Who is a refugee?

[britisha]

I've never heard the word "refugee" used to describe citizens who have undergone destruction in their own country. It has been used to describe ppl in America; black people, black ppl who are in survival mode in the aftermath of a devasting hurricane.

It doesn't get any uglier than this. Newscasters referring to tax-payers in New Orleans as refugees.

This brother on the talk show here stated that refugees are ppl who are fleeing oppression in their native lands; whether the oppression is of a political or religious nature. People who are fleeing a WAR...where is the war in America?

Where?? Right here!! It is called the War on Poverty...does anybody remember that war from their studies in Poli Sci 101? That war had been going on since the 60's aroung the time of Johnson; with black ppl being the victims. It never ended, but...

Many have forgotten this, AND as I have alluded to already on this site...it took a natural disaster to send a wake up call to RACIST AMERICA and black IDIOTS that the war is raging as never before. A war of untold proportions is ravaging our people...MY PEOPLE, and poor whites!!

So while the Rev. Al Sharpton stated yesterday, it is offensive to refer to these ppl in NO as refugees, because it implies begging among other things; the sad truth is they are reduced to being worse than refugees. Americans MIA in America

While this goes for poor blacks and poor whites in the affected area...let me quickly point out that the focus is on RACISM in the Gulf States. Jim Crow is alive and well!!

A mass exodus of black ppl in America since the Civil War..Jeezas Christ..America should hang it's proverbial head in shame...and those of us who remained silent, those of us who didn't want to rock the boat, those of us who buried our heads in the sand because we wanted to look good Jack Mandoraaah...HELLO!! the boat is being rocked awriitee What we don't do, Mother Nature has done, expose racism to the max in America!!

I shudder to imagine what these ppl are going through. I again think I'm experiencing a nightmare, for Gaawd knows, this is unreal. Whjat also is unreal is that ppl at this time could be soooh wicked!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[churchgirl]

Re: Who is a refugee?

You know Britisha, I generally don't watch a lot of TV and the other day, with this disaster being reported non-stop, I would hear, in passing, the term "refugee" being used. Being the naive person that I am, I thought that some refugees had landed in Louisana and was caught up in the hurricane also.

After stopping to actually watch the newscast, (and noticing all those blacks crammed in the Super Dome and knowing full and well they wouldn't have let in some many black refugees) I could not, in my wildest imaginations, have thought that they were refering to full-blooded American citizens. o/ The more things change, the more they stay the same. *shaking head

[britisha]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Hi dere Churchgirl.

I've seen so much ugliness coming out of this disaster. [To] call American citizens, black and white and other ethnicity "refugees" is a sad and serious reflection on this country..


I haven't heard the President address this; afterall he should be able to say where the war is and where are these ppl fleeing FROM.

[kia027]

Re: Who is a refugee?

I heard the term the first few days of the disaster, then it stopped and many other news media used the word evacuees...
then tonite on cbs 11P news listening to a reporter out of alabama calling the people dem refugees..
it just sicken mi

I haven't heard the President address this; afterall he should be able to say where the war is and where are these ppl fleeing FROM.

exactly [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

and as fi de one condileeza whe a chat bout the aid effort was not done in a racist manner

[mari]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Isn't a refugee someone who is fleeing from (impending) disaster, and is seeking a place of refuge.

According to the Bible, there were cities of refuge for people who had to flee their homes for one reason or another, within the border of Israel. Has the meaning of refuge changed over the years?

[neutral]

Re: Who is a refugee?

I say they are "refugees" regardless if they are americans or not,..they are fleeing their homes to seek refuge elsewhere,that makes them refugees.
It`s sheer American arrogance to assume that the word is somehow too belittling for the mighty Us of A.

As I`ve said elsewhere on this board,if those people were in Africa that is exactly the label that would have been put on them.

[rufian]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by neutral:
[qb] ...

As I`ve said elsewhere on this board,if those people were in Africa that is exactly the label that would have been put on them. [/qb]

The African situation is different. If them in Rwanda and running to Somalia them dem refugee. But running from one state to the other when you have every right to be there does not make any sense at all. In Africa there are borders in North America there are none.
I hate to say it but race is a reinforcement of the application of that word to dramatize the situation


Main Entry: ref·u·gee
Pronunciation: "re-fyu-'jE
Function: noun
: an individual seeking refuge or asylum; especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion)

[n.c.rootswoman]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by neutral:
[qb] I say they are "refugees" regardless if they are americans or not,..they are fleeing their homes to seek refuge elsewhere,that makes them refugees.
It`s sheer American arrogance to assume that the word is somehow too belittling for the mighty Us of A.

