New York Times demeans relief workers and the fact they're white.

More racial division and insanity from the left wing press. It's an offensive swipe at relief worker for being white and being "too fortunate". I tell you people, this constant racial hate being incited by the media and now targeting, of all people, RELIEF WORKERS. We're on the wrong path.

www.nytimes.com...< br />

fter more than a week of self-sufficiency, George Ossy, an immigrant from Africa living amid the chaos of the Rockaways, with his 10-year-old daughter in tow, walked into the relief center down the street, one of several set up by the volunteers who had descended on the storm-battered peninsula in Queens.

Moments later, a white woman leaned down to address his daughter. “Have you eaten in two days?” she asked.

Mr. Ossy surged with outrage. Power was out, yes, and nights were cold for sure, but Mr. Ossy, a taxi driver proud of the long days he works to earn money for his family, was insulted by the suggestion that his daughter was not well cared for.

“I said: ‘What do you think? You think we live in the bush?’ ” He felt condescended to by the volunteers -- many of whom hail from upscale neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. He turned and left.

As volunteers with the makeshift relief efforts have applied their own rules on how to dole out relief -- telling people where to wait and enforcing limits on how many blankets or food items storm victims receive -- some have entered the more fraught area of applying their own values to those they are helping.

As she gave out diapers and cases of infant formula to storm victims, Bethany Yarrow, 41, a folk singer from Williamsburg who has been volunteering with other parents from the private school her children attend, said she was shocked by the many poor mothers in the Arverne section of the Rockaways who did not breast feed. The group, she said, was working on bringing in a lactation consultant.

“So that it’s not just ‘Here are some diapers and then go back to your misery,’ ” she said.

That sort of response has rankled Nicole Rivera, 47, who lives in a project in Arverne, where the ocean sand still swirls up the street with every passing vehicle. “It’s sad, sometimes it’s a little degrading,” she said as she stood in line in a parking lot waiting for free toiletries.

Ms. Rivera said that she was thankful for the help, but that its face -- mostly white, middle- and upper-class people -- made her bitter.

“The only time you recognize us is when there’s some disaster,” she said. “Since this happened, it’s: ‘Let’s help the black people. Let’s run to their rescue.’ ”

“Why wait for tragedy?” she added. “People suffer every day with this.”

A woman standing in front of her in line interjected. "To be honest, I pray to God I never see these people again,” the woman said. “The only reason these people would be out here again for us is if something like this happens again, or worse."

Just, wow... These people are there to help and all they get in return is racial bigotry and hate because they've chosen to work hard and give some of their spare time to help those in need. I swear, this country is utterly #ed if this is where we're going.

well maybe the relief worker asked the girl if she had eaten in the last two days because it would bump them into a special circumstances list and get rushed aid. You know maybe they ask that question of anyone who comes in with a child. Adults can go longer without food. Kids are special situations.

Maybe the guy is the one obsessed with race not the relief workers.

I'm with you on this one OP.

Where we are going? No, instead its where we have been all along.

For all of human history, in every civilization, no matter what geographic location or what time era.

Ignorance breeds animosity, always has been always will be.
The only viable solution is education, something our modern society has failed at miserably.

reply to post by PvtHudson


Your take on it seems odd to me. I have no love for the NYT, but I do know that people who've suffered a disaster don't like being judged by the people who are supposedly there to help them.

Actually I think that's the real problem on the left (well-to-do dilettantes). I think that itself is more emblematic of where we're getting off-track and why this country is going to hell....

reply to post by BASSPLYR


Of course they asked about two days in order to bump them to the front of the line, its common sense and its standard operating procedure for relief operations of this nature.

People are just looking for any reason to throw a tantrum. Nothing new though.

As you might have noticed with most crisis the people giving aid are generally white. Deal with it and shut up if it's racist yell at the black leaders if you can find one

reply to post by Ex_CT2


They have to judge you on various criteria in order to determine what type of help to provide.

Judged as starving? Get them food.
Judged as homeless? Help em find shelter.
Judged as bleeding? Get a doctor.

Etc. Cant fix something if you refuse to judge which component needs repair.

A real gap exists between the middle to rich class and the working poor.....the better off crowd have a certain condescending attitude that rankles.....they cant help it because they are snobs.
The whole damn humanity runs like that.....
Someday there will be a reckoning and those with the wealth will find it does them not one whit of good,
Perhaps then they will understand what kind of assholes they really are........theyd gag a maggot.................
They arent down there trying to help the people, they are there making brownie points for their own egos.
Vive la French revolution!

