize that. But we still have certain responsibility here in terms of what we're doing as far as broadcasting.
The Fox people seem to have missed the first obscenity, which the man uttered under his breath. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words, even when two of them are the F-word, so take a look at this:
Looks just like a slave ship, doesn't it? Well, except that on a slave ship, he probably wouldn't have his arm around a white woman.
I gave my liberal neighbors son a book for his birthday. He went crazy trying to find where to put the batteries.
[ edited by Bear1949 on Sep 12, 2005 05:18 PM ]
posted on September 12, 2005 05:54:09 PM new
The nerve of him to put his arm around a white woman when Bear can't get one...the nerve.
[ edited by davebraun on Sep 12, 2005 05:54 PM ]
posted on September 12, 2005 08:19:46 PM new
No peepa, that's not enough reason to kick her out. If that were the case then you just do like Classic does with his Democrat wife, you make her run all your errands for you and take all your Ebay shipments to the post office.
ed to add; that way you get all the mileage you can outta her before you have to trade her in.
posted on September 12, 2005 08:38:15 PM new
Here's a little song that Classic wrote about his wife;
Put Another Log On The Fire
Put another log on the fire.
Cook me up some bacon and some beans.
And go out to the car, lift it up and change the tyre.
Wash my socks and sew my old blue jeans.
Come on, baby, you can fill my pipe,
And then go fetch my slippers.
And boil me up another pot of tea.
Then put another log on the fire, babe,
And come and tell me why you're leaving me.
Now don't I let you wash the car on Sunday?
Don't I warn you when you're gettin fat?
Ain't I a-gonna take you fishin' with me someday?
Well, a man can't love a woman more than that.
Ain't I always nice to your kid sister?
Don't I take her driving every night?
So, sit here at my feet 'cus I like you when you're sweet,
And you know it ain't feminine to fight.
So, put another log on the fire.
Cook me up some bacon and some beans.
Go out to the car and lift it up and change the tyre.
Wash my socks and sew my old blue jeans.
Come on, baby, you can fill my pipe,
And then go fetch my slippers.
And boil me up another pot of tea.
Then put another log on the fire, babe,
And come and tell me why you're leaving me.
posted on September 13, 2005 06:40:39 AM new
I had the misfortune to catch this live when it happened on Fox on Saturday. It turned my stomach. How many people are going to stop donating because of crap like this? I've talked to a few who said - no more - I'm not giving another dime - after seeing interviews such as this, and the Kanye West comment.
People are tired of the race card - especially when it's such an obvious ploy.
I want someone to give me $20,000 too. I want it now. Give it to me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on September 13, 2005 09:15:43 AM new
Black people like this guy, Kayne West and a few others don't realise it but their attitude is going to cause whites to hate them. I mean any clear thinking person can easilly understand their way of thinking, there's no deep thought process at work there. It's nothing but hate speech in reverse and no one can like it. Except of course the ones giving it.
posted on September 13, 2005 09:55:09 AM new
It's almost always the dems who play up the race card. They find it gives them political advantage to do so - and this weekend they were using that 'card' as much as they could.
Imo, that's part of why their mayor and governor aren't been held responsible for these events, because they're democrats.
And guys like this idiot who was interviewed should to me like they don't have a clue what their forefathers actually went through. I sure don't see them with the inner strength, the hard work ethic that their forefathers had.
Nope....the government OWES them...and OWES them big time for an act of Nature. $20,000.00 huh? LOL I'm sure they'll all be receiving much more than that when the talley's are finally in. And I agree he appears to be extremely ungrateful in many ways.
No slave would have lived after putting their arms around a white woman. That's a fact from his forefather's day. He has a lot to be grateful for and just doesn't realize it.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on September 13, 2005 10:07:13 AM newBut dave we really know the root of this issue is you are jealous the guy in the photo doesn't have his arm around you....
lol bear!
Linda, people are angry and frustrated right now so they get on this bandwagon and they really dont know what they are talking about.
How many people does FEMA have working for it?
I saw a report yesterday about one lone FEMA inspector at some lady's house and her next door neighbor was venting and complaing to the reporter that they had still not been to her house except to drop off water, etc. I'd probably be pretty ornery too - but they also have to understand somebody is not going to come in with a magic wand and fix all this up in a matter of minutes, or even days.
It's a tough situation for anyone to be in. Glad its not me!
posted on September 13, 2005 10:30:32 AM new
dbl - I can see what they're going through and agree I'm thankful it's not me or mine too.
But being obnoxious about it isn't going to make people feel more compassionate, it's going to turn them off.
