Go to the Back of the Bus Line

Today at the Superdome:

Friday's evacuations began at about 9 a.m., halted for about an hour and then resumed two hours later. At midday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the line to be evacuated -- much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking Superdome since Sunday.
"How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?" exclaimed Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line. The National Guard made him get back in with the unwashed masses as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests with their luggage.

Ed Schultz just made the understatement of the year on his radio show: "This is not going to help race relations in this country."

Hurricane Katrina · 2005/09/02 · 13 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

I believe that closer inspection would reveal that the Hyatt organization is a big Republican party contributor. Just the appearance of Tom DeLay on TV now signifies that "K" street is running the show. There are no Black "K" street heavy hitters for the Republican party. If the priorities of evacuation have shifted to the "entitled" then you have to ask those in charge why; Bush just said everything is under control, so there is your answer.

#1 · Richard Hamm · 2005/09/02

is there a link with a news story? or is this just hearsay?

#2 · visitor · 2005/09/02

Here's the story.

#3 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2005/09/02

Look, I'm hugging Black people in this picture:
www.whitehouse.gov
... What more do you want me to do? Join the Wu Tang Clan? ... I love Black people. I used to buy coke off them all the time.

#4 · George W. Bush · 2005/09/02

Um, did anyone read the last paragraph of the story?

"Mayor Ray Nagin has used the hotel as a base since it is across the street from city hall, and there were reports the hotel was cleared with priority to make room for police, firemen and other officials."

#5 · Concerned Citizen · 2005/09/02

"Um, did anyone read the last paragraph of the story?"

Why would they do THAT? It doesn't support their hate... The black mayor who dropped the ball on this disaster let the rich whites out first and that's racist... amazing...

#6 · concerened too · 2005/09/02

The comments so far are so badly written I can't tell if people are being sarcastic or not.

This story is very disturbing to me, as is the entire dynamic of who fled, who didn't, and who couldn't. I mean, it sounds like they didn't even try to hide this BS, like they did this right in front of those waiting to escape the Terrordome. I'm no pollyanna, but I thought race relations had come a bit farther than this in this country. My god, after all that those stranded at the dome had been through, to see them treated like this. AND THE GUARDSMEN HELPED THE [WHITE FOLKS] WITH THEIR LUGGAGE!?!

#7 · Stan · 2005/09/03

I heard this story on Fox News. The reporter, I believe his name is Shepard, watched as the Mayor, who is a black democrat, ordered that these white upperclass guests be transported out first. You liberals explain it to me as you blame Tom Delay and President Bush.

#8 · Disgusted · 2005/09/03

I read elsewhere that the Hiatt had been trying for days to get some buses it had chartered to evacuate its guests, so perhaps these were privately hired buses.

#9 · jack frost · 2005/09/03

How many times did you read or see something in the news that you had direct knowledge of, and the reporter screwed it up? Everytime something I knew about that was in the news (local or otherwise), the reporter screwed it up! Think before you react to someone else's opinions of what they saw, even if it is a trusted reporter. APPLY SOME COMMON SENSE!

#10 · mino · 2005/09/03

Do you realize that the HYATT arranged for these buses and not the mayor or the president or anyone else. The Hyatt is just trying to take care of their customers. Calling this racism is just plain ignorant.

#11 · Eric · 2005/09/03

Even if Republican connections were used (I have little doubt that the Hyatt was pulling whatever strings it could) and even if latent racism reared its ugly head, the officials are sure to chalk this up to some logistical decision. The fact of it is we're unlikely to ever be able to sift through the data to get something that it undeniably the truth. But in any case, watch for assuming the best versus assuming the worst to split largely along partisan lines.

#12 · Vincent Pace · 2005/09/03

King George and the Celts

The Mad King George of England

Allowed his Ministers of State

to launch an Assault on

The Celtic People of the Isle.

The Descendants of the Original

Inhabitants:

the Britons, the Welsh, the Cornish,

the Manx, the Scots

and the Irish too,

Were shipped off to Georgia in

the Colonies and

Australia , under the Pretext

of Punishment for Petty crimes and

Debt.

The Evil Administration of

the Monarchy

Of King George III

was Punished by God.

In these Times,

We Workers of this Country

find ourselves under the Oppressive

Yoke of an indolent class.

Let us see if

the Ravenous Monsters

of Corporate Greed

Attempt to seize the Rightful

Inheritance of the Common People

of the United States.

If they should Dare

such an Assault

on the Black Citizens

and the Working Class

of this Nation,

then the Judgement

of Almighty God

Will Sit upon Them.

#13 · Argene Vincen Williams · 2005/09/19