TDRS:The Jumping Off The Bandwagon Edition

What up Fam? What up Folk? It’s great to back and writing these things more often and I have to give a shout out to Ms J Linthecome for expressing her disagreement with TDRS’s comments on Kanye West. I’m sure many of you share her comments and thoughts, so I thought I would just put them out there before I reply:

I haven't read too many of your emails lately because they are so long, but I have to say you are very wrong on the Kanye West comments. First of all, I think Kanye West is one arrogant son of a bitch, and I have never been a fan, but I have to give him respect for what he said. How often do you stand up for what you believe in at work? This man had a forum and made his opinion known. No, he doesn't speak for every black person, but he echoed what many of us have said all along. And who cares if the Congressional Black Caucas doesn't endorse him. The CBC has become a monkey show just like NAACP, a bunch of money-hungry crabs fighting over things that will only get them attention. Kanye doesn't need their support just like the RNC doesn't need the support of the KKK. And Masta P ain't nothing more than coon. He has done more to perpetuate the image of poverty and crime in New Orleans than Masta P. He is so irrelevant.

And what did Kanye have to lose? Pinkies (white people) are pissed. Before his comments, Kanye had been on the cover of Time Magazine and on the cusp of crossing over. I don't thinkthe plan will run as smooth now as his comments are re-played day after day. And you ask why didn't he make those comments at MTV Awards? Do you carry the burdens of black America on your sleeves everyday?

Bush might not care about the white people who voted for him, but he does a great job of pretending. He was on the ground hugging his constituents in the heavily Republicans areas of Mobile and Biloxi days before stepping foot in New Orleans. Do I think he's clueless? Yes! Completely out of touch. But how you watch TV and not see the racism? Over Labor Day weekend, I worked at an evacuee shelter. People were in shock that no one came to help them. And yes, they feel if was West Palm Beach, Naples, or the Carolina Coast, they would have gotten help faster.

So brotha, maybe you have spent a little too much time in Brazil and you need to snap back into reality…J Linthecomb

TDRS-Jumping off the Bandwagon
Okay, first of all thanks for the reply and comments. I appreciate them very much. I will say and hope that the Brazil comment is a joke because otherwise it sort of diluted your reply. I mean is there something about Brazil you don’t like? What did the Brazilians do or have to do with Katrina or Kanye? Don’t hate the playa hate the game! I mean maybe you are upset with the Rio Edition? And if so, I really do “sho” hate it.

Anyway, I’ll make sure to go off on that comment at another time and instead focus on the topic at hand and that is jumping on the bandwagon. I respect your opinion on Mr West, I just disagree with his statement and approach and that’s the bottom line. Yes, he had a forum but do you really think that was the appropriate time to say something so off the beat and track? It was a fundraising event. He was “begging”(strong word I know but its true) for money from U.S. citizens and that includes Bush supporters. If Kanye represents those black people in New Orleans and he gets on a national stage to tell people who actually voted Bush in office (remember there are more of them than us since Bush did win the popular vote) that their candidate doesn’t like black people, what’s their incentive to give? That’s my first problem with Mr. West. It’s okay to feel a certain way and also to voice one’s opinion, but there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion, that wasn’t the time or place. My father always said that beggars can’t be choosy, so Kanye and anyone on his bandwagon should truly pick their poison. This isn’t the time to pull the race card, especially if it isn’t necessarily warranted.

I am sorry but it is highly likely that the same thing would have occurred under anyone’s administration. At the end of the day, NO ONE was prepared and EVERYONE miscalculated the effects the storm would have on the levee system in the N.O. The levee saw no color. Yes, Wubba is the president of the U.S. but he didn’t crack a hole in the levee. At the end of the day, the city didn’t have the resources to get the poor (most of which were black) out of the city and to take care of them once they were safe. This is Problem #1. Heaven forbid the eye of the storm actually hitting the N.O. There would have easily been 10,000 dead, so let’s not forget that. Let’s begin with the unprepardness before going to point the finger and then exacerbating the situation by calling people racist or better yet saying that the reason people weren’t helped is because there was some conspiracy against black folk. New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen and it did. You’re right in that had this been Florida things would have been different…at least appeared different. The state of Florida has dealt with this for years and I’ll say the state is a tad bit more prepared than any state with respect to hurricanes. So is the city of New Orleans and state of Louisiana racist? I don’t think so. Unprepared, definitely! Check this excerpt from the September 10th edition of the Palm Beach Post:

“Florida emergency planners criticized and even rebuked their counterparts -- or what passes for emergency planners -- in those states for their handling of Hurricane Katrina. Gov. Jeb Bush, the head of Florida AHCA and the head of Florida wildlife (which is responsible for all search and rescue) all said they made offers of aid to Mississippi and Louisiana the day before Katrina hit but were rebuffed. After the storm, they said they've had to not only help provide people to those states but also have had to develop search and rescue plans for them. "They were completely unprepared -- as bad off as we were before Andrew," one Florida official said.

Heads have already rolled at FEMA and we don’t need to regergetate the fact the head of the organization was unqualified to handle such a disaster. If you’re going to be upset, but upset that FEMA and the government (local, state, and federal) dropped the ball. Don’t go and start pulling the race card, because again black people weren’t the only ones affected, nor the only ones involved in the decision-making. If you’re going to be uspet also be upset at a black N.O. state representative who used the National Guard and a helicopter to retrieve personal items from his home in the affluent Uptown district and this was during the storm when people were waiting to be helped. I know that’s nitpicky but you and Kanye should be prepared to defend the actions of our own people before pulling the race card.

That’s great that you worked at an evacuee center, but please tell me exactly where you saw the racism? I mean of course they are going to feel mistreated and I don’t blame them. However, you and the Kanye bandwagon should take a step back and really access the situation before making such strong comments. Furthermore, we should not forget about all those “other” people in the state of Mississippi and parts of Alabama who are just as distraught and displaced? The news media has focused on the N.O., but it wasn’t the only city that was impacted. There were some cities that were totally DESTROYED, not just flooded.

At the end of the day, it’s time to be smart and quit all the rhetoric about Bush this and Bush that b/c it has solved absolutely nothing. We did it four years ago and he still got re-elected. I really hate to bring Herm Edwards back into this, but we have to play to win the game and name-calling isn’t the way. Unfortunately we are going to go that route and we’ll see what happens. You and Kanye call me when you’re done calling names and finally want to put something together to solve a problem. If I am not at home, I’ll likely be in Rio enjoying retirement.

HollaAtYaBoy!