Open Letter to NBC's TODAY Show regarding comparions of the California Wildfires to Hurricane Katrina
The following letter was written in response to news reports on NBC’s TODAY Show on 10/24/07; ones that continue to make numerous comparisons of the California wildfire devastation to that of Hurricane Katrina; two events that are virtually polar opposites save from the country in which they occurred.
One was wrought by water; the other by fire. One effected the poor; the other, the rich. One effected a primarily black population; the other, a primarily white population. One received absolutely no assistance from the government for over 5 days, and the other received an immediate response and assistance.
Unfortunately, the blatantly preferential treatment in the response to the wildfire victims is being justified as a “lesson learned” from the lack of response to the Katrina victims; unconvincingly avoiding the painfully obvious fact that America views its minority and poor population as third class citizens at best.
Tungz
Dear Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira,
As many struggle to find reliable media outlets that hold to the integrity of fair, unbiased, and accurate journalism, it saddens me - although unsurprisingly - to realize that NBC's TODAY Show is no different than any other major news source; succumbing to the abyssal pull of ignorance, biasness and misinformation.
In regards to the wildfires that are ravaging the lands of southern California, there is little question as to the devastation and impact that it will have on the lives of its residents. This is undeniable. It is never good to lose anything that one has worked so hard and diligently to obtain.
However, to have the audacity and gumption to compare it to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, particularly as it relates to its impact and the urgency of a presidential response and intervention, is an indication of your unwillingness or inability to understand and/or sympathize with those who don't fall in your tax bracket or zip code......or maybe it was just convenient for you to forget.
Likely, you were using the Hurricane Katrina devastation to add poignancy to the impending and persisting wildfires in southern California. Unfortunately, you more or less succeeded in diminishing the impact of one to embellish the other, insensitively using the loss of life to underscore the loss of property; denying the reality of intentional Federal abandonment, and shrugging it off as a hopeful lesson learned and not to be repeated.......especially in this case.
Allow me to provide a small juxtaposition to emphasize my point.
Firstly (and obviously), the demographic makeup of these scenarios are at opposite ends; technically and socially speaking. You have poor, predominantly black residents at one end of the spectrum. And you have rich, predominantly white residents at the other.
Let's see how fast the Federal government responds to them! I bet that it will be much less than 5 days after the last flame has fizzled out. It will likely be just as fast as it was for them to write off the Katrina debacle as just a mistake that had nothing to do with class or race.
I'm still waiting for the media to refer to those displaced by the wildfires as "refugees". However, something tells me that they don't fit the profile....but, I digress.
Secondly, at this juncture, the residents in southern California have only lost material things (i.e. homes, property, etc); burdened by the need to have to rebuild or start over; as if the ability to do so is not a luxury in and of itself.
The residents in New Orleans not only lost their material things, but they lost their lives and loved ones; with the hopes of "rebuilding" NOT being an option; meekly relying on the frail hopes of "starting over".
Assuming that you place more value on your spouses, children, and family than you do your multi-million dollar homes, I would think that to not know the whereabouts of one or all of your love ones - whether they are dead, trapped in an attic, or have been shipped to another state - would prove insultingly incomparable to the loss of a house or late model Mercedes.
So how is it remotely possible to compare the California wildfires to Katrina?
Thirdly, the Newsweek article on your website, Avoiding Another Katrina, highlights Gov. Schwarzenegger's pleasure at the prompt arrival and assistance of the National Guard who arrived with "buses and ambulances".
Let us not forgot that although the National Guard did arrive promptly to the heart of the devastation in New Orleans, it wasn't "buses and ambulances" that they brought with them; they brought "guns". They weren't there to help the citizens, they were there to protect the businesses - the money - which is why Malibu is likely to see faster assistance and response than the 9th Ward could have ever hoped for.
You may recall that the buses didn't come until 5 days later; after the residents were huddled into an air-conditionless coliseum in temperatures that exceeded 97-degrees, without food, water, medical assistance, or any signs of hope; leaving the corpses of their family members on sidewalks and city streets.
Yet, you insist that these 2 events - the California wildfires and Hurricane Katrina - are comparable. That is disgustingly disrespectful and shamefully shortsighted to say the least!
Whatever your reasons for doing so, I'm sure that the word "ratings" falls snuggly into the context. It is just pitiful to witness the misdirection, sanitization, and misinformation that your organization is willing to propagate under the guise of fairness and compassion for the sake of numbers.
Lucky for us (the viewer) however, there are other networks and media outlets to choose from; some of which still feel that "integrity and truth" has a place in journalism, and doesn't attempt to insult our intelligence by reporting otherwise.
I'm sure that's it great to revel in the light of being a major station with a primetime slot, but how long will that last once people stop listening and supporting your sponsors???
I sincerely thank you for your time.
