Bush’s promise to improve is sincere
Things don’t look very pretty around New Orleans these days. Thousands are presumed dead. The city is sunk. And many refugees have now fled, wondering where they will next call home.
It is heartbreaking to see anyone suffer – especially when that suffering happens on American soil.
Sadly, though, for the eager opponents of President Bush, any major catastrophe is seen almost as a good thing – Katrina being no exception. From those who tried using Terri Schiavo for political gain, should we be surprised?
Bush himself has admitted that the federal government’s response has been “inadequate.” But he has pledged to do better – and do it now.
And I believe he is trying to do that. I do not believe President Bush openly holds a tiff with African Americans, though from reports rampant in the media, one might think otherwise.
Which makes us wonder, are undertones of racism in our society still there?
I believe the answer is yes, even at our own university.
I remember a course I once attended alongside an African American student. As the professor conversed with him, the professor discovered that the student had a scholarship here at Utah State.
His immediate response to the student was, “Oh, do you play sports?”
The student paused, said no, and then told the professor that he was on an academic scholarship.
I sat just a few seats away from that student and looked just as athletic as he did (or so I think). He was even a few inches shorter. If the professor found out I was on scholarship here, I do not believe his initial response would have been, “Do you play sports?”
Our own state legislature chooses not to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as the rest of the country does. It’s just work as usual.
Interestingly enough, our state is one of the few in the country that refuses to pass any form of hate-crime legislation. Maybe there is a connection.
Go out into the valley sometime and listen to the chit-chat amongst the locals. One farmer speaking to his friend when referring to one of his workers will often call him, “My Mexican.”
They have names you know.
Just recently, I attended a university class where the professor made reference to the looting taking place in New Orleans. He used it as an example of the decreased in morals of our society.
He spoke of one man in particular, who, when caught looting, apparently told a reporter, “I deserve it. I been oppressed.” The accent the professor spoke in made it clear he was referring to an African-American.
Never once did the professor mention the suffering gone through by these people. Never once did he mention that thousands have died, their city is underwater and they’re hungry.
Instead, he chose to focus on the lawlessness (which does exist) in a sort of John-Valjean-deserves-the-worst kind of attitude.
Remember, only 58 years ago, Jackie Robinson was allowed to play baseball with white players.
Only 50 years ago, segregation in American schools was struck down by the Supreme Court.
And only 42 years ago just last week, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
We’re not talking about some ancient part of our history here. This stuff is fresh. Some of you professors were alive at that time and remember it.
We cannot so quickly forget our past.
No, we don’t live in the same segregated society that Martin Luther King did when he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. But we don’t live in the kind of society he envisioned, either.
Katrina has proven that.
I do not believe that President Bush got the message that New Orleans was in trouble and simply shrugged it off saying, “Oh, don’t worry. It’s just a bunch of blacks.”
He’s a better man than that.
And so are my professors and others I have mentioned. Did they mean any harm by the comments they made? Probably not.
But we can do better.