Informed Speculation

No doubt there is much to criticize about the response to Hurricane Katrina (there is also much to praise, including the response of ordinary Americans, who have once again stepped up to the plate in the biggest of ways). Problems clearly existed with the evacuation and response plans, and the blame goes from the Louisiana officials all the way to the top (yes, I think George Bush shoulders some of the blame, as well, as the man holding the office where ‘the buck stops’). The tragedy will reverberate for months.

Much to their credit, a group of celebrities and entertainers held a telethon Friday night called A Concert for Hurricane Relief. Mike Myers and Kanye West were paired together for one segment, and to the quite evident dismay of Mr. Myers, West departed from the script:

Mike Meyers reads off prompter … switches to black singer, Kanye West:

“I hate the way they portray us in the media.

“If you see a black family it says they are looting if you see a white family it says they are looking for food.

“And you know that it’s been 5 days because most of the people are black and even for me to complain … I would be a hypocrite because I would turn away from the TV because it’s too hard to watch. I’ve even been shopping before giving a donation and so right now I’m calling my business manager what is the biggest amount I can give.

“And just to imagine if I was down there, those are my people down there. So anybody out there who wants to help with the set up, the way that America is set up to help … The poor, the black people, the less well off as slow as possible. I mean, Red Cross is doing everything they can.

“We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war now fighting another way and they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us.”

(Mike Meyers tries to get back on prompter, reads from script and then camera cuts back to Kanye. He pauses…)

Kanye West: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” (video here)

To begin with, such sentiments are out of place at a fundraiser, and the reaction of Myers shows how embarrassing it was for him. The focus should not be on an individual, but on the victims, as this statement from NBC rightly notes:

Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him, and his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks.

“It would be most unfortunate,” the statement continued, “if the efforts of the artists who participated tonight and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person’s opinion.”

The larger point, though, is that the statement is either profoundly ignorant or intentionally inflammatory. Yes, the response was far too slow, and I suspect heads will roll before this is all done. To imply that race had anything to do with the response, however, would be the height of folly.

Time and time again, we see black (and some white) entertainers and politicians playing the race card for what is clearly a problem of poverty, not skin color. That the poor of New Orleans were predominantly black may signal a larger social problem, but it can hardly be blamed on the rescuers. Statements like that of Kanye West are counterproductive at a time when it is crucial that society work together for our fellow citizens in need. And for that, I can safely say, Kanye West is a true jackass, indeed…

UPDATE 09/04/05 8:59 a.m. central: Many thanks to Leon H at Red State and the great Arthur Chrenkoff for the links…