Not So Colorblind Katrina: Race as a Subtext to Poverty

Much hoopla has been made over the role race played in America’s response to Katrina. There have been accusations leveled by many black leaders and others in the liberal community that race played a factor in the nation’s neglect. However, as evidence that poor whites in Louisiana faired no better than poor blacks has come to light, the arguments made in William Julius Wilson’s The Declining Significance of Race, that class has supplanted race, seem to ring most true. While some have held on to the notion that race still played a major role in the poor service given to some and not to others, many have retreated from this stand and the mainstream media (save a few) have been sharp to reframe the issue as one of class.

Yet, it seems to me still that race played an important role that cannot be overlooked. First, one cannot talk about class in this country without talking about race. The two have always been inextricably linked. From the antebellum days until the Civil Rights Movement, blacks were proscribed to the lower rungs of opportunity through coercion, terror, adjudication, legislation, social structures, etc. Indeed, between 1865 and 1954 (especially in the Nadir) it was common that when blacks, small in number though they were, started to achieve modest and more than modest business success, which many times brought them in direct economic competition with whites, the response by whites was to riot, destroy, and many time lynch under the false guise of protecting the ever-sacred white womanhood. The Tulsa race riot of 1921 is perhaps the most destructive example of this practice.

With the Civil Rights Movement came economic mobility for some in the community, yet most still suffered in the same conditions as before. The gains of the Civil Rights era were by and large middleclass gains. Affirmative Action was expanded broadly by the Nixon Administration in an effort to drive a wedge either between some combination of middleclass blacks, the rest of the community and the Democratic Party, or between whites and the Democratic Party. Today’s political alignments prove this to be a rather prescient political strategy. The Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Acts were important but did little to change the economic conditions that plagued blacks in this country. For these reasons, Martin Luther King at the time of his assassination was attempting to address the issues of poverty and economic mobility. This too was one of the primary concerns of the Black Panther Party, an organization that like King was the subject of relentless harassment and abuse of power at the hands of the Justice Department's COINTELPRO.

As nothing was ever done to address the initial poverty that blacks experience worse than any other group in this country, save perhaps the indigenous populations, present-day conditions look little different from conditions in 1954 where blacks continue to be disproportionately poor, experience unemployment rates at higher than average levels, still have an overwhelming wealth deficit as compared to whites, live in the poorest, most social-capital deficient communities. Given all of this, it seems very difficult to separate class from race. The Oprahs, Jay-Zs, Stan O'Neils, and Bob Johnsons are the exceptions rather than the rules.

But there is another way in which race factored into this equation. While it is true that poor whites and poor blacks received similarly poor relief during and in the aftermath of Katrina, a question of why still remains. And race here comes into play. Black has become the color of poverty, creating a façade that blacks constitute the only or even majority impoverished in the nation. When exposes or articles or documentaries of poverty are relayed, blacks are disproportionately represented in pictures, video and print. Studies have shown that in the late sixties and increasingly in the seventies, blacks began to be disproportionately represented in images for stories related to welfare. These same studies have shown an inverse relationship between the perception of blacks as the recipients of welfare and America’s support of it. And by the eighties, Ronald Reagan, an old-time conservative ala Strom Thurmond, was decrying “welfare queens,” an ugly implicit reference to black women, thereby placing the responsibility of welfare on the backs of blacks, rather than on those of the majority of its stakeholders, whites. This did two things. First, it singled out the unsympathetic poor blacks as welfare’s face, and second, it then capitalized on the historic stereotype of African-Americans as lazy (insert: shiftless), sex-craven people to portray welfare recipients as loose mothers who functioned as baby factories and refused to get jobs.

This all goes to show that to the extent that America views poverty as black, the country looses sympathy for poverty as a public cause. So while poor whites and blacks are equally affected by the nation’s neglect of the poor, it is the combined effect of racist attitudes towards blacks and poverty painted as black that has led to a generally reduced commitment to America’s poor of all colors.

