Kanye West Comment

[blk_reign]

why post on an "internet board" or contribute to a discussion on an "internet board" when you don't want to voice your opinions and views? you took a hiatus for a few months..what's the point in coming back if it's just an "internet board" and you feel no need to share your views and opinions?

it's hard to take people seriously when they never have anything to say.. contrary to the fact that this is an internet board.. these are very real people that you're responding to mivida...

As this is an "internet board" I have kept my opinions and views to myself. No stance has been taken either way.  Though my thesis is going to be really good. 

[ctlaw77]

I give Kanye much respect for his honesty. I beleive he said what was on the minds of many...they just did not have enough nerve to come forward.

Ms.
ctlaw77

[j.rosh]

I agree.  He should've expressed his opinions at his own outlet instead of using a relief concert intended to help victims and bring the nation together.

it isn't about right or wrong..truths or untruths...it's about using basic common sense.. if I'm working for a benefit to help my people get out of New Orleans..the last thing that I am going to do is say something devisive to an audience that doesn't have to do a thing for black people... the people with the money power and respect are white and we are the minority...

meanwhile we have 15 yr old kids looking up to Kanye..like yeah man that was revolutionary when at the end of the day all he did was make an ass of himself.. you better believe that his PR people gave him a word or two after the benefit concert...

there's a time and a place for everything and at the end of the day Kanye's words didn't sway anyone to want to do more... for Celine to get her point across on a show like Larry King is justifiable but even Larry was trying to shut her down....asking her if she had a song to sing and was pressed about her $1,000,000 donation...she did a double take.. I thought she was ready to take off those earrings and let Larry know the deal

but in my honest opinion people would be more swayed by Celine's plea than Kanye's because she didn't say what she did to piss people off...

[angmill08]

I think the ideal thing would have been if Kanye had told NBC, "Look, I really want to help with the telethon, but I have strong feelings about the politics that have added to this disaster and I'm not going to be able to stand up and mouth platitudes about helping others without also expressing some of my frustration about the lack of help provided by our own government. So I'd love to be part of the telethon, but I don't ask me to ignore Bush's role in this whole disaster." And then the Red Cross could have decided if they wanted to have him as a host or not and if they said no, he could give interviews about why he was turned down as a host and voice his opinions then.

But at the same time, I think what he said represents what a lot of people are feeling right now, and I agree with him and respect him for using his fame as an opportunity to tell it like it is, even though his pocketbook might suffer. Ideally, he would have been able to get his message out in just as effective of a way without even possibly compromising a dollar of relief donations. In reality, maybe that wasn't an option. I am glad he got the message out, though. People hurt by this particular event need $$ to recover and rebuild their lives. But we all need to look at the root causes of the problems or similar things will keep on happening. One approach without the other doesn't make sense to me.

[I hear America singing]

A few points:

I think the government could have moved faster- I don't think anyone denies that.

HOWEVER:

There is a mentality among many people that the government's job is to rescue people during times of disaster.  That might be their job, but only the true penniless and/or foolish take that piece of advice as anything other than a back-up plan.  If a burglar is breaking into my home, I'm not going to sit on my hands while the police arrive.  I'm grabbing the shotgun.

I feel for the people who truly couldn't leave the city, but I think the numbers who stayed behind would have been MUCH lower had the people known what was going to happen.  If Russia had announced that New Orleans would be hit by an atom bomb in 24 hours, I can assure you everyone that could would have gotten off their asses and walked out of the city with items on their back.  Should the government had bussed them out- sure- but I wouldn't be hanging around waiting to hear the engines.

Hell, I could have walked 30 miles in a day if I had to.  That would have been smarter than staying in a dome with 25,000 other people.

My wife and I have decided to put off having children until we can afford them.  I won't judge other people, but I feel that for me, it would be irresponsible to have children that I can't afford to evacuate.  If I lived on an alligator farm, I wouldn't have kids if I couldn't afford a shotgun (or some anti-gator spray).

This was about money, not race.  I assure you that the rich black lawyers and doctors got the hell out of town just as fast as the rich white people.  The fact that the majority of victims were poor and black leads to a discussion where the causes stem back decades upon decades...

Many of the people at the Superdome did a rough cost/benefit analysis, and decided to stay.  Leaving would have liquidated their entire life's savings, so they decided the benefit didn't outweigh the potential risk.  They were, sadly, wrong.  I'm sure if they had it to do over again they would have chosen to leave.

To summarize- if everyone who could have evacuated would have, the rescue effort would have been far easier.  I guarantee you that the next time a Cat 4 hurricane heads toward New Orleans, a lot more "poor" people will get the hell out of Dodge.

(Once again, I acknowledge that some of the people could not have realistically have left.  However, I think many of them who stayed behind could have done so- if they had been hellbent on leaving.)

