Black People Loot, White People Borrow

Yesterday I briefly heard about the biased photo-captioning by the AFP of "looters" in New Orleans. I found the story at Salon via el serracho:

One of the images, shot by photographer Dave Martin for the Associated Press, shows a young black man wading through chest-deep waters after "looting" a grocery store, according to the caption. The young man appears to have a case of Pepsi under one arm and a full garbage bag in tow. In the other, similar shot, taken by photographer Chris Graythen for AFP/Getty Images, a white man and a light-skinned woman [photo has been removed by AFP and Yahoo!] are shown wading through chest-deep water after "finding" goods including bread and soda, according to the caption, in a local grocery store.

Salon has the original images here. I wasn't aware that Winston Smith worked for the AFP. He even released a statement explaining his actions.

Here is what I can surmise thus far about the chaos in New Orleans:

1. Black people loot while white people borrow and/or fill shopping bags.
2. Looting is bad and will be punished to the utmost extent of the law.
3. The cops might shoot black looters but will give warnings to white borrowers.
4. Iraqi looting was acceptable because they were experiencing freedom for the first time. Rumsfeld knew that the looters needed food and clothing to survive amidst the chaos of the war.
5. New Orleans looting is bad because the looters are simply creating more chaos amidst the tragedy around them.
6. Bush will arrive in New Orleans in about a week. He will come equipped with a bullhorn and will use the event to reap political capital. In two years he will declare "Mission Accomplished" on a ship in the Mississippi Delta once New Orleans has been rebuilt by Halliburton and Bechtel.

hurricane katrina politics

Comments

[gary]

Oh God...How I wish this weren't so close to the truth.

How can such a proud nation have so much to be ashamed of?

[el s]

snopes is on the case here

though the explanation kind of 'poo poos' the possibility of institutional racism.

[HelenWheels]

Racism and disregard for the U.S. poor has never been so blatantly displayed by our government.

If dumbya has the nerve to get on top of anything with a bullhorn, I certainly hope someone has the good taste to knock him right off it.