What I was referring to more was people like this guy who never would show any appreciation for how they are being helped. They've got the mindset the government owes them everything. They've become over-dependent on our government meeting their every need. And they expect it...expect to have everything made right...just because they're entitled to it. WRONG!!!
But more than that I was really speaking to the issue of the democrat political pundits....who use the race card and are trying to say that this would have been dealt with differently, more quickly, had these been white people. That's just a bunch of BS, imo.
This is the worst disaster our country has ever faced...even worse than 9-11. It wouldn't have made one bit of difference in the lack of planning their local and state officials allowed to occur. It wouldn't have made an ounze of difference in the inability to get to them because of all the water. And it wouldn't have made a bit of difference that those levees haven't been properly dealt with for generations. NOTHING to do with being white or black...but rather all the other circumstances.
So when political pundits like Stephanopoulos start pushing his racial claims, I believe he and others like him are just using this 'act of Nature' to further push their racist agenda, claiming race was the reason for the slow response. That, imo, is hogwash pure and simple.
posted on September 13, 2005 10:34:42 AM new
Yes, I have to laugh too @:
Actually I traded of a 44 for two 22's.
bear, had that been true you most likely wouldn't still be posting. Your old 'ticker' would have given out long ago.
But I remember my husband asking for the same thing on his 40th birthday...telling everyone that he wanted two 20 year olds. Men....can't live with them, don't want to live without them.
posted on September 13, 2005 10:34:44 AM new That's just a bunch of BS, imo.
I agree, Linda. This is one issue where I dont feel color is at play except if you still want to keeping blaming the white man for bring slaves here from Africa or something?
What did Stepanolpus do/say? I dont think I caught that part?
posted on September 13, 2005 11:40:17 AM new
Linda, I dont know if I believe "he" was pushing it, rather just asking the questions than have been the buzz since Kanye West's allegations? The Pew poll shows an indication of how 66% of the blacks who were polled supposedly feel about it. I dont necessarily think that is untrue how they "feel" about it, not that the allegation is true, of course but it would behoove any politican to understand what the constituants think or feel, even if its not based in reality. But I will say, Stepanopolus' failure to bring state and local authorities into the conversation was a sure sign of bias on his part.
posted on September 13, 2005 11:54:17 AM new
dbl - For me, I've watched so many interviews that you get a quick 'eye' for if they're asking hard or soft questions. Imo, their questions are slanted to the way the want the conversation to go....and in this one...his bias is loud and clear...wanting to forus on the racial issue, and imo, he keeps pushing the questions to keep it focused there. And as you mention, what he/they avoid mentioning/bring up for discussion also speaks loudly, imo.
I have no problem with you taking it differently.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on September 13, 2005 03:30:18 PM new
In a story in todays Houston Chronicle about one of the two individuals that commendered a school bus to evacuate people from the projects.
The article described the two as heros. I don't have a problem with that. What I found disturbing in the article was a quote from the 20YO guy that was one of the drivers. He said, "Why won't anyone GIVE me a job and a place to live.
Why should this guy be GIVEN a job? What ever happened to being QUALITIED for a job.
And complaing about a place to live? Heck, he living in a motel room free of charge.
I gave my liberal neighbors son a book for his birthday. He went crazy trying to find where to put the batteries.
posted on September 13, 2005 03:36:58 PM new
Bear, they just had on the news there are going to be plenty of laboror jobs for the clean-up. But there will be some 400,000 more people looking for employment where there might not be any in many given fields.
They ven mentioned something about the Federal govt lifting something or other for companies hiring illegal workers (because its encompassed in the overall consideration of so many who have lost their documents.)
But thats the other thing I dont get. All of them saying about losing public and private documents? Paper documents I can understand, but didnt New Orleans or anybody down there in the state(s) affected have some public records backed-up to a server somewhere...knowing the hurricane was coming???
.
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Sep 13, 2005 03:39 PM ]
posted on September 13, 2005 03:37:08 PM new
I have to disagree with you, Bear. I think that this young mans heroism shows him to be a person of high moral character and capable of being trained and any employer SHOULD be glad to have him in their employ. Someone needs to step up to the plate and give him a job and take a chance on him, he deserves it and he ought to get it.
posted on September 13, 2005 03:42:38 PM new
Is he the kid, that took 80 people out of New Orleans, that never drove a bus before? I saw him when he pulled into Houston, and they interviewed him. Said that all the people on the bus pooled all their cash to stop and get gas. Now that kid is a real 'take charge' kind of person!
uncensored)
Caroline 