So this came to my attention a number of times over the last day or two. "Black People loot, white people find". The blogger makes the good point that "finding" or salvaging is taking things that you need, while looting is taking things that you don't need, like electronics. Now there is a lot of looting going on in New Orleans (and much of it will definitely be harming small business owners). But those pictures, as far as I can tell, don't depict any kind of unnecessary products being stolen.
The problem here is a combination of racial and class prejudice. Poor and black = looting, while middle/upper class and white = finding, or needing. We associate the "well-to-do" masses with proper ethics; that is, they would steal only when necessary. Heck, it's not stealing, it's finding! But the poor don't have proper ethics. They steal because they want to. Hence "looting".
I really doubt there is any conscious intent on the part of journalists here. It's simply an example of biases that are a part of our culture. Personally I'm more distressed by two things. One, that the lower class (either because of residential segregation or lack of resources) were left particularly vulnerable to this natural disaster - something that may result in increased social tension. And two, that our culture of favoring private charity over public works has made the damage worse. Apparently the National Guard is not even allowing Red Cross officials in yet. We refuse to (dare I say it!) raise taxes and fund public services so that we can give to charity, only to take away those charities' ability to do anything helpful. The exposing of racism in the coverage of looting is important, but it' indicative of the much larger systemic problem of race and class in America. And that much larger problem led to a particular group of people being left behind among filth, disease, violent gangs, rape and lack of food in the destruction of New Orleans.
The convoys have arrived and people are finally getting the food and medicine they need. Let's hope the messing around stops now and we get those victims the hell out of there.
The problem here is a combination of racial and class prejudice. Poor and black = looting, while middle/upper class and white = finding, or needing. We associate the "well-to-do" masses with proper ethics; that is, they would steal only when necessary. Heck, it's not stealing, it's finding! But the poor don't have proper ethics. They steal because they want to. Hence "looting".
I really doubt there is any conscious intent on the part of journalists here. It's simply an example of biases that are a part of our culture. Personally I'm more distressed by two things. One, that the lower class (either because of residential segregation or lack of resources) were left particularly vulnerable to this natural disaster - something that may result in increased social tension. And two, that our culture of favoring private charity over public works has made the damage worse. Apparently the National Guard is not even allowing Red Cross officials in yet. We refuse to (dare I say it!) raise taxes and fund public services so that we can give to charity, only to take away those charities' ability to do anything helpful. The exposing of racism in the coverage of looting is important, but it' indicative of the much larger systemic problem of race and class in America. And that much larger problem led to a particular group of people being left behind among filth, disease, violent gangs, rape and lack of food in the destruction of New Orleans.
The convoys have arrived and people are finally getting the food and medicine they need. Let's hope the messing around stops now and we get those victims the hell out of there.
posted by whitey at 9:15 PM
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