POLL POSITIONS

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released yesterday illustrates a stark divide in the way black and white Americans view the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

6 out of 10 black Americans said that the reason the federal government was slow to rescue those stranded in New Orleans was because most of the people stranded there were black. Only 1 in 8 white respondents agreed that race played a factor in the government's tortoise-like response. Instead, just over half the white respondents said they believed bureaucratic inefficiency was the primary failure. In other words, two many idiots with too few ideas. When asked if the rescues were slower because the victims were poor, 63% of black respondents said yes, but only 21% of their white counterparts agreed.

What do YOU think?

Personally, I don’t think the federal government was slow to rescue those stranded BECAUSE they were black. Forgive me, but I just have a hard time believing that the people in charge of emergency rescue efforts consciously collaborated in putting on a very public display of widespread neglect. And I have a hard time believing that, somewhere in Washington, there was a room full of racists debating on how long to let the people wait before finally going in. And I have a hard time believing ex-FEMA Chief Mike Brown was watching reruns of the Simpsons while people were starving. I simply can’t imagine a state-sanctioned indifference to human suffering like that in my America. But then, I'm about as white as white people get.

Plenty of people are certainly at fault for making poor decisions prior to Katrina’s landfall, and for moving slowly after. Think about it - this is the GOVERNMENT we're talking about here. It was out of gross incompetence and inexperience that they were slow to respond - not out of malice or prejudice. These were simple people like you and me in cushy state jobs with great benefits who didn’t know what to do in the face of highly unusual circumstances. (And they're probably not all white, either.)

Correlation does not equal causation. People were stranded and most were black - but were they stranded BECAUSE they were black? Depends who you ask, I guess.

President Bush had this to say regarding the rescue efforts: “The storm didn't discriminate, and neither will we in the recovery effort.” What does he mean storms don’t discriminate? He's from Texas. Isn't he aware of the affinity tornadoes have for trailer parks? Twisters are not equal opportunity natural disasters - they've been unfairly targeting poor white people for years. But now I jest.

Anyhow, if you're looking for an official announcement, Gee-Dubs is expected to give a complete breakdown of the government’s response in a nationally televised prime-time address this Thursday night. But don’t worry – it won’t be until after the premiere of Survivor. Hell yeah.