These lessons about America’s subtextual racial tensions playing themselves out in very meaningful yet harmful ways in the lives of both blacks and whites have broader applicability in our society. If we think about the way in which blacks were portrayed as predatory dealers and violence-craven addicts for years, and how our policies toward users reacted to theses images, it was a less-than-honest look at the problem of drugs in our society, and did a disservice to all members of it. What this all goes to say is that the lesson the country never seems to learn continues to ring true year after year. Blinders of bigotry obfuscate fiction from fact, dream from reality, illogic from logic and will have consequences that will look color-blind to the untrained eye but will never be able to completely separate themselves from the cold fact that their roots lie American racism.

When Will Rome Get a Clue?

The Catholic Church's forthcoming review of 229 Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States, handed down from the Vatican, for "evidence of homosexuality" is as ridiculous as it is short-sighted. The main driving force behind this latest inquisition is the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Church's very foundation over the past few years in the states. By seemingly equating pedophilia with homosexuality, the Church has (at least in its mind) found a scapegoat upon which to heap blame and revealed its enormous ignorance on the issue of sexual abuse raising further questions (as if it were possible) as to its overall ability to handle the issue internally. If the Church were to expel every last homosexual priest they would still not eradicate the sex abuse problems.

In addition to the sex abuse issue, the Church as a fundamental stance that gay priests live in direct violation of divine law. It is important to pick apart this logic because it has major flaws. The first fundamental question the Church must wrestle with is whether or not homosexuality is a choice. If it is not a choice, then it is something one is born with much like brown hair or blue eyes. How then can it be sinful to be born a certain way? How can the Church believe that in a Calvinist fashion a person by definition is sinning from that day he/she is born by virtue of the fact that he/she was born with a particular trait. This predeterminism runs contrary to a belief in reconciliation. If, however, the Church believes that being gay is a choice, then one can only be gay in the doing of that act. Homosexuality in this case becomes a performance. Thus, celibate priests cannot then by definition be gay because they do not perform the acts that would define them as such.

Homosexuals in the Church is something that the Vatican and Catholics worldwide are going to need to examine with stronger logic and reason than they are currently employing. However, if the Church believes, mistakenly, that somehow homosexuality is the locus of pedophilia, a much more important issue, it will fail to substantially deal with the abuses that have gone on within it. Abuse of children is disgusting, perhaps the most reprehensible act to the sensibilities. It is even more distasteful and destructive when the perpetrators are stewards of faith because the effect is to cripple a child's trust not only in people but also in faith. Some real intelligence and not merely group-dogmatic-think must be brought to bear to make sure the Church continues to have relevance in the 21st Century. It is crucial because the lessons, the passion, the spirit, and righteousness it provides in peoples lives will not lose their importance. Introspection, though, growth and re-orientation are just as important to institutions as they are to personal growth.

A Decent Summer for Movies

Labor Day has come and gone, kids are headed back to school, so it's time for this LA resident to accept that summer is over. Consequently, I should provide the bookend to the piece I wrote earlier previewing the summer movie season. Here are some of the highlights and not-so-high-lights...

March of the Penguins - Perhaps the surprise hit of the summer, this film is now the second highest grossing documentary of all-time. The film was a beautiful look at the mating and birthing saga of the Emperor Penguin, a process involving almost constant sojourn, courtship, love, and sacrifice. A fantastic movie for the family, a fantastic movie for a date - Penguins showed that the process of creating and sustaining new life requires commitment, perseverance and resolve.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - The movie was the highest grossing film of the summer. Lucas rebounded from the lackluster previous two episodes to make a Star Wars movie that was worth of the name. Read my review for further commentary.

Batman Begins - This film could have easily been called Batman Returns, the title of the second of the recent Batman films (directed by Tim Burton) because after the previous two, which were crap, the latest from Nolan proved to be a worthy addition, darker than the others and more introspective. The stellar line-up of cast members did not disappoint, though the Katie and Tom show got a little out of hand (okay, a lot out of hand).

Hustle and Flow - Like Melvin van Peebles before him, John Singleton took a tremendous risk by committing the cardinal sin of investing his own money to make a movie, but he was rewarded with a very good film and a very decent return on his investment. Terrence Howard followed up Crash with a powerful, and affecting performance that may earn him an Oscar nod.

