<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version 6.5.6944.0">
<TITLE>Re: From Gulf to Gulf</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV id=idOWAReplyText16632 dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000000 size=3>It was the AP
photos from the second or third day of the aftermath. CNN had the photos with
captions on TV, and Bill Maher's HBO weekly show had photos with captions
on it last night.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype">Sorry I can't give you more
specifics.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype">Diane</FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#000000
size=3></FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV id=idSignature29373 dir=ltr>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Diane Penrod, PhD</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Professor, Writing Arts</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Site Director, National Writing Project at Rowan
University</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Graduate Program Advisor, MA in Writing</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Rowan University</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Glassboro NJ 08028</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A
href="mailto:penrod@rowan.edu">penrod@rowan.edu</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>856-256-4330</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"Leap and the net will appear."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT
size=2>
-- Zen proverb</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>"Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult..."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
-- Anonymous student evaluation</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr><BR>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> TheDiscourseStudiesList on behalf of
dkc@UMICH.EDU<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sat 9/3/2005 11:52 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
DISCOURS@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: From Gulf to
Gulf<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>Can you provide a cite on that?<BR>On Sep 3, 2005, at 11:16 AM,
JULIA EVANS wrote:<BR><BR>> you might add that when the media was describing
white people breaking<BR>> into stores for food etc. they used<BR>> the
turn borrowing.....<BR>><BR>> looting seems to be saved for minority
populations, sadly<BR>> -J<BR>><BR>> ----- Original Message
-----<BR>> From: Christian Nelson <cnelson@COMM.UMASS.EDU><BR>>
Date: Saturday, September 3, 2005 10:14 am<BR>> Subject: Re: From Gulf to
Gulf<BR>><BR>>> An analysis of the discourse related to this event
could really<BR>>> serve<BR>>> to cast a light on race/class
relations in this country. Like the<BR>>> others who've posted on this
thread, I've been struck by the<BR>>> class/race<BR>>> disparities
in the government's (non)response to this disaster. (As<BR>>> another
example, I learned that all the hospitals were quickly<BR>>> evacuated
EXCEPT for the public ones, which serve the local poor,<BR>>>
and<BR>>> which were only evacuated when their situation had gotten so
dire<BR>>> that<BR>>> the administrators gave up begging the
Louisiana Governor, etc. for<BR>>> help and called a radio station to air
their grievances.) Those<BR>>> disparities are clearly reflected in the
media's discourse about<BR>>> the<BR>>> people trapped in New
Orleans--for instance, many of the reports of<BR>>> "looting" I've heard
turn out to be about people breaking into<BR>>> cafeterias, etc. to find
food. I find it hard to call this looting<BR>>> when<BR>>> engaged
in by people who are running out of water and have gone<BR>>>
without<BR>>> food for days, and when the food and drink involved will
be<BR>>> uselessly<BR>>> spoiled LONG before anyone can retrieve it
in order to sell it (a<BR>>> process that would take weeks if not months
by all accounts). I<BR>>> hope<BR>>> someone has the time and
inclination to analyze this discourse in<BR>>> order<BR>>> to expose
the depths of racism and classism in America. Having said<BR>>> that, I
think some historical perspective might focus light on<BR>>>
where<BR>>> that racism and classism is deepest. In that regard, I think
I'm<BR>>> remembering correctly that Bush Sr.'s loss to Clinton was in
some<BR>>> part<BR>>> attributable to the poor performance of his
FEMA director in<BR>>> response<BR>>> to another but smaller
disaster (in fact, I think it was another<BR>>> hurricane--Hugo in '89,
but I could be misremembering). Further, I<BR>>> recall that Clinton was
hailed for appointing James Lee Witt to<BR>>> head<BR>>> FEMA, as he
was only the first FEMA director who had any<BR>>>
professional<BR>>> disaster relief experience. (Witt proved his worth by
reforming<BR>>> FEMA,<BR>>> and the Clinton administration went on
to distinguish itself for<BR>>> its<BR>>> responsiveness to natural
disasters.) On the other hand, it might<BR>>> also<BR>>> be useful
to recall the words of Marilyn Quail (the wife of Bush<BR>>>
Sr.'s<BR>>> Vice President), who had chosen disaster relief as her pet
project.<BR>>> If<BR>>> memory serves, when asked about her
experience with disasters she<BR>>> said<BR>>> she didn't have any
because she hadn't been "invited" to one--as<BR>>> though<BR>>>
these were cotillions.<BR>>> --Christian
Nelson<BR>>><BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>Deborah Keller-Cohen<BR>Professor,
Linguistics and Women's Studies<BR>Program in Women's Studies<BR>2110 Lane
Hall<BR>University of Michigan<BR>Ann Arbor, MI
48109-1285<BR></FONT></P></DIV>
</BODY>
</HTML>