Kanye, Can I talk to you for a minute?
Our newspapers are continually filled with stories of disasters from all around the world, both naturally and mechanical caused. When these events occur, here and abroad, I have noticed a disturbing trend. The process rarely deviates from it. First the event happens, then the suffering begins, followed by the media responding by telling the story, followed by the various political responses, followed by the public response and finally the public forgetting, and meanwhile the suffering continues.

The political response has been made and now come the detractors. It is automatic, and not always genuine. What sickens me even more is the automatic and equally ingenuine public response to the political response. I too think that the government response was too slow to the humanitarian crisis. I would likely not have voted for the man, but his opposition all sounds the same to me. I don't like the way he runs the USA, but I refuse to join the "Bush is a moron" bandwagon.

Kanye West recently verbally attacked President Bush on a televised benefit concert. He said "George Bush doesn't care about black people", that America is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible", and "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family, it says they're looting. See a white family, it says they're looking for food." I think it's too simplistic to right off the apparent inaction as racism on behalf of government leadership. In a capitalist society, governments respond as quickly or quicker to the economic result of a disaster than they do to the humanitarian crisis. The poor people left behind are left out of this economic process, whether they are black, white, Hispanic, etc. To a large degree, race and poverty are related in the US, but not intrinsically.

I like Kanye West, actually I only like his song "Jesus Walks" because it presents a refreshing Christology. However, these politically charged statements coinciding with the release of his new album just don't cut it with me. Also, with the content of most of his music and videos, he's the last person to complain about negative black stereotypes.

I know, I know, I'm not doing anything either. I'm sitting here in my cozy, Caucasian, Canadian climate, blogging about things unseen, but I'm tired of seeing people further their political, musical or environmental agenda through this tragedy.

Kanye, I wanted something beautiful. Something that the kids will love when they hear it to make them start jumping up and down and sharing candy and stuff.

   [ posted by William @ 6:50 PM ]