Kanye West's racially charged comments

[Brundlefly]

During the Friday night telethon to raise aid for Hurricane Katrina, Comedian Mike Myers was paired with West for a 90-second segment that began with Myers speaking of Katrina's devastation. Then, to Myers' evident surprise, West began a rant by saying, "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food."

While allowing that "the Red Cross is doing everything they can," West, who delivered an emotional outburst at the American Music Awards after he was snubbed for an award, declared that government authorities are intentionally dragging their feet on aid to the Gulf Coast. Without getting specific, he added, "They've given them permission to go down and shoot us."

After he stated, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," the camera cut away to comedian Chris Tucker.

Was Kanye "keepin it real" or was he grandstanding for the purpose of boosting his own street reputation?

Personally, I can't see that the fed's response or lack therof has anything to do with race. The fact that New Orleans is 80% black is why Kanye sees shots of black folks looting. Is a TV station supposed to wait until they get footage of white folks looting before they report that looting has occurred?

[DinoDoc]

Who is Kanye West?

[Brundlefly]

Kanye is a rapper aka a gangster. It seems they spend most of their free time trying to knock off the competition.

Actually Kanye's lyrics on his last album are very "god" oriented, some might say religous. Which makes his statements even more disturbing. I heard it live and couldnt believe my ears.....this African American(because no other term seems to be PC these days) complaining about racism in this country when his last album went 2 times platinum. This country gave him an opportunity to be richer than I will ever be. So dont use a national disaster as a platform for your own personal agendas. The show was to raise money for these people, thats it! Also, no one is mentioning MISS. where alot of WHITE people are just as hungry. The goverment f'ukd up, plain and simple. As far as the media coverage.....lets be realistic. There are no european gangs in NO, therefore its hard to report on the white crips shooting at helicopters. Families of all colors are suffering, and we all know that.

[Bosh]

Racism? Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinconceivable!

[Drake Tungsten]

Kanye is a rapper aka a gangster. It seems they spend most of their free time trying to knock off the competition.

Kanye West is no gangsta. He's a suburban kid who's never hustled a day in his life.

[Brundlefly]

I blame this whole catastrophe on the French who had the brilliant idea in 1718 to build an entire city 10' below sea level.

[Drake Tungsten]

BTW, he also thinks that AIDS is a man-made disease introduced to Africa to kill black people and that crack was intentionally put into the black community to destroy the Black Panther party. In summary, he's a talented artist but also an idiot. Pretty much like most celebrities...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually the 'French' areas of the city are the dry ones (they were on higher ground than the rest of the city).

[MikeH]

Who is more the fool, the fool who builds a city below sea level or the fools who carry on living there for 200 years afterwards...

[Sava]

it's hilarious watching the righties' heads spin when some celebrity says something funny like this!!

[Brundlefly]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
BTW, he also thinks that AIDS is a man-made disease introduced to Africa to kill black people and that crack was intentionally put into the black community to destroy the Black Panther party.

I think I read somewhere that his father used to be a Black Panther.

Yeah, Sean's boat has a leak, but I give him props for going down there and trying to set an example.

I would be down there myself if it werent for the fact that my house is on the market and I am trying to sell it by-owner..

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by Brundlefly
I blame this whole catastrophe on the French who had the brilliant idea in 1718 to build an entire city 10' below sea level.

IIRC, the historic French core was not really the most affected are and is actually above sea level. They especially chose the site beacuase it was a slight high-ground compared to the rest of the area, so it's Americans who messed this up.

[Wernazuma III]

Wow, I was way too late.

[Drake Tungsten]

I think I read somewhere that his father used to be a Black Panther.

Yes. His mother was a college English professor.

[C0ckney]

the dark side of black people

LET ME START by saying that if I had my life to live over a thousand times, the one thing I would not change would be my race. I am proud to be a black man. There are times however, when I wish that certain people and I did not share that trait.

For the past few days, the whole world ... well, at least those who have access to satellite and cable television, have been seeing pictures of the virtually total devastation of the cities of the U.S. Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina. An estimated 90 per cent of homes in New Orleans have been destroyed by flood waters and more than 100 people have been confirmed dead.

We see people standing on the roofs of their submerged homes desperate to be rescued, others being airlifted to safety, and we have heard tear-jerking stories of families losing their loved ones. But in all of this, we have also seen the really dark side of black people.

The day after the hurricane passed, there were reports of looting but network reporters had been saying that people were looting out of desperation, in search of food and water. A lot they knew.

The pictures I have been seeing are of people - black people - stealing shoes, diapers, and television sets. Not food and definitely not water. Not unless the armfuls of clothing, shoes, and appliances I see people wading through the streets with count as food and water.

Now, if all the looters were looting out of desperation, how desperate were the guy and girls I saw toting several boxes of size 13 Nikes? How desperate was the fellow with the stack of diapers? What, is it that he has several babies at home suffering from loose bowels? What am I talking about, what home? Everything is under water and what isn't, has been totally destroyed.

Plasma TV?

And just what are those guys stealing the plasma television sets going to be watching when there is no power in the entire city?

Desperation? Yeah, right. I am beginning to believe that black people, no matter where in the world they are, are cursed with a genetic predisposition to steal, murder, and create mayhem.

The entire firearm department at a Wal-Mart department store, for example, was cleaned out and the looters used the stolen weapons to rob people. How low is that? Everybody is suffering and the black people would seek to rob people who are suffering just like themselves.

No white looters?

And it has nothing to do with poverty. Where are the white people in all this? I am sure there are poor white people living in New Orleans, Biloxi and the other towns affected by what has been going on. Is it that the media are not showing pictures of them looting and robbing? Or is it that they are too busy trying to stay alive, waiting to be rescued, and hiding from the blacks.

And you know what? Even if the poor whites were looting and robbing, wouldn't it be nice if the blacks could have made them the only ones doing it

Just once, I would like for us blacks to take the high road in situations like this, where instead of showing our darkest side, we put our best foot forward. But I guess that would be too much to ask, too much of a case of wishful thinking.

submitted without comment.