Television – "What breaks your heart is the film’s accumulated firsthand stories of New Orleans residents who lost everything in the flood after Hurricane Katrina, and the dismaying conclusion that a year after the disaster, the broken city has been largely abandoned to fend for itself."
Fabienne:
Yesterday one of our top stories was this post:
http://news.netscape.com/story/2006/08/21/abc-sanitizes-spike-lee/
It seems ABC may have toned down Lee's interview about the film for a prime time audience.
2006-08-22 06:41:14
Let it be known that Spike Lee is a card carrying Racial Bigot. He has blurted out in front of dozens of news reporters that he finds "white women to be disgusting and none of them are pretty". Do you think for one moment that this 'doc' will be unbiased by this Bigot. This 'doc' will be all about the poor black people of New Orleans and the injustice Washington did to them. Who failed the poor of New Orleans was the Major of New Orleans and Governor of Louisiana. Over 65% of the people of New Orleans were on Welfare and all that Federal money was loved by the Mayor. Did he offer schooling, or training or jobs to help these people get off welfare, NO! Spike Lee with his "closed-minded" philsophy about blacks, just as ALL blacks have, will have nothing new to say and certainly NOTHING new to offer the poor of that City. Spike Lee should stay in New York where he belongs.
What the is HBO thinking? Spike Lee is the most racist black man in show business. Katrina was a tragedy and If I remember right it was Mayor Nagin (a black man) who sent all those people to the stadium to die. Not to mention the voluntary evacuation 2 days before Katrina hit when at that point it should have been mandatory but hey the Mayor and Govenor can't work together and the Mayors family was safe and sound in Dallas, Tx while the hurricane hit. At least the President has the cohones to take responsibility for the gov't failure. Something the Mayor has yet to do.
Katrina was the worst natural disister in our history. The amount of aid contributed to its victims is also the greatest in our history. And the response from fellow citizens also the greatest in our history. What kind of lunacy posseses someone to try to blame a person, any person,for an act of nature...the mayor, the governor, or the president? The blame game is disgusting. Spike Lee has millions...how much did he send? How many displaced souls stayed at his house? How many sand bags did he throw? How many grieving mothers did he comfort? Where was Spike?
Our Dear Decider seems to think that there's a Constitutional provision requiring Americans to sponsor foreign gov'ts/states. Compare what we're spending in Iraq to what we're spending on American schools, healthcare and American infrastructure. One Nobel laureate economist has estimated the cost of Iraq will top $2 trillion.
But let's not be naive. We're not spending this for democratizing the Middle East. That bullcrap is for public consumption. We're simply setting up a client state that will do the bidding of Big Oil. In other words, this money spent is for corporate socialism: the taxpayers sponsoring the corporate interests.
Meanwhile, NOLA is a glowing example of where the despicable Dumbya dictatorship had its priorities. With full knowledge of the impending disaster they basically told those people to go to hell.
There are a thousand and one reasons why this junta should be impeached and criminally charged.
I don't understand why instead of attacking the ineptness that Hurricane Katrina revealed, people are attacking the messenger. It doesn't matter if Spike Lee or Ron Howard did the documentary if the truth behind the slow government response is revealed. The Canadians made it to LA before our government did. On Nightline, Michael Brown tells Ted Koppel "We just learned of the convention center -- we being the federal government -- today. That was on September 1. It was on television, newspapers etc.for five days. I guess he was just looking at DVDs. President Bush said that no one had any idea that the levees would break when a government report had already reported that if a hurricane with level force 4 winds occured that the leveees would break. If our government had such an inept response to a catastrophe they knew was coming, what would happen if a terrorist attacked without any advance warning?
I wonder if there will be any mention of where the original government money, allocated to improve the levees years ago, went. Or, why the people who lived in the impoverished areas have not come back to their homes and used their own sweat to clean up the mess... like the story of the 93 year old lady who did it herself. Why does the taxpayer have to do for those that don't want to do for themselves? I guarantee you that the people of China, that just experienced a major typhoon, are already diligently repairing their damage!
Well, well Mr. Twistoflex, it is so good to see you have it all figured out. Talking about impending disasters, where were the black leaders when the people of New Orleans should have been taught 75 years ago not to breed like dogs with no possible way of taking care of them selves or their offspring? Hell, if Jesse Jackson had been president during Katrina it would still been the white conservative's fault huh? Twistoflex, you and your ilk are full of crap!
