Race was clearly a factor in the government’s slow response to Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flood. Or maybe it wasn’t. And even if it wasn’t a factor, it’s become one because so many people suspect that it was.

Public opinion polls show that about two-thirds of African-Americans believe the government’s response would have been faster if most of those trapped in a flooded New Orleans had been white. On the other hand, just as many whites believe the response would not have been any quicker if they had been the majority of the storm victims.

These disparate assessments of racial equality and a pervasive unwillingness to consider why this difference of opinions exists, serves only to widen the chasm of perception.

If a child is attacked by a dog, he will be wary of all dogs in the future because some part of him is aware of and worries that it could happen again. Similarly, a person who has experienced racism, which is quite often less overt though just as painful as a dog attack, is more apt to suspect and recognize other acts of racism. This is why the president saying that neither Hurricane Katrina nor the delayed relief efforts targeted or ignored a particular race is inadequate and ignorant of the deeper, centuries-old, social-economic constructs that shape one’s life experience.

African-Americans make up a disproportionate amount of those who live in poverty. These same people, along with more well-to-do African-Americans are often subject to racism in many forms, overt and covert. However, since there are such a disproportionate amount of blacks living in poverty, their race and economic condition frequently become interconnected and inseparable.

Thus when people that have seemingly been relegated to secondary importance because of their economic status end up being left to fend for themselves after a natural disaster, it shouldn’t be surprising when they, and the people watching events unfold, look at the majority of faces in said circumstances, notice that many of them are similar to their own, draw on years of knowledge and experience, and logically theorize and deduce, whether wrongly or rightly, that the reason they have been left is their race.

While this conclusion may be wrong, it is a logical supposition that should be expected based on history and experience. Thus, just as the planning and relief efforts were seemingly inadequate because they failed to take into account all the possibilities, the claims that race is not a factor or that people are “again crying racism” are deficient because they fail to consider the foundation behind the very belief that race was an issue.

This disaster has alerted much of America to the elephant sitting in the corner of the room. There are a disproportionate number of African-Americans who are either uneducated, poor, or both. And while race and class may not have played a factor in who was assisted and how quickly, this disparity in lifestyle and education needs to be examined, understood and corrected, not dismissed by a government interested only in shifting blame through claims of compassion and implications of “wild accusations” or “playing the race card,” since to do so merely serves to demonstrate that the government doesn’t really care about any people.

It seems more and more Americans may be opening their eyes to the incompetence of the Bush adminstration as his approval rating has dropped to a record low 38 percent in a recent NEWSWEEK poll.

Take a look at this interesting string of nearly 200 pictures taken by a New Orleans resident who stuck it out through Hurricane Katrina and about four days of flooding.

In these times of seeing so much destruction on TV, it’s refreshing to see when someone reaches out in a new way… even after death.

Like in this obituary.

At the bottom it says, “In lieu of flowers, please buy some coffee for the person behind you in line at Dippin’ Donuts or Espresso Love and tell them it’s from Stan.”

In my other blog, Engineblog, I detailed how charities were using search marketing to help people find places to donate. A search engine is an obvious place for someone to start.

But what I also found out was that people were buying Katrina-related keyword banners to promote their own profit seeking goals — goals that had nothing to do with helping anyone in need. In one case, a musician purchased a banner for the keyword “Red Cross” in order to promote their new song. Heartless bullshit if you as me.

I could go into more detail, but I won’t. That’s because I detailed it here, with screen shots: Searching for Good.

Keith Olbermann offers an absolutely stinging editorial on the governmental response to Hurricane Katrina. He perfectly characterizes the disconnection that nearly all of the Bush administration seems to have from the real America that we live in. In fact, most of them seem not only disconnected from the reality of America but disconnected from any reality at all.

onegoodmove.com offers video and a transcript of Olbermann’s commentary.

A short while ago, hip-hop artist Kanye West shocked those watching the Hurricane Relief Concert when he said in part, “I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family it says they are looting if you see a white family it says they are looking for food. And you know that it’s been 5 days because most of the people are black … George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

Many have quickly come out to say this statement was inappropriate and inaccurate and serves only to help divide the nation. While it may have introduced a topic that needs to be discussed or may have been inappropriate, the fact is that this country is already divided. It has long been divided. And continues to become even more divided by a chasm created by the privileged, ignorant boy-king who cares not about the American people, but only about what can make him and his friends rich. (Did I mention that Halliburton has been hired to help clean up New Orleans?) This division grows wider every day, not based on race or ethnicity-though these divisions do remain-but more so on class.

And the horrifically ignorant, tax-cut creating Bush Administration serves only to create an even larger division when its response to the tragedy in New Orleans, a city with a 40% poverty rate, comes five days late, yet the president was able to make it to Florida one day after its hurricane. Maybe he’s not dividing the country, but I can see why one might think otherwise.

Consider the fact that when he arrived, Bush said “Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott’s house — he’s lost his entire house — there’s going to be a fantastic house. And I’m looking forward to sitting on the porch.” This ridiculous statement was followed by laughter that signaled an inability to understand the sheer terror and pain that thousands of people, many below the poverty line, have had to face in the five days that the president spent apparently sitting in a classroom reading “My Pet Goat.” Maybe he’s not dividing the country, but I can see why one might think otherwise.

This morning, Senate Finance Committee members were informed that Sen. Bill Frist will move forward with a vote to permanently repeal the estate tax next week. According to ThinkProgress, “Permanently repealing the estate tax would be a major blow to the nation’s charities … since the estate tax encourages wealthy individuals to donate considerably more to charity” because estate tax liability is reduced through donations made during life and at death. This comes from the president’s party in the midst of a tragedy that requires the nation pull together by donating funds to charity. Maybe he’s not dividing the country, but I can see why one might think otherwise.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin gave an interview to WWL-AM radio this morning in which he expressed some brutally honest feelings about the relief effort so far.

Here is an uncensored recording of that interview [mp3].

Warning: There is some strong language in this clip.