I am absolutely not surprised at Bush taking advantage of people's suffering to try to boost his sagging poll numbers. And regretably, it might work.

But it's good to know that there are people here at Mudcat and elsewhere who see through this administrations bulls*** and either weren't infected by the racism and classism that is so devastating to our nation or have taken steps to eradicate or minimize that racism.

I have heard people say that race doesn't matter to them but unfortunately it has always mattered to me. I know that I have favored [and to a degree still do] favor Black people over non-Black people. And I confess that there have been times when I doubted that White people cared about us [African Americans].

But any in-depth reading of history reveals that there have always been White people who have risked their lives to help Black people.

That has happened and is happening now in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Thank you to those who are helping others regardless of their race & economic class. Thanks to Donuel and others here at Mudcat for caring and demonstrating that race doesn't matter to them.

Maybe in time a person's race won't have any positive or negative valuation in the United States as [maybe] is the case elsewhere.

Where there is life there is hope.