How Hurricane Katrina exposed Racism in the US - Research Paper Example

Racism in USA Task Introduction How hurricane Katrina exposed Racism in the US Hurricane Katrina that happened 7 years ago wasa natural adversity. Few years following Hurricane Katrina, individuals are still feeling the repercussion and queries of racism. Katrina uncovered racism and division inequality in America, and the way the government failed the citizens in so many aspects. Many black people residing in New Orleans that were affected felt as if they considered themselves as genocide victims compared to what happened to them and the treatment they received after the hurricane. The majority of the affected people were blacks and this paper try to analyze how the victims of the hurricane were discriminated upon because of their race and face unbearable inequality because of their race ethnicity. Discrimination against Hurricane Katrina victims Various people, particularly the politicians, spoke out insisting that the comparison of the holocaust was inappropriate, as there was no use of any gas chambers utilization. This resulted to many people wondering if the act of racism was in existence without absolute violence. Communities residing in New Orleans insists that individuals died because of utter neglect. This took place because the affected persons were the black race, and so the government neglected them and was not concerned to what happened to them. In a state that has triumphed over racial discrimination, and is dedicated to equal opportunity for everyone, the allegations do not make sense. The questions asked by many people are the incapability of the regime to protect the vulnerable people. Racial discrimination may have taken place over a decade ago, but the catastrophe brought into the limelight the idea of prejudice and its existence under a pretense of tolerance and recognition. The Bush government failed the entire country on the course of action they took in dealing with the Hurricane and its neglect is based on the fascination of the government to fight the war in Iraq. The happiness of American citizens was jeopardized after doing away with programs like FEMA and the rising resources for an uncontrolled war. The disregard started at the higher levels in the Bush administration and came up with ideas on handling the catastrophe. Irresponsibility of the government on the affected Hurricane victims resulted to their immenseness’ suffering. Hurricane Katrina’s story and the aftermath are a racist government story as well as the nation which is yet of ridding itself entirely on prejudice histories against the black people. Many citizens who come from the United States are in a position of probably agreeing that racism in the United States was defeated or has decreased for the last past years. This is supremely true since now we can see a daughter of the white man marrying the black men, and the white man is just awful okay with it. However, on the other hand, rare do we see white men refusing that they cannot sit subsequently to the black men may be in buses or in airplanes (Giroux & Henry 2006). Prejudice as well as racism, is entirely two different things that happened in New Orleans when a person studies all of them, but there is a problem when these two things are equated. This is because it sometimes fails in addressing the facts of racial discrimination, which happens not only through intentional of interactions among the people, but also happened as a result coming from deep social and the habits together with the institutional practices. For this case, one might believe that they have defeat racism because of not seeing it in their life. Prejudice is known as to be something that is embedded in a culture. It had been shown severally more than people had seen when Katrina had happened in a long period. The book “Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster” gives discussions on how men as well as, the women used to hunt for food, clothing which would keep them warmth and water, from all these, only one thing kept them to continue going and this was only the prospect of the rescue by their own governments. In addition, the only government who showed themselves was those police who went after them in order to carry out looting. Many of the colors were presented in multicultural stews, which were full of sufferings, though the dominant colors that were presented were black. For some people who were from other countries sat back watching the unfolding disaster on the televisions while nestling in their houses which were unusually warm, thinking that were witnessing events happening in the third-world country. To those people who sat back at home watching this happening it was like a baffling to people thinking that it could be happening in United States since it could be for those people living in New Orleans. It created a cognitive dissonance which was unexpected as well as unsettled to people throughout United States. Though, it was particularly distressing enough witnessing the failures in the government responding to the desperate people crying and scrawling on tattered roofs and flooded homes, but Hurricane Katrina the violent winds as well as killings waters continue sweeping into mainstreams of a stark realization, mostly the poor who were abandoned by the society as well as its institutions. There were supplementary factors witnessed in this enormous disaster as well, the sluggish response by the government resulted to the death of many people after the hurricane. The government had information of the impending hurricane, but did nothing to avert the suffering of the victims. A country that seemed capable had portrayed inexperience