[TrojanChispas]

it isn't about right or wrong..truths or untruths...it's about using basic common sense.. if I'm working for a benefit to help my people get out of New Orleans..the last thing that I am going to do is say something devisive to an audience that doesn't have to do a thing for black people... the people with the money power and respect are white and we are the minority...

meanwhile we have 15 yr old kids looking up to Kanye..like yeah man that was revolutionary when at the end of the day all he did was make an ass of himself.. you better believe that his PR people gave him a word or two after the benefit concert...

there's a time and a place for everything and at the end of the day Kanye's words didn't sway anyone to want to do more... for Celine to get her point across on a show like Larry King is justifiable but even Larry was trying to shut her down....asking her if she had a song to sing and was pressed about her $1,000,000 donation...she did a double take.. I thought she was ready to take off those earrings and let Larry know the deal

but in my honest opinion people would be more swayed by Celine's plea than Kanye's because she didn't say what she did to piss people off...

agreed

[ThePerfectSoldier]

your youth has gotten the best of you, what you and a few others don't understand is that Kanye's timing was off and inappropriate for the situation at hand.....ppl do not want to hear sh!t like that when they're about to open their pockets for a specific cause especially when it's for a group of ppl they may not care for and even hate....most of us here realize that racism is alive and strong right?? if so, I couldn't think of a more idiotic thing to say on national TV. during a time of anguish and tragedy especially when the majority of people needing help and aid are those who have been historically sh!tted on by the majority population....

furthermore, where was Kanye during the election with this comment and emotions?? I think the man is a great music artist/producer/writer, but his lack of composure and tact displayed that he needs stick with music

My youth has nothing to do with this, and it's beyond annoying that you bring it up in every other post regarding me.  If I'm right I'm right, if I'm wrong I'm wrong.  Other people who are less 'youthful' shall we say have had the same opinion, so the only issue here should be whether or not my position is correct.    If anything, when we're talking about giving aid to people that the government has been slow to respond to is a GOOD time to bring up the slow response - people who will donate will donate no matter what he says, especially if your assessment of him as a person is popular(considering the people he was supposedly isolating, it would be).  At the least, that's a much better assumption than assuming that Republicans will be mad that their boy Bush was slighted by some MC and take that out on thousands of people.

[TrojanChispas]

To everyone:  Do you think that it would be possible to show that KW's action materially hurt donations?

Lawyers and law students:  Could the victims of Katrina file a tort against KW if they could show that his actions hurt donations?  IDK the answer that is why I am asking.

[lex19]

I'll listen to what you have say/offer when you gain some real world experience, which will not occur until you get a h.s. diploma, leave your parents' home and see what "reality" is all about, until then why don't you appreciate your adolescence and go play.

Oh, and learn the definition of respect, I know I said this before, but your actions/outbursts towards LP were uncalled for and immature, especially for someone of your intellect....and probably would have been avoided if you took the time to get to know the members of this board. Your haste in posting on the board and wanting to gain attention is yet another sign of your inexperience and immature nature....you're so quick to snap back that you didn't even notice the snub towards you from another poster....

And you are wrong

What's really nuts is that I can't believe I'm giving a 15 year old this much attn, sorry E, but I'm fed up

your youth has gotten the best of you, what you and a few others don't understand is that Kanye's timing was off and inappropriate for the situation at hand.....ppl do not want to hear sh!t like that when they're about to open their pockets for a specific cause especially when it's for a group of ppl they may not care for and even hate....most of us here realize that racism is alive and strong right?? if so, I couldn't think of a more idiotic thing to say on national TV. during a time of anguish and tragedy especially when the majority of people needing help and aid are those who have been historically sh!tted on by the majority population....

furthermore, where was Kanye during the election with this comment and emotions?? I think the man is a great music artist/producer/writer, but his lack of composure and tact displayed that he needs stick with music

My youth has nothing to do with this, and it's beyond annoying that you bring it up in every other post regarding me.  If I'm right I'm right, if I'm wrong I'm wrong.  Other people who are less 'youthful' shall we say have had the same opinion, so the only issue here should be whether or not my position is correct.    If anything, when we're talking about giving aid to people that the government has been slow to respond to is a GOOD time to bring up the slow response - people who will donate will donate no matter what he says, especially if your assessment of him as a person is popular(considering the people he was supposedly isolating, it would be).  At the least, that's a much better assumption than assuming that Republicans will be mad that their boy Bush was slighted by some MC and take that out on thousands of people.

[lex19]

why not create a poll, and see...i think that's the closest thing?

To everyone:  Do you think that it would be possible to show that KW's action materially hurt donations?

Lawyers and law students:  Could the victims of Katrina file a tort against KW if they could show that his actions hurt donations?  IDK the answer that is why I am asking.