TEACHSOC: Re: Ideas for using Katrina... a fragile unprepared society

[Del Thomas Ph. D.]

I returned a week ago from a photo shoot in Naples Fl.  The Gulf is a wonderful place. I actually saw a manta ray jump out of the water.  NOLA and preservation hall, priceless and likely nevermore. You are all likely tired of hearing me claim that ours in a mechanical (vs organic) society.  It is based on the adoption of crisp definitions and concepts.... thus it takes  more than 20% of the worlds resources to "support" 5% of the worlds population.  That is where the fragile comes in despite our arrogance.   "Standing tall" What are we thinking? We have not upgraded our preparedness since 911.  A conversation with a parent of one of your students regarding the use of the super dome as a shelter. It doesn't make sense to put people in the SD.  It was only tested for cat 3 storms. What would you have done? I would have taken them to the north and east out of the storm track ( we had agreed that most of the 20K were poor and black and had special needs) They didn't want to leave.  (this claim he agreed  was less true that they couldn't leave) Then he asked how would you move them? I'd bus them There were/are no buses Well how do you think they are going to get them to the Astro Dome 7 hours away We can look into the cutting of funds for flood control for NOLA Even the relief from the national guard is late. In part because when they return from their deployment in Iraq  their equipment was kept in Iraq. That not with standing they could have positioned the 50 helicopters safely so they could be in the needed areas sooner.  They will arrive tomorrow. I heard that the pumps that are needed to keep the city dry would be knocked out during the storm because of downed power lines.  That is avoidable.   I could go on. And say more about the shape of their reporting.  These are a few of the perennial weaknesses that are built into our culture...I believe that sociology  has some answers and students can explore them. Del Gardetto, Darlaine wrote: Yes, I sent a message to Del about this.  Check out the picture in today's NYT.  My message to Del read:   "Excellent point about the news coverage.  I could not believe my eyes (well, I could) when I saw the photo of the looter in the NYT this morning.  I wondered what the white guy going the other way was doing, but he did not interest the photographer the way the black guy with a gun did.   Notice also how no one is saying two little words: global warming.'   Darlaine     __________________________ Darlaine C. Gardetto, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology/General Education Coordinator St. Louis Community College-Meramec 11333 Big Bend Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63122 (314) 984-7695 (Phone) (314) 984-7489 (Fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED]   -----Original Message----- From: Claudia Scholz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 1:06 PM To: teachsoc@googlegroups.com Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Ideas for using Katrina?   Something to bring up for discussion in sociology classes is the racism apparent in news coverage of looting in the areas affected by Katrina. See, for example, the AP captions on these pictures highlighted by Flickr user dustin3000: http://www.flickr.com/photos/firewall/38725768/ -claudia On 8/31/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: I would like to share ideas appropriate for first and second year students for tapping into to the current news on the Gulf coast - I think what I am doing is fairly routine (with culture) but I would like to hear what others are doing. Thanks. Susan