Crash - One of the most beautiful films of the summer, Talyor Hackford's film wove an intricate story of a diverse group of people living in Los Angeles struggling with alienation as their stories crashed into one another. The writing was wonderful, the direction strong, the score a beautiful complement, and the acting solid. Struggle, ugliness, brutality, heroism, intimacy, downfall, and redemption are all the subject matter.

Wedding Crashers - This was probably the second funniest film of the summer with consistently hilarious moments for the first two-thirds. Vince Vaughn was at his best with the timing and delivery of his lines and Isla Fisher was easily his comedic match.

The Aristocrats - Not for those who are easily or even not-so-easily offended, this documentary is the funniest thing I have seen in the past year. People who find this movie funny probably need some psychological help and don't worry, I'm shopping around online for shrinks as we speak. However, the concept of comedy being a release for those things in life that we are uneasy about and make us uncomfortable is perhaps exhibited better no where else than in this film.

2046 - Kar Wai Wong made a beautiful film visually speaking. From a subject matter standpoint, this movie took a great look at the nature of love, relationships, and how we run to and from them. Unlike Closer which examines some similar themes, 2046 has an ambiguous conclusion as to whether what the main characters quest for can be attained. Therefore, the cynics can conclude no, and the hopeless romantics can imagine their happy endings.

And for the biggest flop of the summer, the moviee that stunk in an oh so extra special way...

The Island - Michael Bay can be a great action director, but this was nothing more than 136 minutes of the director getting off while the audience could do nothing but bear witness to a script that looks as though it was part of some eighth grade summer camp final project. Lesson - big budget + two budding stars with no track record or drawing box office crowds + director who is as consistent as Bush administration reasons for going into Iraq ≠ good movie or successful film.

The film that best lived up to the hype...

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - This action movie was more than decent with some genuinely funny moments. What made this movie even more fun though, was that everyone wanted to see what the on-screen chemistry would be like between Angelina and Brad. Conclusion: to anyone with eyes, the attraction between the two was so painfully obvious. Had there been no rumors of an affair between them before the movie came out, once it did, they would have immediately surfaced and there would be the same results for Jennifer and Brad's marriage (though I have it from some different sources that Angelina played a smaller roll in the breakup than tabloids speculate).

So summer is over and now we can all look forward to the crap that will be rolled out continuously until Thanksgiving. Word to the wise, read reviews because the hit-to-miss ratio is about to go down substantially, see some indies and use and abuse the three-movies-at-a-time privileges on Netflix.

Unlocking the Full Potential of the Military's Transformative Power

It has been well covered by various media outlets from radio to television to print to film that those men and women who make up the ranks of today's United States military disproportionately come from among the working class and working poor. However, one of my closest friends from childhood is atypical in this regard. He comes from an upper-middleclass, prep-school background. He enlisted in the summer of 2002 just before the Bush administration began to hype-up allegations that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He had no misgivings when he enlisted. Regardless of administration claims, he felt that Hussein was a brutal dictator who needed to be dealt with.

The change in my friend could be seen almost immediately. He went from being an intelligent kid searching for direction in life, to someone who now feels fulfilled in the work that he is doing, truly applying himself to life. Like many before him, he has genuinely been transformed by service in the military. It is still a profession where people can find purpose and direction in and leave with tremendous skills to re-enter civilian life.

But as I said, my friend is somewhat atypical. Growing up as a child of privilege, the Army was not the only option among an abundance of bad ones. He was in college when he enlisted. His options would be wide open once he graduated. With this as his situation, he chose the Army, and it has served him tremendously. There is no doubt that for most men and women who join the armed services tremendous opportunity and experience will be granted them. Yet for too many today, the military represents the only option that will bring a positive return. What this means is that there has been no real competition for these soldiers. The military has not won out in a truly competitive environment. As a result, without questioning the commitment of those who join and fight in the armed forces, it is the case that they have not made choices in the way that my good friend did.

I truly believe in our United States military. Its ranks are filled by the bravest and most self-sacrificing men and women in our country. What I also believe is that we owe Americans choices. That is one of the supposed blessings of liberty, a free society, capitalism. The working class and working poor deserve the education that will allow them to have options when they consider joining the military. It is important for our competitive future, but it will also more fully unlock the tremendous transformative power of service in uniform.