I am downright offended by the comments you have said about the documentary. I was most offended by what Scorpiomeat said so I will respond to that. What's the problem with a director creating a documentary about "poor Black people?" I am sick and tired of America/Americans glossing over the fact that racism and injustice STILL exists. This documentary is shedding light on that reality and it's being criticized b/c it's true. I'm sure if it was on a "White" topic it wouldn't receive this much resistance. Don't jump to calling me a racist bigot like you did Spike-I just refuse to have you or anyone else disrespect my people. Can Black America have an opp. to display the truth w/o it being "there those Blacks go complaining again." As far as having nothing new to say, we will continue to repeat ourselves until people listen. I can't change ignorant people, but learn to value and RESPECT races outside your own, be open-minded, and try to empathize with other's struggles.
Spike only rehashes what every one here(in New Orleans) is trying to get beyond.
An uneducated levee board is the problem. and their $800.00 lunches and complacinces.
any body with a lick of common sense followed the weather reports left N.O., Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaqumines and South St. Tammy.
During Betsy the lower 9th ward and upper St Bernard parish flooded. I was one of those who at 6 years old were floated out, the boated out, then National Guard trucked out.
Those who do not learn from histroy are bound to repeat it. I left Saturday before Katrina as did all of my children and grandchildren.
These people have no one to balme but themselves and their rose colored glasses.
Spike only rehashes what every one here(in New Orleans) is trying to get beyond.
An uneducated levee board is the problem. and their $800.00 lunches and complacinces.
any body with a lick of common sense followed the weather reports left N.O., Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaqumines and South St. Tammy.
During Betsy the lower 9th ward and upper St Bernard parish flooded. I was one of those who at 6 years old were floated out, the boated out, then National Guard trucked out.
Those who do not learn from histroy are bound to repeat it. I left Saturday before Katrina as did all of my children and grandchildren.
These people have no one to blame but themselves and their rose colored glasses.
Adn to you clobbledank...are you saying that Blacks bred like dogs and didn't take care of their offspring? If we want to talk about people not taking care of their offspring lets go back in history when white masters raped the women slaves. Do you think they took care of their offspring? Please grow up...become educated in things outside your own little bubble and stop being so ignorant!
good grief scorpiomeat, i'm sure you did not mean to put ALL black people in the same category. you couldn't have. fact: spike lee does have a high level of ignorance, but so do you. fact: spike lee should be careful of the things that come out of his mouth, but so should you. fact: spike lee has been conditioned and should learn how to separate truth from subjective conjecture by not judging the intents of the heart; you definitely should too. God bless you.
You know what I find all the comments of Spike Lees Biggotry utterly amusing. Its funny because look at all the anti black, anti hispanic, anti chinese, anit this and anti that crap that gets shown on TV everyday. Spike Lee felt a certain kind of way about whats happened to ALL the people of Katrina, he may not had directed it on the white people, hispanics, chinese, indian etc , or whomever else may have lived there but all in all ITS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE THATS BEEN THROUGH THE DISASTER. ALl races were affected in this horrible storm and it just so happens he's reaching out to African Americans. Most of the tv productions about Katrina had to do with White Americans, should it have gone down like that? No, Katrina isnt bias on creed, color, sex, monetary status or age. The point of this whole situation is this, it was horrible and no one needs to go through anything like this. Remember racial biggotry begins at home, look at yourself before you look at someone else.
Katrina is a disaster of major proportions just like the Tsunomi 12/2004, Sept 11, 2001 and many other disasters such as earthquakes, fires and etc. With the exception of 9/11, the others are natural to the areas. Me, I have been in 11 hurricanes and have been very close to 2 major earthquakes. I take precautions that are reasonable for the area for me and my families safety. My son was in both Katrina and Rita in Gulf Port, MS. and lost everything too, he had 32 ft of water in his town house while stationed in the Navy. He still has his truck and few possessions. When moving or residing in New Orleans, did these folks know they were under sea level? Hadn't they heard the marsh land was reclaiming that area of Louisiana the year before? I heard it in San Fran Bay Area, CA! If the Big one comes, I am prepared the best I can be with generators, water, structurally reinforced my house (as a single mom). My Opinion, these people were not victims, they were stupid!
It's weird that people commenting are trying to turn this into a black/white issue when I noticed that people of both races were suffereing from Kitrina. The larger question is why was there such a slow response governmental years after 9/11 and if another disaster happened either nature or terrorism, would our response be any different? What has been done after Kitrina that wasn't done between 9/11 and Kitrina to better our disaster preparations both before a new disater and after? Do we have a better system to evacuate our cities? How have relief organizations prepared for this devastation when it happens. Go ahead argue about whether people who didn't have the resources should have left. Argue about Spike Lee. Perhaps if you keep arguing about details and blaming victims, the larger picture of what you will do when you become the victim will be forgotten.
i wonder if this is applicably called "a spike lee joint" like he calls the rest of his racially biased movies, spike just saw an opportunity to cash in and gain some publicity, where was he during the la riots? if there ever was an opportunity to discuss a disaster that it. oh yahh aficans americans were the majority creating the disaster.