when dealing with the calamity. Although the hurricane damage took place in the suburb areas and not the city, the overriding question was the capability of the government in rescuing the victims if they were positioned on rooftops in Hampton. Racism is diverse from discrimination because it is concealed; as Americans thought that it was something of the past in their history. The cause of the regime ignoring the request from the wounded in the city of New Orleans was maybe because of the people affected by the problem. The government showed the image that the individuals affected were not relevant to the Bush regime (Richard, 2008). It is debatable that Bush government refused to respond as it had its priority on some other issues such as anti-terrorism. Bush formed the unit of Homeland defense, using a lot of money ensuring that the country was secure from Osama but ignored to channel the money into authentic programs that would help the American people when hit by the calamity. FEMA financial support had been reduced as evident in Bush government indifference as it no longer enjoyed attention to normal disaster. Political cronies were using the agency pinnacle as a branch for political cronies, with no capability. When the hurricane struck the highest authority in the agency, was occupied with individuals with little understanding on such a disaster. Most victims of the Katrina blamed the local, the federal governments that they did not react in time as well as states. A Democrat by the name Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu who had the bill of congress for many years to help building of the New Orleans’ defense though it is said to be shelved by Republican controlled Congress in favor of the pork barrels politics. The collapse of New Orleans was blamed on the obsession and war in Iraq as well as the war against the terrorism of the Republicans. Although the local as well as the state government failed the New Orleans people but still the blames still goes to the government federal this is because the president was the one who declares the area as an area of a disaster giving the FEMA authority to enter in that area. The media also played a usual role by veiling truths of what is happening in the new Orleans. Much news in the New Orleans showed pictures, which were false and misleading. The images of the whites who were busy scavenging for the food were called survivors while the blacks doing the same called the looters. Media deliberately were trying to fix the images of the black predation in the nation’s unconscious (Bates & Richelle, 2007). It may be extremely true that some people were pilfering, these were not just the blacks; but it was the whites who stole blacks share of the goods while the blacks were just looking for food in order for them to survive as the same as the whites. The media also gave people the ideas that the blacks who were staying behind were known to be thieves, hence taking an advantage of the desperate situations (Giroux & Henry, 2006). There is only one question, which seemed to be raised during the media attentions and the question was all about the people leaving if things were so knackered. The truth that came out was that, most people who were stuck were because they did not have ways of getting out from the stuck. People who were terribly poor did not have the luxury of being with a dependable car. These people were called as” those who chosen to stay behind”. The white people who wanted to leave were both said to be extremely sensible as well as cautious (Troutt & David, 2006). New Orleans which was one of multifaceted American cities, cultured and ancient had many of its populace dispersed, dead and uncounted. A wave of disgust swept over the nation because of the state reaction to the ruin. A CNN poll demonstrated 60% of those interviewed b who were black believed that racial discrimination was the key cause behind the late response of the administration. On the other hand, 12% of the white population alleged that it was the basic motive. This difference in ideologies could be connected to the proposal that whites ignore the intolerance in this state; it is a throbbing history that all the races in America want to forget. The reason the white community wants to forget the whole ordeal because of the feelings of blame and disgrace. Conclusion Even though, majority of the white race in the contemporary today are not openly accountable for the racialist actions in the past. Insisting that the administration late response was a racial issue, brings the topic in the limelight as the white race argue that racism do not exist in their country. What took place after the hurricane proves that racism still exist in America, as well as there is a general ignorance of the poor people from the government. This is portrayed in terms of the administration attitude and irresponsibility to cater for individuals needs in times of a disaster. The government spent a lot of money and time fighting tyranny in other nations, yet repression in America is still widespread. References Bates, K. A., and Richelle S. S. (2007) Through the eye of Katrina: social justice in the United States. New York. Carolina Academic Press. Print. Cutter, S. (2006). “The geography of social vulnerability: Race, class, and catastrophe”. Understanding Katrina. 2006. Giroux, and Henry, A.(2004).Stormy weather: Katrina and the politics of disposability. New York. Paradigm Publishers, 2006. Print Richard, G. (2008) Katrina: eyes have not seen, ears have not heard. New York: AuthorHouse. Print. Troutt, and David, D.(2006). After the storm: Black intellectuals explore the meaning of Hurricane Katrina. New York: New Press. Print. Read More