As I`ve said elsewhere on this board,if those people were in Africa that is exactly the label that would have been put on them. [/qb]

I totally agree, and since when is refugee a slur?
since it happened HERE to our people?

[mari]

Re: Who is a refugee?

They are seeking a place of refuge (asylum), because they have lost their homes to the hurricane and flood waters that overtook New Orleans.

Isn't that what refuge is all about. A place of safety in times of trouble.

And, when someone seeks refuge, isn't that person a refugee (asylum seeker)?

Have we somehow been brainwashed into thinking that this word has only to do with the our black brethren in Africa? .

Refugee! American? A who dem a style up suh eehn? Wat a piece a feistyness!

[britisha]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by K i a:
[qb] I heard the term the first few days of the disaster, then it stopped and many other news media used the word evacuees...
then tonite on cbs 11P news listening to a reporter out of alabama calling the people dem refugees..
it just sicken mi

I haven't heard the President address this; afterall he should be able to say where the war is and where are these ppl fleeing FROM.

exactly [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

and as fi de one condileeza whe a chat bout the aid effort was not done in a racist manner [/qb]

Thanks KIA for keeping it real..btw; mi hear seh dem BOOOOO Ms. Rice somewhey a New Yaaawk recently ovah di disaster..dem ppl yah noh joke. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[britisha]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by sukuna:
[qb]

Originally posted by neutral:
[qb] ...

As I`ve said elsewhere on this board,if those people were in Africa that is exactly the label that would have been put on them. [/qb]

The African situation is different. If them in Rwanda and running to Somalia them dem refugee. But running from one state to the other when you have every right to be there does not make any sense at all. In Africa there are borders in North America there are none.
I hate to say it but race is a reinforcement of the application of that word to dramatize the situation


Main Entry: ref·u·gee
Pronunciation: "re-fyu-'jE
Function: noun
: an individual seeking refuge or asylum; especially : an individual who has left his or her native country and is unwilling or unable to return to it because of persecution or fear of persecution (as because of race, religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion) [/qb]

(((Sukuna))

Maybe some will learn from this your post..thanks.

Again, I reiterate, this catastrophe has exposed a lot of problems in the media..wrong use of words and wrong choice of words to say the least. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[neutral]

Re: Who is a refugee?

So if we are to define a refugee as one who flees their own country to seek refuge in another country,what about the folks that has been given refuge in Canada,....or is Canada America too...???

[britisha]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by neutral:
[qb] So if we are to define a refugee as one who flees their own country to seek refuge in another country,what about the folks that has been given refuge in Canada,....or is Canada America too...??? [/qb]

NO..you are being deliberate, why?

There are certain conditions attached to the fleeing; examples of which I stated above.

Someone can flee his/her country to find "refuge" outside it's borders, for whatever reason...hiff a even fi eat an jrink bettah... but by definition/concept; is NOT a refugee.

This is why, there are stringent rules governing the granting of "political asylum" not everyone who says that "they" are persecuted or fleeing political oppression is taken seriously...conditions MUST be met. Same ting wid refugees, IMO.

[churchgirl]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Neutral and Yahdie, I completely understand your point of view. My question is this though; why is the term now being used in this instance? Why was it not used in past times when other hurricanes threatened areas of Florida, such as Key West, and the people there had to flee and this term was not used at that moment? Why wasn't "evacuees" not used initially? I don't think the word itself is derogatory but why not be consistent and use it at all times in situations like these? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Okay so that was more than one question [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[n.c.rootswoman]

Re: Who is a refugee?

Originally posted by churchgirl:
[qb] Neutral and Yahdie, I completely understand your point of view. My question is this though; why is the term now being used in this instance? Why was it not used in past times when other hurricanes threatened areas of Florida, such as Key West, and the people there had to flee and this term was not used at that moment? Why wasn't "evacuees" not used initially

[/i] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [/qb]

I wondered this too and decided the FL people
had to sign next of kin and had door to door evac.