The national media is currently fixated on the horrific devastation wrought by hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding of New Orleans and other gulf coast areas. Much of the media coverage has been focused on the human drama, as well as the “looting” and civil disorder. As with many disasters, the people bearing the brunt of the suffering are the poor, minorities, women and children. The media refer to these people as the ones who “chose” to stay behind, ignoring the fact that for the poorest in the city there was no choice involved. Subsequently, the media have now focused on the widespread “looting” as desperate people search for food and supplies. In a new column by Michael Newbury, he points out the racist undertones in much of the reporting on looting. Meanwhile, the issue of why New Orleans was so unprepared for this disaster has not been as readily addressed in the media. Several independent columnists have pointed out over the last few days that part of the problem is that much money that would have gone to flood prevention had been diverted to homeland security, anti-terrorism spending and the war in Iraq. Also, it has been pointed out that the National Guard units in Mississippi and Louisiana have much of their equipment and personnel in Iraq, where they are unable to respond to the emergency back in their home states.
Related posts:
- Response to Hurricane Katrina Reveals Indifference to Poor, Institutional Racism in the United States
- Speaker Discusses Hurricane Katrina and Rebuilding Efforts
- Toxic Water Left in Wake of Hurricane Katrina to be Pumped into Lakes and Rivers
- Negative Depictions of Katrina Survivors
- Mutual Aid Projects Flourish in Wake of Katrina
