Talking about Hurricane Katrina is a touchy subject no matter who you are. Whether we want to admit it, things went on there that we wish we could have changed. People were not treated like Americans, society showed its true colors, and the media completely dropped the ball and set us back about 15 years in race relations.
What I thought was interesting is the thought of modern racism in relation to Katrina. How was it used? Who used it? Why is it so prevelent still in the media? Can it ever be completely stopped?
First, the term refugee. Wow, what a rediculous term to use now that I think of it. How can people of their own country be refugees? It's not possible! However, when I first heard this word I thought nothing of it. It sounded ok to me. But it is such a derogatory term. The media threw this term around without even considering the negative connotations it brought with it.
I was looking at videos of Hurricane Katrina, because I honestly had forgotten how bad it was, and I needed to be reminded. I came across this slideshow. I watched it, thinking I could handle it. I almost had to stop it. A warning: There is mature content in this slideshow.
So after that, I got to work looking at modern racism. People don't shout in the streets derogatory terms that much anymore. However, they continue racism by not allowing other races buy houses in certain neighborhoods. They do it by paying other races and women less money than whites.
People even do it subconsciously by acting different around certain racial groups of people than they do with others.
This link is to a video I watched about modern racism. I don't understand why they used a video game in the beginning of the video, but I believe the message the video presents is relevant and very important.
The problem is, if we don't know we are perpetuating the notion of modern racism, how can we stop it?
Many of my friends do it and don't even realize it. Hell, I might even do it and not realize it! How do we stop?!
In my mind, we must start from the top and work down. First, change the way the media portrays minorities in the U.S. Try to alter public opinion and change long-standing views and stereotypes.
If we can start somewhere, we can go anywhere.
Kudos, for going back and for making a connection with a different ideology. Really good effort.
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