Wednesday, August 31, 2005

finders keepers, loo... looters are black.

Note, the "subtle" difference in how the two actions are described.

looter
A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)


finders
Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)

from Daily Kos

6 comments:

Stuart Berman said...

There is no doubt that racism is all around - but I don't see this as any kind of proof.

You have two different articles written by two different people on two different days. Perhaps one calls all acts of looting as 'finding' and the other doesn't. Technically both acts are looting - but no one would argue with the need for people to take food, water or other necessities of life.

A similar discussion about these two articles can be found at: http://jacquelinepassey.blogs.com/blog/2005/08/black_people_lo.html

Abdul-Halim V. said...

I agree that racism is all around so I'm I don't see what is the point of your objection. I don't think the different pictures constitute a well-crafted scientific experiment which rigorously establishes the existence of racism. But they are an interesting juxtaposition of images which reflects and reinforces what we already know... that racism is all around us.

Stuart Berman said...

Let me say that I don't even see this as plausible evidence. I think there is more evidence of racism by those who claim this proves racism.

Abdul-Halim V. said...

I would just say that in this situation alot of people have lost EVERYTHING they have. Their houses, personal effects, furnishings, not to mention loved ones. Tons of people were basically left with just the clothes they have on their backs.
I don't think we can appreciate what they are going through unless we actually go through it ourselves.

But I think that the difference in how the same actions are described is just another example of how (for some people) sympathy and empathy sometimes has trouble crossing racial lines.

Stuart Berman said...

I am seeing people across this nation opening up their hearts and displaying enormous compassion. This is good and more of it is good.

Abdul-Halim V. said...

Yes, definitely.