Haitian Crisis, Media and U.S Military

The response to the Haitian crisis has been tremendous as countries from around the world have sent help..Unfortunately there were delays in providing help to those in most need. Complaints also have been made against the U.S press as they originally focused on foreigners and not the Haitian people. Now there are complaints about the U.S. military hindering the relief efforts. Relief partner countries plan to meet and Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia said they will boycott the meeting to protest the US military's presence in the Caribbean. Is this all to do about nothing or are their legitimate concerns based on past U.S interventions? Bmstv explores the question with Host Maurice Carver, Prof. L'Heureux Lewis, Prof. Marc Lamont Hill and Darryl Hell.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• aitian
• crissi
• united
• states
• military
• media
• resue
• recovery
• help
• caribbean
• maurice
• carver
• marc
• lamont
• hill
• darryl
• hell
• L'Heureux
• Lewis
• black
• destruction
• rebuilding
• grants
• aid
• medical
• interference

[NJRocks281]

Where are all these black people when a non black countries get hit in disasters?

[bmstv]

The question can easily be answered. The media's lack of coverage of black participation does not mean they are not there.. Just like it is not mentioned or shown in Iraq and Afghanistan .

[tuumz]

bmstv: Good job you're doing! keep it up. My only question /comment is : how can we expects any positive coverage of black people by a white dominated and controlled media ? that mostly is viewed by a larger white and ignorant majority ?

[cjohn90]

As every disaster produces horrific scenes of carnage and media & their editors with the challenge of telling the truth; showing catastrophes in the US or of dead white flesh similar to pictures from Haiti in American newspapers, is considered to be exploitative, offensive and is therefore prohibited. Why is this? By the media showing these images, positioning the Haitians as poor, dependent, weak.

[cjohn90]

There are so many horrific images of this catastrophe containing dead black bodies strewn about the streets or in mass uncovered graves, and it does beg the question, why Is there so much death imagery being shown in the media like never before? The round the clock coverage and graphic images of half-naked disfigured bodies of men, women and children piled on top of one another, seems to be saying something deep about American ideology.

[cjohn90]

The focus on poverty, with the repeated tagline "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere" and references to crime and unrest, make it hard for viewers to imagine any other aspect of life in Haiti. Many reporters have went to Haiti, not to report on the aid effort or people's coping strategies, but to become celebrities themselves.

[cjohn90]

@NJRocks281

Maybe you need to do your research before you post asinine comments because it shows your ignorance. During Katrina & 9/11 hundreds countries including black countries donated billions to us. You might want to google that.

[redmend]

The military was implemented due to large amount of UN officials having to retreat due to rampant looting. I am sure if the military tries to occupy Haiti there will be a large outcry.

Also, the C-130's are the prime military and civilian aid delivery vehicle, as it has rough landing capability and the ability to take off on a far shorter runway then other airplanes of its size.