Dear Editor,
In his September 8th column, "Bush hates black people?" Mike Inganamortÿpainted the angry reactions of African American figures like Rev. Al Sharptonÿ and Kayne West to Hurricane Katrina as "foolish assertions."ÿ
The unbelievable devastation to lives and property wrought by the hurricaneÿitself would soon serve as a mere background to the unfolding story of theÿpoor, mostly African American city dwellers who wanted government help, butÿ instead languished for days in sweltering summer heat without shelter,ÿmedicine, food or water.ÿ
As the full extent of this human suffering in New Orleans became the lead newsÿstory around the world, many Americans perceived this tragic scenario as bothÿavoidable and unnecessary.ÿ Some prominent Black leaders have assessed thatÿthis dire situation was aggravated by institutionalized racism, where prejudice isÿintentionally built into the structure and function of government.
The vivid despair and agony of the many poor that spilled across worldwideÿtelevision screens could not spare us from the truth that issues of class andÿcolor have yet to be resolved in America. Despite many long and hard strugglesÿover the years to stop fortified acts of institutionalized racism like voterÿdisenfranchisement and segregation, the disparities in New Orleans that playedÿout before us alarmed many of us.ÿ
After the shameful government denials and public demands for insight intoÿwhat went wrong have faded away, Americans will still be dealing with the uglyÿtruth that the four-hundred year American legacy of preserving aÿcompartmentalized society based upon color and class has been staring us inÿthe face all of this time. But it was the truth that some of us didn't want to see.
It was as if the floodwaters from the broken levees tore away a sociallyÿconstructed curtain that had shielded us from the gritty realities of poverty andÿinequality in America. In the wake of the hurricane came another storm.
Indeed, many Americans see that there was something greater at work here thanÿsimple bureaucratic hindrances.ÿ Citizens have deluged public officials andÿairwaves with concerns about the suspiciously bungled government response toÿthe New Orleans' stranded.ÿ
How could it not then be a most timely moment for prominent black leaders toÿpoint out the ugly truth, and remind all of us that systemic disparities are stillÿwith our country for as long as we will tolerate them.ÿ
In his column, Inganamort dismisses the ugly truth as "declarations of knee-jerk racism" made by "instigators like Sharpton" that are nothing more thanÿ"left-wing talking points."
Try as Inganamort might to label this national dialogue as "the next mediaÿfirestorm the left has hijacked as its own," and a partisan battle designed as aÿ"theater in the left's constant assault on President Bush," Inganamort ultimatelyÿfails to address the most pressing question before us: what caused theÿneedless suffering of New Orleans survivors to happen in the first place?ÿ
Many Americans have demonstrated through their grief and generosity that theÿcommon good is possible if we all strive for it. Let's never take our eyes off theÿugly truth, and become part of the solution.
During a church service at All Souls Church here in Washington, the UnitarianÿUniversalist minister Rev. Robert Hardies asked why this country doesn't utilizeÿthis coming Friday's national day of prayer and remembrance for hurricane victims as a "day of repentance ... when all of us get down on our knees and askÿfor forgiveness?"
Grant Wilder Smith Senior, SPA
Dear Editor,
There is a specter haunting American University: the specter of the Republican Youth Majority. The Republican Youth Majority is new organization growing on the national level that seeks to create a more inclusive Republican Party. It touts social tolerance, women's reproductive rights, environmentally friendly policies, fiscal responsibility, and the preservation of social security. Are you a member of this organization? If so, I have a secret to tell you. I will say it quietly to protect you from embarrassment: You are a Democrat.
Citizens generally chose to identify themselves with a political party that shares similar stances on issues in the American policy-making process. Let us go through the aforementioned tenets of the Republican Youth Majority, starting with social tolerance.
Whether it is staunch opposition to marriage rights for homosexuals or unending praise for the recently late Judge Rehnquist (who opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965), I cannot think of any grounds categorizing the Republican Party as socially tolerant. In regards to supporting reproductive rights, this statement will be true the day President Bush stops pushing his "culture of life," the Republican Party stops actively recruiting pro-life Christian conservative voters, and pigs fly. If you are looking for environmentally friendly policies and fiscal responsibility, look away from the Republican Party. As leaders in the Democratic Party stress the need for independence from Middle Eastern oil and for a Manhattan Project-sized effort to boost job creation and solve the energy crisis, the Republican Party's leaders refuse to step up the plate and conquer this great challenge. In addition, the Republican Party has abandoned its tenet of fiscal conservatism by cutting taxes for the wealthy during wartime and converting our largest surplus in history into our largest deficit.
If you agree with the tenets of the Republican Youth Majority and consider yourself a Republican, you are in the midst of the worst of identity crises. You are selecting a party by a mere name (and what's in a name?), not by selecting a platform that reflects your most important beliefs. Come over to the Democratic side of the aisle, where party leaders will share these moderate opinions you hold. Make the Democratic Party yours, and proudly so. I promise that we're friendly.
Ashley L. Mushnick President, College Democrats B.A. Candidate, Political Science & Philosophy, American University
