September 10, 2005

"Our People"?

This was the last line of an article about the telethons last night, this referring to the BET one:


"There's been a lot of telethons," Diddy said, "but this is our telethon. These are our people."

The whole concept of our people really rubs me the wrong way. The money I've donated wasn't earmarked for anyone of a certain colour. I wasn't thinking, "gee, I hope this goes to help white people. 'Cus, they're you know, my people". Should there be a telethon that's ours? Should there be some sort of extra feeling of do-gooding for helping your own people? Call me naive, but "my people" are Americans. Not white, or black, or brown, just Americans who need help. Silly, huh?

I'm hoping what he meant was people who live in the Gulf in general, but somehow, I doubt that's going to be the case. I'm not quite that naive.

Oh, and BTW, money raised for *our people by our people:

Less than two weeks after the storm hit the Gulf Coast, private gifts have soared to nearly $700 million, a pace exceeding the response to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The American Red Cross alone had received $503 million in gifts and pledges as of Friday, nearly equaling the $534 million collected for its Liberty Fund over two months following the Sept. 11 attacks.

*our being my definition, not Diddy's.

Posted by Ithildin at September 10, 2005 11:45 AM | PROCURE FINE OLD WORLD ABSINTHE

I hope that he meant "our people" as in Americans, too.

Two things I heard today on Fox News gives very different perspectives:

One: a young black man, angry because the debit card he was given wasn't working right and it wasn't enough money (a couple hundred). He said that "they" should give each "of us" $20,000.00 because staying there is, and I quote, "like modern slavery!"

Two: an older lady living in Lithuania sent her entire life's savings (1,000 Euros) because she had been helped by the Americans many times. She felt it was the least she could do.

One made me angry and the other made me cry.

Posted by: Anon at September 10, 2005 1:07 PM

I saw that guy too. Somehow, being bussed to Houston, where he had no say in going to, amounted to modern slavery. Just like the slave ships, according to him. Purposely seperating familes even.

Posted by: Ith at September 10, 2005 1:43 PM

I've had similar thoughts: when I've sent in my donations, I didn't ask that they be sent to certain people. I don't think anybody else did, either.

At risk of sounding malicious, I wonder how Diddy felt about "our people" looting, or about one of "our people" - Ray Nagin - herding thousands into the Superdome without adequate supplies.

I have no patience with this racist crap.

Posted by: docjim505 at September 10, 2005 4:29 PM

I suppose that it is possible that Diddy (and a slew of others, as Michelle Malkin has pointed out today) could could be using "our people" as a contrast to the Tsunami Relief effort.

I'm not too hopeful about that, though. Diddy et al. are welcome to prove me wrong. (But neither am I too hopeful about THAT.)

Good post. Linked it.

Posted by: eLarson at September 13, 2005 10:08 AM

I pondered that as well. I think it was because of the "our telethon" & "our people" that had me leaning towards him talking about race. I'm hoping he didn't mean it that way though

Posted by: Ith at September 13, 2005 10:24 AM

So my black coworker just said, "Oh no, he meant it racially. Of course he did."

Posted by: Ith at September 13, 2005 10:39 AM