One was wrought by water; the other by fire. One effected the poor; the other, the rich. One effected a primarily black population; the other, a primarily white population. One received absolutely no assistance from the government for over 5 days, and the other received an immediate response and assistance.
Unfortunately, the blatantly preferential treatment in the response to the wildfire victims is being justified as a “lesson learned” from the lack of response to the Katrina victims; unconvincingly avoiding the painfully obvious fact that America views its minority and poor population as third class citizens at best.
Tungz
Dear Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira,
As many struggle to find reliable media outlets that hold to the integrity of fair, unbiased, and accurate journalism, it saddens me - although unsurprisingly - to realize that NBC's TODAY Show is no different than any other major news source; succumbing to the abyssal pull of ignorance, biasness and misinformation.
In regards to the wildfires that are ravaging the lands of southern California, there is little question as to the devastation and impact that it will have on the lives of its residents. This is undeniable. It is never good to lose anything that one has worked so hard and diligently to obtain.
However, to have the audacity and gumption to compare it to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, particularly as it relates to its impact and the urgency of a presidential response and intervention, is an indication of your unwillingness or inability to understand and/or sympathize with those who don't fall in your tax bracket or zip code......or maybe it was just convenient for you to forget.
Likely, you were using the Hurricane Katrina devastation to add poignancy to the impending and persisting wildfires in southern California. Unfortunately, you more or less succeeded in diminishing the impact of one to embellish the other, insensitively using the loss of life to underscore the loss of property; denying the reality of intentional Federal abandonment, and shrugging it off as a hopeful lesson learned and not to be repeated.......especially in this case.
Allow me to provide a small juxtaposition to emphasize my point.
Firstly (and obviously), the demographic makeup of these scenarios are at opposite ends; technically and socially speaking. You have poor, predominantly black residents at one end of the spectrum. And you have rich, predominantly white residents at the other.
Let's see how fast the Federal government responds to them! I bet that it will be much less than 5 days after the last flame has fizzled out. It will likely be just as fast as it was for them to write off the Katrina debacle as just a mistake that had nothing to do with class or race.
I'm still waiting for the media to refer to those displaced by the wildfires as "refugees". However, something tells me that they don't fit the profile....but, I digress.
Secondly, at this juncture, the residents in southern California have only lost material things (i.e. homes, property, etc); burdened by the need to have to rebuild or start over; as if the ability to do so is not a luxury in and of itself.
The residents in New Orleans not only lost their material things, but they lost their lives and loved ones; with the hopes of "rebuilding" NOT being an option; meekly relying on the frail hopes of "starting over".
Assuming that you place more value on your spouses, children, and family than you do your multi-million dollar homes, I would think that to not know the whereabouts of one or all of your love ones - whether they are dead, trapped in an attic, or have been shipped to another state - would prove insultingly incomparable to the loss of a house or late model Mercedes.
So how is it remotely possible to compare the California wildfires to Katrina?
Thirdly, the Newsweek article on your website, Avoiding Another Katrina, highlights Gov. Schwarzenegger's pleasure at the prompt arrival and assistance of the National Guard who arrived with "buses and ambulances".
Let us not forgot that although the National Guard did arrive promptly to the heart of the devastation in New Orleans, it wasn't "buses and ambulances" that they brought with them; they brought "guns". They weren't there to help the citizens, they were there to protect the businesses - the money - which is why Malibu is likely to see faster assistance and response than the 9th Ward could have ever hoped for.
You may recall that the buses didn't come until 5 days later; after the residents were huddled into an air-conditionless coliseum in temperatures that exceeded 97-degrees, without food, water, medical assistance, or any signs of hope; leaving the corpses of their family members on sidewalks and city streets.
Yet, you insist that these 2 events - the California wildfires and Hurricane Katrina - are comparable. That is disgustingly disrespectful and shamefully shortsighted to say the least!
Whatever your reasons for doing so, I'm sure that the word "ratings" falls snuggly into the context. It is just pitiful to witness the misdirection, sanitization, and misinformation that your organization is willing to propagate under the guise of fairness and compassion for the sake of numbers.
Lucky for us (the viewer) however, there are other networks and media outlets to choose from; some of which still feel that "integrity and truth" has a place in journalism, and doesn't attempt to insult our intelligence by reporting otherwise.
I'm sure that's it great to revel in the light of being a major station with a primetime slot, but how long will that last once people stop listening and supporting your sponsors???
I sincerely thank you for your time.
Warm Regards,
Tungz
Tungz
28 Days Movement
1 comment:
Thank you for saying it so elonquently for me and I know countless others as well. Because I would have starting cursing at the tv if I heard it. I have caught myself yelling at the tv lately like they can actually hear me. Daughter looking at me like are you okay and then I start telling her what is wrong with whatever the newsreporter just said.
So, again I thank you for expressing what many feel.
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