Race, SES, madness and Katrina

<i> I wrote this e - mail to 2 HDFS professors. </i>

Hi guys! I was mulling over some thoughts in the last few
days about race, SES, and how that all fit into the anarchy around Hurrican
Katrina especially in New Orleans. I thought you two would be interested
especially since you are both in the FAIR project.

I was able to put together these ideas coherantly during a conversation with
my mom in which I gave her rationale - not justification - for the anarchy
that has ensued. Her comment was, "I don't like how they are turning
everythign into race. 'Just because we're poor and black, the government
didn't help us.' Well, the government is doing the best they can, and nothing
excuses the looting and murdering that is going on." <-- that was Mom's
comments.

Here is my rationale: From a classmate in HD332 I learned that 30 - 40% of
people in New Orleans are at or below the poverty line. They also seem to be a
large population of people with a minority status. With that in mind, some may
have a resentment toward the larger society due to their SES and ethnicity.
The hurricane and flooding struck causing them this unexpected trauma and they
must be angry about that - loosing their house and their relatives. So they
may be angry at that for happening, and then that underlying anger spills over
as they engage in violence.

Then I said, "It doesn't make it easier - and I know what you mean by you wish
they would stop. I do too. I want them to see that they're making the
situation worse and they are causing so much more suffering, and it's just
getting worse and I feel so helpless about it all..." You guys, I was just
bawling over the phone. Stuff like this hurts. No matter what the sociologists
and us as HDFS majors and social psychologists do to make sense of it
academically, it still hurts. Hearing about it hurts, and knowing that other
people are hurting their friends and neighbors instead of bonding together in
a time of crisis makes everyone want to cry.

Well, that's a little insight from me. Comments are appreicated :)

Katie