tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5570175695237685972.post8812468558076876750..comments2023-07-20T01:12:23.414-07:00Comments on Working Class Whites and the Law : What does the Camp Fire and its aftermath reveal about white privilege? Lisa R. Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16469550950363542801noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5570175695237685972.post-82025011631614815932018-11-27T12:59:48.705-08:002018-11-27T12:59:48.705-08:00I really appreciated this article because it raise...I really appreciated this article because it raised my attention to one place where whiteness was rendered invisible. I do wonder what the impact of centering whiteness in disaster relief stories. <br /><br />I find the contrast with Katrina and Black folks to be an interesting one because it raises the question of why similar narratives have not been raised in the media. The lede in that story was really that Black folks living in poor areas had been left behind by FEMA, which was very true to a large extent. In the eternal words of Kanye West in 2004, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people."<br /><br />I think it would be unhelpful to use this frame for whites and the Camp fire, even though they are predominantly the victims. For one, "Donald Trump doesn't care about white people" is plainly false because he has often openly pushed white supremacy in his time in the oval office. Additionally, the frame that centered Black victims of Katrina was because of differential treatment based on race. While there is a strong argument that Trump treated the victims of hurricanes in Florida much better than those in California, this differential treatment seems more tied to the political inclinations of the respective states than race. Ultimately, the predominance of white victims should take a backseat to the fact that this community was predominantly working class, which I believe may be the source of differential treatment.<br /><br />P.S. Thanks for linking to my article about white supremacy.Nick Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761634151949426616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5570175695237685972.post-68233375576209046872018-11-26T15:33:58.581-08:002018-11-26T15:33:58.581-08:00This was a very interesting article in that it rai...This was a very interesting article in that it raises the whiteness issue regarding a very troubling and devastating natural disaster. Similar to your admission that this coverage seems to pale in comparison to Hurricane Katrina coverage in New Orleans on a basis of race, the Camp fire coverage and especially President Trump's comments seem to dismiss this as a natural disaster. A wild fire, fueled by years of drought conditions, and horribly strong, hot Santa Ana winds, is just as devastating and uncontrollable as a hurricane hurtling toward New Orleans, Puerto Rico, or Florida, or a tornado ripping through the midwest. Trump fails to blame PG&E who are now credited with starting the fire, but is free to blame Democrats and Californians for a lack of prevention? Interesting coming from someone who is happy to place blame on his opponents at any time via twitter. <br />Furthermore, to your point, I do think the media should mention the whiteness of the devastated population. Any opportunity to defy stereotypes and force the population in the U.S. to see people for who they are, we should take it. I would appreciate a media that strives to stop perpetuating and further knock down stereotypes of all kinds, including that solely whiteness makes you affluent, or fine. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11858377683215109239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5570175695237685972.post-12773285057912321902018-11-24T20:37:17.937-08:002018-11-24T20:37:17.937-08:00Professor, speaking as a former Butte County resid...Professor, speaking as a former Butte County resident and someone who visits many times a year, your assessment is correct. There is a disproportionate amount of white victims from the Camp Fire. I also think it is important to note that a majority of these victims are working class and cannot afford to rebuild. There are also a large number of renters in the area who have now been displaced to Chico, where many Paradise residents work. Unfortunately, rents in Chico are disproportionately higher when compared to those in Paradise and Magalia due to the University and willingness of college students to pay higher rents to be near school. <br /><br />As to Paradise's poverty rate compared to Butte County as a whole, I think Oroville, Magalia, and Stirling City's inclusion in the county is what increases the overall poverty rate rather than the city of Chico. From my experience, those places attract more homeless populations. And before the Camp Fire, I never saw homeless living in tents around Chico like people are currently (and like I see in Sacramento or San Francisco). I believe most of them to be former Paradise residents. L Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602716361471420393noreply@blogger.com