Another burden of being black

[fortyfeetunder]

http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2005/11/12/262779.html

Boater Rescued From Sharks Off Fla. Coast

"ANNAPOLIS, Maryland - A man whose boat capsized in rough seas off the Florida coast treaded water for six hours, watching his friend die, while two boaters refused to pick him up apparently thinking he was an illegal immigrant from Haiti....

...Washington floated alone in the choppy seas for about five more hours, the coastline visible in the distance. A hammerhead shark came within 5 feet of him. Two boats, a charter and a sailboat, passed within a couple hundred feet. No one on those boats offered to help.

"They waved at me. I know they saw me," said Washington, who is black and believes the other boaters thought he was an illegal immigrant from Haiti."


Shame on not rescuing those men in the first place, regardless of skin color.

[Tomee450]

1. I'm not surprised at all.

During Katrina, one of CNN's reporters expressed his outrage over a white boat owner refusing to rescue any blacks. He said he witnessed a lot of racism and was thoroughly disgusted. Even during that horrible tragedy people could not rise above their racism. Some people just do not value the lives of black people. This reminds me of the report I heard of doctors not referring black people for test for which whites were referred. Again, low value on black lives.

[wildeyed]

2. A life is a life, black, white, Haitian or US citizen.

That is disgusting. I cannot fathom the mentality that would allow someone to motor past a drowning person.