Teddy O'Reilly's opinion piece, \Blaming the victims underscores inequality,"" on Hurricane Katrina's response and how it is racially motivated is a tragedy in and of itself. I found most of what Mr. O'Reilly said to be not only totally out of left field but full of bigotry itself. I am a resident of Alabama, and have lived there for the past 4 years.
It is true that when disasters hit the poor usually suffer the most for multiple reasons. Just because these two things are true does not make the government racially motivated. To make such a statement is not only outrageous, but it takes away from those Americans, of any shape or color, that have responded to this catastrophe.
I wish we as a nation could get past the use of race in politics since it helps no one and hurts everyone. While the US has had a spotty record in the past, we are only human, and we have made mistakes that every nation has made. Luckily we have survived long enough to learn from our mistakes and fix them, and in the process built a nation that has become one of the most tolerant and accepting that humanity has seen.
Using race in such a way is worse then bigotry as such statements fuel more racist comments. Buying into race politics does not solve the problem of a whole city being washed away, it just makes things harder to fix in the long run.
So instead of writing such columns, our effort should be put toward helping desperate Americans caught in a desperate situation that touches all Americans.
Early this summer the State Assesmbly passed a UW birth control ban bill, AB-343, by a slim margin. It now only needs to be passed by the State Senate and signed by Governor Doyle.
If passed, AB-343 would prohibit University of Wisconsin health centers from prescribing, dispensing or advertising birth control, including emergency contraception for rape victims.
In response to the proposed legislation, a number of UW-Madison students community members have formed the organization Our Bodies, Our Rights! to fight back against the multitude of anti-choice legislation, which includes AB-343, that will be coming to a vote in the State Assembly and Senate.
Unless you want to practice abstinence only, it is time to speak out against this legislation.