I'm surprised that Micheal Moore, didn't beat Spike Lee to this Documentary...Guess there wasn't enough money to be made for him. I still have trouble wondering why Mayor Nagin spent money on eye candy instead of shoring up the levees, or make sure that the pumps had backup generators to at least mitigate the floodwaters, and since He had authority to evacuate the elderly,and ill, he didn't do so. Makes ya wonder just how well ANY of our Government agencies from the lowest local to the highest Federal will react in a disaster. Here in Shakey Town we are Screwed even if we DID have advance warning of an earthquake. The Roads are Jammed on any given day, and in the event of a quake I don't depend on Our new Mayor, or any government official to be able to assist, as they largely are concerned ONLY with their own Jobs and retirements.
Man some of your people really need to take a look and see what went on in this disaster. These are Americans, how dare you disrespect them.
I suppose you think sll our monsy should to Iraq to "spread"(as if it is some sort of fruit compote) freedom.
We live where we live. Has your county never faced a disaster. I guess u live in perfect land.
Man you Bush Apologists need to get a new gig.
The US "shadow government" wasnt prepared for this costly KATRINA disaster after they planned 9/11 to set the stage for middle east conflict with our troops and money. They pondered the thought for days until the "shadow government" blanced their books and plans for the middle east. Flat out....l dont trust Bush and his oil corporate cronnies and a BRIBBED OFF British Prime MINISTER.....you all just stink of lies & greed at you SHEEPLES expensive. All this was discussed with BIN LADDEN in 1991 at George Bush seniors Texas ranch. Spike Lee is just doing what the Presidents doing, making money while hes in position too. Whats next, Paris Hilton fills in for Gov. Arnold Hitler Swartz****** as the next puppet...is there anymore Kennedys left for Paris to marry for that position? Kerry, Bush, does it really matter....their all controlled by the OLD MONEY guys anyways . Welcome to the GREEDY PASTY club Spike Lee, if you cant beat`em, join them eh? Shame on you!
KlassyLady talks about white slave owners raping their slaves and not taking care of their offspring. The white slave owners SHOULD HAVE BEEN HUNG!! You won't get an argument from me on anything to do with slavery and the mistreatment of blacks down through the years but this still does not excuse the behavior that to this day keeps so many blacks basically in a slave hold by the liberals whose message is "vote for us, we will take care of you for life."
This is a very interesting documentary. I am glad Spike Lee decided to bring this to the screen. I ordered HBO just to see this documentary. Although I will not waste a second watching anything about that false flag operation that took place 9-11-2001 this was a awful event that is breaking my heart.
my first post, so excuse me if i don't get things right. i own a very small working animal rescue. i have 2 employees. if i'm walking by & there is a barn on fire, am i supposed to go play golf because it's the farm managers job???? that's exactly what bush did during katrina. it was nagin's or blanco's job & he took off to san diego to play golf. sad to say, i run my farm & the lives that depend on me better than that idiot does the country & people who depend on him. i don't see it as a racial issue as much as an arrogance issue. he's only interested in the "haves" & the "have mores".
I cannot believe some of the things that I am reading. "Black breeding like dogs..." "they were just stupid" "wanting the government to do for them" What are you people thinking? If you actually watched the doc, you would have seen that there were whites affected in NO also. The fact of the matter is, these people are POOR. No want wants to be poor, not even the white farmers of the heartland who wanted and allowed the gov to bail them out over the last 30 yrs. If they could have evacuated (had money, cars &someplace to go) they would have. You rednecks don't say a thing when we go to support oil rich countries and 3rd world countries where it is custom to have over 4 children. Bush and Co doesnt' give a damn about people w/o money. they just don't enter his equation.
Cobbledank, not even you have enough money to enter his equation. Open your eyes people, all you are, is a vote to him. The gov has a right to atleast preserve the human dignity of its citizens.
Its not about Spike Lee, its about people. The doc upset me, to see how out of touch the gov is with its people...but what has upset me more, is to see how ignorant and intolerant some of you are. You condemn the filmmaker, but your comments are worse than any of his, ever! May God have mercy on us.
PS,
statistically, more whites benifit from gov assistance (ie Welfare) than Blacks.
Katrina has deffinetly been overblown they told the people to get out and they didnt. I wonder why no help got there for days maybe because a cat 4 hurricane mowed over 100s of square miles including ROADS. "oo they had no where to go" "oo they had no money" if you had no where to go and no money you just sit and wait to be drowned by a big hurricane while you're below sea level...and they said it was the governments fault...they didnt take into account morons that wouldn't take a madatory evacuation seriously.
JonnnyB,
imagine yourself, living paycheck to paycheck...you have about $100 an two kids and an elderly parent across town. The Eye of the Storm is a day away. OH, you don't have a car. Please remember, Hurricanes don't magically appear, theres usually alot, sometimes a few days worth of rain that preceeds them. Tell me your plan.
