October 28, 2007The numbers are in........and they don't look good for Richmond mayor Doug Wilder. I wrote a column last week about the political antics of the former governor. From our perch here in Southwest Virginia, we look at Wilder, chuckle and say, "Same ol' Doug." But patience is growing thin among the voters who have to contend with Hizzoner every day. A report in Sunday's Richmond Times-Dispatch said that only 35 percent of Richmond residents polled last week would re-elect Wilder. That's quite a drop considering that the man swept into office three years ago with nearly 80 percent of the vote. What's the saying? Be careful what you wish for.
Why, he wanted to know in an e-mail on Wednesday, were the Californians forced from their homes by furious flames “evacuees”? He reminded me how the Katrina victims had been “refugees,” a tag usually thrust upon foreigners forced from their homeland. In other words, the Katrina victims had been foreigners in their own country. Then Friday evening, my friend Dale called from Louisiana, agitated by the glaringly unequal responses to the two disasters. He noted how relief was bountiful and speedy in San Diego, but Katrina victims were trapped in filth and without food for nearly a week in the Superdome and died in wheelchairs, before help came to them. It took the president a while to get to New Orleans, but he lost no time in getting to California The timely response by all parties --- local, state and federal --- to the wildfire victims is commendable and maybe indicative that California is better equipped to deal with natural disaster than Louisiana. Still, the continuing tragedy is that the same urgency wasn't shown two years ago after Hurricane Katrina. |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
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Comments
[October 29, 2007 3:31 PM]
Captain ObviousWell... The California fires disrupted something like 40 times fewer people (3% of those displaced with Katrina) and the damage from Katrina was everywhere... not just several hundred homes destroyed. These two events are not of the same scale.. though one would think they are from the media reponse (Thanks for contributing.)
[October 30, 2007 2:17 PM]
MtnManIf You READ the Blog Thoroughly, It Doesn't Address "Magnitude." This is an issue based upon the media's tendency to use different terminology (for the same situations) in referring to different races and classes and the government's response, or lack-of when it comes to different "types" of Americans.
[October 31, 2007 8:17 AM]
Ed S.I think scale does play a role. I generally saw the "evacuee" term when reporters were talking about people leaving their homes. I remember the "refugee" term when shots of the Superdome were being shown. In those instances, I would say the uses are pretty good..people being "evacuated" vs people in "refuge".
Regarding Hizzoner...I hope the people of Richmond are smarter than the people of Washington D.C. (Marion Barry).
[November 1, 2007 12:54 AM]
MtnManEd S. How do the images of the "EVACUEES" in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego differ from the images of the so-called "REFUGEES" in the New Orleans Superdome? If Someone is RUNNING from a wildfire, in essence.....THEY ARE SEEKING REFUGE!!! You keep using "scale" as a justification, but what seperates a flood from a wildfire as natural disasters that affect one's habitation?As far as "corrupt" politicians go.....Let's Not Start That?!!!