For all my friends who don't think it exists anymore, I beg to differ. Recent events have torn back the veil to say this it still does exist, and that it cannot be swept under the rug, and you can't pretend that it doesn't exist because you don't see it in the community in which you live in.
I could take the cheap tack that, anyone who lives in a state that is over 98% white, doesn't know a bit about racism or multiethnicity. Being culturally sensitive means more than apreciating ethnic food. A world without racism, is not a lilly white suburb in the mountains, with a temple on a hill, and people in white robes, being happily married for eternity.
Yes, there have been great strides made towards making people more sensitive to issues of race. Realators won't steer you to particular neighborhoods, based on how you look. But alas, racism still exists, although it's far more subtle and nefarious. The issue at hand is why there is such a disparity in results the way this country looks with regards to race and poverty.
Recently, some of the more colorful Africian-American Politicians and entertainers, may have overstepped the boundries, and started the finger pointing a little early. I suppose it's only natural for us to blame the President.
Mistakes were made which exposed the inadequate planning for such a catastrophe. And a lot of mistakes were made. Ultimatley the buck does stop with him. He is the commander-in-chief, created this behemoth known as the department of homeland security, that doesn't know a thing about really protecting our homeland.
Our president didn't chose his cabinet based on race, but he certainly doesn't pick it based on talent either. Too much was based on cronism and loyalty. As the director of the agency suppsedly in charge inadequately demonstrated. Claiming that the reason why things got so out of hand was because they hadn't expected a calamity of such proportions.
The strength of a civil socity, isn't it's ability to plan for individuals or familes in the case of a disaster. Our leaders did a great job of telling people to evacuate.
Sure one can escape to the hillsides, and mountains, with their generators, deep water wells, and food stocks for a year, while the rest of society and civilization crumbles around them.
The stregnth of civil society lies in it's ability to help the poor and the neediest. While the rest of the city fled, what was left was the poor, the weak, the sick, and the infirm.
That's where things broke down. We became animals, struggling to survive. The images of looters and those finding food. The sqaild conditions which remained. the disaster exposed the inability of our leaders to maintain CIVIL society. And reinforced that we are still a nation divided just as much by race, as well as an economic divide based on means.
Sadly, so it's happened. Tragedies all. A terrorist strike in New York, a Hurricane which crippled New Orlenes, what next? It's been said that the next major catastrophe is going to happen in Los Angeles. An earthquake, which strikes without warning, or worse.
God save us.
LAX is the #1 terrorist target in the United States, and it's a complete mess.
Who's in charge? Certainly not the department of homeland security, even though the INS and the TSA are under them, not to mention the customs department. Neither of which, has the authority to do police work.
Thus it's under the jurisdiction of four different police departments, the LAPD, the CHP, the LA county Sherrif, and of course the airport has it's own police department as well. So what happens when we go to a code magenta, pink, orange, or whatever color they're using at the moment. They call in National Guard troops. And who's in charge of all those police officer. Oh great... how many different organizations are responsible there.
So when I fly into LAX, alas I still do have to, I won't ask people to pick me up, and drive around the mess that goes around the terminals. Take the flyaway bus, or the shuttle to the hotel.