The only reason Mr Bigot Spike Lee put it on HBO instead of
normal broadcast TV stations, was for the $$$$$$$$$$$. Who
cares about the content, it's all racially slanted anyway. Now if Mr Bigot Spike Lee gave all of that HBO $$$$$$$$$$ to the poor of New Orleans, that might be a shining light. But I doubt if that is going to happen.
To everyone who keeps saying that the people could have simply gotten out? Where exactly do you live? If you live on the West Coast why? Everyone knows one day they will probably have a big earthquake that may do much more damage than Kitrina did. If you live anywhere in the entire New Madrid area southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee, why? Again everyone knows that one day they will probably have the big one and it could happen anytime, without any warning whatsoever. Don't blame the victims of Kitrina for not moving when they knew danger was coming. They're not the only ones.
How come mr choclate refused amtraks help in evacuating the days before the storm? How come he did not follow th eevacuation plan and use the buses and public transportation resources for the evacutation? There was a 20 yr old kid who stole a bus and picked up passengers on the way out of town. blame can be shared from the ground up. but mostly on the local and state gov. the fed gov cannot by law go in and just take over. the gov has to authorize it which she would not do.
I may not always agree w/ Mr Lee but I do respect his right to his opinion. However, I did feel like his documentary (Parts I & II) was right on the money. I think most of the real tragedy lies in the fact that so many people did not heed the mandatory evacuation order or were unable to evacuate before the storm hit. It was a known fact that the levees were not strong enough to withstand a strong storm surge that results from a hurricane. I have many friends who lost their homes or lost family members. I also have friends/professional colleagues who stayed behind because they were medical personnel and were ordered to NOT evacuate but to report to work regardless. Several of these colleagues were held at gunpoint to give up narcotics and other medicines. They were also some of the last to be rescued or told to fend for themselves once the patients were evacuated from the hospital. Several had exhausted themselves and had IV's started to "rescue" themselves as they had no water.
I can't believe the viscious racial bigotry spilling out of so many mouths on this site. Blaming the people themselves. Did you see them all standing on that bridge waiting for help? Forever? sheppard Smith was there and did some of the best reporting I have ever seen.
Does it take a tragedy for us to find out how much prejudice still lurks iside the heart of America?
What's the big deal with the White majority of White media anyway?
Damn, Spike Lee is only one guy to give an African American point of view, and it would be as if the whole world coming to an end. For God sakes, ABC, FOXNEWS, MSNBC, CBS, CNN, and all the rest of the so-called free press never interview those black victims unless it is negative and it displays a status quo of "poor blacks are looting" while the whites "gathering".
So-what, Spike Lee is bias and infavor his people, if not him, who else will? He's a Black Man, and he's never going to be accepted as a free thinking Man because of our media.
Somewhere in between him and our so-called free press, we will know the truth. However, Spike Lee really don't have a chance to tell his truth for the majority of Americans because the western media will drown-out his message after a week or two of lies they create on the major media outlets.
William Sire, you sir have not seen the doc if you believe it is not about the citizens of New Orleans. To me the highlight of last night's broadcast was the interview of Soledad O'Brien telling of dead bodies that had been left everywhere, and then the showing of the dead bodies that were left were they were day after day after day. It is hard to believe that in the USA that our dead were treated with such disrespect, to just lay on the wayside as if they were animals. That is a hard picture to get out of your mind.
I saw the movie last night and it was very moving and the last scenes in act 2 when they filmed the bodies floating in water were very disturbing. I don't think the movie was very racist, I just think that Spike Lee intervied thes helpless people who told their story like it was. I really felt for those people.
I think that this documentary will receive an award.
stonewall777, if you had looked at the documentary last night, a white woman answered that question. She explained that not everyone had the funds to pack up and leave, not everyone could pack up their sick and elderly. If you had looked at the documentary last night, you would have seen as many white people devastated by Katrina and the events following it, as black people. If you had looked at the documentary last night, perhaps you wouldn't be sounding so racist today.
Sounds like an interesting mix of truth and fiction!
I hope that the actual show spends more time on what actually happened and the victims, vrs "who done it".
Keep in mind the press release today that FEMA have turned over 2/3's of the total money promised, yet most of that money has not been spent as allicated by the inital request. It leaves us wondering just where the state and local polititians are actually spending the money!
Also, it has been announced that over 15% of the Katrina relief turned out to be for fraudulant purposes!
Maybe the local and state officials will start to get a handle on things once the people start DEMANDING that they start doing their jobs, that we the people are paying them to do!
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Anybody who watches this, please count the number of times the words blacks, whites and George Bush are used.