Scripps-Howard syndicated columnist Star Parker serves up a heaping dose of common sense for poltroons claiming Katrina rescue efforts in New Orleans lagged because of "racism."

The first line of authority in emergency management, all agree, is local. It appears that Ray Nagin, New Orleans' black mayor, was grossly negligent. Buses that could have evacuated 12,000 citizens per run were not used and left on low ground and flooded. Where was black Congressman William Jefferson, who has represented New Orleans for eight terms? It had been known for years that the 17th Street Canal levee was not capable of withstanding a Category 5 storm. Upgrading it would have required federal funds, and therefore it was in Jefferson's area of responsibility.

In an interview on "Hannity and Colmes," Jefferson indicated he had been involved in failed efforts over the years to get these funds. However, given the risks to which his constituents were exposed, one would think that the congressman would have been making a lot of noise about this. But Jefferson is a busy man. He's been the target of an FBI sting operation investigating possible public corruption. Sean Hannity asked Jefferson, given his knowledge of the condition of the levee, when "we knew the storm was coming, why didn't we get the people out?'' Jefferson's reply: "Well, I'm not sure I know the answers to all those questions.''

Let's not even get into the ultra-lame tradition, evident again as Katrina approached the city, of "vertical evacuation." Parker concludes:

It's time for those who really care about blacks to ask hard questions and be honest about the answers. Our government mechanism for dealing with emergencies must be repaired. The emergency management task for blacks is to get ourselves out of poverty. If we allow political opportunists to again allege racism to deflect our attention from solving the real problems of fixing our families and educating our children, surely more tragedy awaits us.

George Will adds some perspective, as well.

Released during the post-Katrina debacle, scant attention was paid to the National Center for Health Statistics' pertinent report that in 2003, 34.6 percent of all American births were to unmarried women. The percentage among African American women was 68.2.

Given that most African Americans are middle class and almost half live outside central cities, and that 76 percent of all births to Louisiana African Americans were to unmarried women, it is a safe surmise that more than 80 percent of African American births in inner-city New Orleans -- as in some other inner cities -- were to women without husbands. That translates into a large and constantly renewed cohort of lightly parented adolescent males, and that translates into chaos, in neighborhoods and schools, come rain or come shine.

Alleging "racism" now - in regard to Katrina, or much of anything else in the U.S. today - has about as much efficacy as sounding the "Hitler" alert against some politician who upsets us.

TECHNORATI TAGS: KATRINA, NEW ORLEANS, RACISM, POVERTY

TO COMMENT: The regular "comment" feature is not in operation. E-mail comments to address under "Contact" on main page masthead, and I'll add them, here.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at September 13, 2005 09:09 AM