That´s an important point, KathyT. When it comes to the point in your life where the essential needs like food, water, health or shelter are touched, anything else becomes less and less important and our basic instincts, which are covered so well with what we call civilisation, come up again. Comfortably situated in your daily life one can hold billiant speeches against - well, for example - testing of medicine against cancer by killing animals. For myself I am not sure, if I would give a damm for any animal, when there was a chance to find the right remedy by killing them all....

We are talking about the meaning of a word. I know - words can kill, so it is important to get things right. But words can also be misunderstood easily. Especially when the situation is overheated or somebody is in rage about something he decides as being unjust. Mr. Jackson is doing his job - and time will tell if it was a good idea to use this tragedy for his own targets or not.

What I learn here in Germany from the news is, that he poorer people of New Orleans had to suffer most because they didn´t have any possibility to get away - no cars, no money to travel. The don´t talk about different colors but different levels in wealth or education. Is there any truth in that?

Hey Virgil that is a great song!

thanks. It feels good to get positive response.

But - to stay in our topic - not even songs might help those people now...

Record it, sell it and donate the proceeds.... or... have Arlo do it

I agree, songs, although seemingly insignificant, can have a HUGE impact on our world.

refuge-"shelter or protection from danger or distress"
refugee-"one who flees for safety"
According to my dictionary, there is no shame or negative conotation in being called a "refugee", it's just a simple truth.
The word "refugee" my conjure up some other conotation in some peoples minds due to other events in our times, useally manmade events.
There are many questions to be answered in regard to how this disaster was handled. Perhaps the first of which is why people that were ordered to evacuate were not provided the means to do so if they had none of their own?

I'm with you Larry and KathyT. To me refugee just means "My world as I know it has been, either by nature or by other humanbeings,violently ripped from me, PLEASE HELP ME!
"Doesn't matter if I'm running from, or have been displaced, by war, flood, a violent parent or partner, or the turmoil in my own mind, etc. etc. I just need HELP and to know someone cares."

You know, it's really interesting to me to know that my cousin, a forensic dental expert from the Midwest, received a call from FEMA a week ago Friday, three days before the hurricane even hit Louisianna and Mississippi, asking him if his shots were up to date, 'cos there was a good chance he'd be needed down there to help identify the dead. It seems like they were planning ahead for that. It just kind of makes me wonder who they were talking to at the same time about evacuating and dealing with the living.....[/quote]

Being a refugee is starting to sound like it is a great thing / little bit of band wagon on the fourth street bridge happenin' here if you ask me / but no one did / I don't think you or anyone else will find a refugee of any type so happy to be a refugee as you think you would be / now Bush is saying that these people are not refugees / the SOB is on the other band wagon / cause it might be winnin' / I am still with Petie on my earlier post / but damn Petie I hate agreein' with an Idiot / but at least I chose it myself / before anyone told me how I thought / watch the body count / notice what you don't get told as the death count comes in / I give up / crawl back on that turn-table Bob / I feel so all alone / just like a refugee / good nite, Elmer Fudd

The word “refugee” means something different to everyone. Although the definition is not negative, some people take it as such. I personally think that these politicians should be more concerned about helping the people than worrying if they are offended by being labeled as refugees.

Which is pretty much exactly what Kathy said. I guess I better look at ALL of the posts next time.

Jesse Jackson likes to blame everything on race, period. It's not so much the word "refugee" but that he says it's a racist word. Excuse me? My grandparents were eastern European refugees.... I don't think they were black, either.

If Jackson can blames white folk for the trials and tribulations of anyone non-white, he will... even if he has to condemn words like refugee.

...i didn't hear Jesse Jackson and in what context he said this.....but when i read it here i didn't have a good reaction to the word refugee....
....don't know if it's racist....but it certainly seems to imply a kind of victimization....which to some folks is a powerless stance.......often what oppressed folks feel....that's a guess....survivors works for me much better...

...on the local news, i've heard lots about white folks visiting in the wealthier towns ... they're called family...haven't heard them called refugees...which only means perhaps that race and class have become so blurred......it's impossible to tell...

...much as i don't like our governor's policies...the 2500 folks that are coming to Mass this week are being called guests.....that made me smile...
which has been hard to come by lately....i like it....

It has got too racist for me / wish I never opened this thread to read let alone posted on it / Bush - Fox and government and news media saying refugee is not the right word but Jesse Jackson is playing the race card / he got some real a-holes on their toes / Bush - fox and the rest are playin' the race card just like Jackson to save their rearends / they already spending ever minute covering up / no one died because Jesse Jackson had his thumb in the wrong place / he may very well cause some to be saved by ranting away / but it is pointless to go on / I quit

I remember the Hurricane Isabel damage Petie was talking about. We were in it ebing in the Richmond metro area an hr south of there. We never thought to baord up our windows not ebing on the beach. It was so scary. We could hear the winds howling around the house & the lights flicking off & on. We were luckier that alot of folks. No damage thank God. But we were without electricity for several days. Many others were out for much longer. The only reason we got our electricity back when we did was there was a Food Lion grocery on our road. Amazingly the dog was out in the hurricane & did not get hurt. I told her to get back in her house but easier said than done. The next day we had to go & try to find food to eat which was not easy as most places were closed. A now defunct restaurant run by some young black men that was not too far from us was the only places open to eat. The reason they could operate without electricity as they used gas run fryers outside to fry fish & fries. So we got some of that & got some to bring to my folks. We were lucky compared to the Katrina folks. Just praying that things go better for them...