Originally posted by muzzleflash
reply to post by Ex_CT2

 

They have to judge you on various criteria in order to determine what type of help to provide.

Judged as starving? Get them food.
Judged as homeless? Help em find shelter.
Judged as bleeding? Get a doctor.

Etc. Cant fix something if you refuse to judge which component needs repair.

Judged as worthless parents because they don't have "lactation consultants"? Give me a break....

People want to blame education, but education isnt the problem, it is what is in education that is.

Minorities go to school and hear stories of whites "discovering" things, and go home and here from their families that this is in fact NOT true.

Kids go to the movies, and see white parents adopting young minorities, and their lives cannot get better until they come along to save them, even the movie the Last Samurai, had a white hero.

This type of scenario has been in almost all forms of entertainment, media, movies and music. There wasnt a huge outcry for people to try to get the Christopher Columbus story changed, even though we all know its false.

People cannot pick and choose when they decide that they should be seen in a certain light, the same way that minorities cannot do it.

Peace, NRE.

If this is true it is absolutely mind boggling. I dont get it. If I'm ever down and out with something like this. I hope to remember to be gracious and humble.

The news story was racist. Why did we have to know what color everyone was? As far as the
people needing help being rude you gotta give them a pass. After almost a month of dealing with your life being turned upside down I can't imagine anyone being cordial. Does any one know if the relief workers have any trauma training? I think they are great people for helping out but the relief workers must realize those people in NY are under a lot of pressure.

What do racists always help out people they hate?

This is ridiculous, why would a racist go risk themselves to feed and cloth their enemy?

The level of absurdity in the media these days never ceases to amaze me.

First off,
People who have to walk into a place to ask for blankets or diapers or a meal are not going to be in the best frame of mind. They probably are tired, frustrated and worried, maybe even embarrassed so they get a bit testy.
They need to be forgiven for not always being in the best mood.

The volunteers are there to help and they should be recognized for that. It doesn't matter if a white person or hispanic or black person is handing you a meal. A person is handing you a meal. A simple thank you or just a smile or just a nod is more than enough. Even avoiding getting angry about misunderstandings is sufficient.

The level of social polarization and racial/economic/class conditioning in the US today has everybody hating everybody. It's pretty sick.

I'd say in this case we could give everyone a pass except for the media.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


Being taught lies isnt education, its clearly miseducation.

So the root problem IS education, or the lack of it rather.

People are thinking dumb ideas. They need to be informed of smart ideas. Its really simple.

reply to post by muzzleflash


Correct and that is why both are to blame, but those that could make these changes havent. People that control the books, movie industry, and media are the ones that can do it, but they refuse.

That would have been the time for whites to stand up and say "Nope that didnt happen that way".

Peace, NRE.

If they don't want to deal with snooty white people, they'll probably just have to do without.

You rarely see snooty black people (or even non snooty ones) handing out help.

Originally posted by NoRegretsEver


Minorities go to school and hear stories of whites "discovering" things, and go home and here from their families that this is in fact NOT true.

Kids go to the movies, and see white parents adopting young minorities, and their lives cannot get better until they come along to save them, even the movie the Last Samurai, had a white hero.

No offense but you do realize this comment you made is complete overgeneralization charged with racial stereotyping?

I certainly dont believe in absolutes like that, because i know they are half truths at best, complete lies at worst.

How is the Last Samurai racist? You did read the wiki and plot right? Please explain how exactly.
Of course the film is partially inaccurate but allegations of racism?

Forgive me for coming to the hasty conclusion you are just making things up today, haha.

The New York Times reporter, Ms. Sarah Maslin Nir has brought a story of an encounter. Probably made errant by circumstance and disposition; from it she weaves a tale of racial divide. I would highly doubt she can find that to be a typical experience in this affair.

I reject this as a typical story.

But I will not reject to complacency, that people respond to this kind of journalism according to expectation... our younger citizens no longer expect truth here... so who would anyone be trying to 'divide'? I believe rather than divide, we should consider that it's intended to create stress....

If explored in this direction we may once again find an element of social engineering... it's on auto-pilot now.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
reply to post by PvtHudson

 

Your take on it seems odd to me. I have no love for the NYT, but I do know that people who've suffered a disaster don't like being judged by the people who are supposedly there to help them.

Actually I think that's the real problem on the left (well-to-do dilettantes). I think that itself is more emblematic of where we're getting off-track and why this country is going to hell....

edit on 11/19/2012 by Ex_CT2 because: (no reason given)

edit on 11/19/2012 by Ex_CT2 because: (no reason given)

Awesome, now show me one instance in the article where they were being judged?