Katrina vs. Darfur
I received this article comparing our response to Hurricane Katrina and the Darfur genocide from The Ugly Evangelical. Funny, it says a lot of what I’ve been thinking and finally put to paper last night. The Darfur genocide isn’t important to people because it hasn’t been on the news. But why isn’t it on the news?
Is it because they’re black? I don’t think that’s true. I don’t want to believe that’s true. Is it because things like this happens there all the time? Even if it were so, that doesn’t absolve from at least caring, if not, acting.
The Darfur genocide has 26 minutes of coverage from the three networks. Compare that with 130 minutes of Martha Stewart coverage. [source: NYT Writer Blasts Media - Nicholas D. Kristof]
Jody says:
September 12th, 2005 at 7:07 pm
I believe it is because America places it’s priority and values in the wrong places. You talked about Martha Stewart coverage vs. Darfur. I have yet to see any coverage on this. But even me, who rarely watches the news saw the martha stewart junk. America places great value on entertainment and Gossip. Americans are more concerned with what is happening in the entertainment world, then who is caring for their children, or what they are learning in school. Just compare what we pay our athletes, actors, writers, dancers, as well as what we pay for good art, compared to what we pay teachers, child care workers, garbage men, police, Soldiers, etc. We have heard it several times before, actions speak louder then words. Any country that gets an overview of our country knows where our priorities are and where we place our values. We seem to want face value and Dafur is not getting enough attention for America to do anything about it. :sad:
jack says:
September 13th, 2005 at 9:57 am
“Americans places a great value on entertainment and Gossip [sic].”
And by Americans, we have to include you and me as well. I ashamed to admit it, but I’m at least marginally interested in Tom Cruise spouting off about psychiatry. I am caught up in Rock Star: INXS. These things, in and of themselves aren’t bad, I just wish we could also hear more about these tragedies.