Reading Response: Week #9-Richard Bernstein, Page 986

Question 2:
Reading this article it came across that the Europeans did not have a very high regard for America at the time of Hurricane Katrina. They seemed to have certain distaste for America and it’s people in light of this catastrophe. What they saw on the news disturbed them and many thought it impossible for a rich, huge country such as America to have such poverty. And in their eyes the inequality they saw towards African American’s was very disturbing. Add to that the thoughts of the BBC reporter who said “the arrogance, in his view, that the mostly white police displayed towards mostly black residents represented the “dark underbelly of life in this country.” The richest, most powerful nation came across as totally unfair, biased, prejudiced and showed behavior totally unseen or matched in any other natural disaster in other countries. The images of the looting and shootings upset the Europeans immensely. They were upset by the “anarchy” they saw in New Orleans, the obvious poverty and inequality in the South, the total lack of respect from the law officials, and the total lack of preparedness by the country. They saw a lack of political authority. One definition of solidarity is “An entire union or consolidation of interests and responsibilities; fellowship; community.” In their view we Americans did not show solidarity. What they saw was a huge difference between those who have and those who have not. What they saw was each man for himself. Whatever it took to survive. It would be interesting to hear what they thought after the relief efforts took over and this country did come and help those in need.