Am I my brother's keeper?

Over the course of a week or so, my little blog has been blowing up with people commenting on my thoughts and the thoughts of others about Hurricane Katrina.

Personally, I'm Katrina'd out -- I've overdosed on CNN and I'm ready to concentrate on something else. Not because the flood victims are no longer important, but because I'm hearing such drivel from some people.

So, these are my last thoughts on the matter, then I'm done.

I am my brother's keeper, no doubt, but my brother has to learn to take correction and look in the mirror to see what others are seeing. The same way my brother would ask me to be introspective and look at myself. As someone who doesn't live in the United States, I see the U.S. very differently than someone who calls the States home.

The world sees things very differently that those of you who live in the U.S.

I am my brother's keeper? Of course I am, but I'm certainly not my brother's yes-woman, agreeing to everything he says to keep him happy.

We need to call it how we see it and address the inequalities globally -- I'm not just my brother's keeper because we share a border. I'm my brother's keeper 'cause we share the same skin, regardless of where we live.

A tragedy is not moreso a tragedy because of where it occured geographically, but we fool ourselves into thinking so. Jesse Jackson said that Black suffering is accepted and ignored -- I'd say that we as Black people in North America have taken on that same attitude when it comes to Black people in impoverished nations around the globe. The U.S. certainly isn't impoverished and the horror that was Katrina was because of a rich government who could care less -- not a government who couldn't afford to care.

Many a comment was made that 'we didn't ask for your help!' What, are we six-year-olds who want to do everything for ourselves? Only an arrogant fool thinks he can survive in this world by himself.

And that's the point: we can't survive without each other. We've proven that once we start thinking we can things go to hell and we still need to ban together. This isn't Canadian vs. American vs. Caribbean vs. African -- hell, people, when other people see us they see us for the colour of our skin, not our nationality.

If we are to be our brother's keeper, we need to truly be our brother's keeper. We need to help Black people across the world. We need to tell our brother when he's acting the ass. And we need to accept and learn from constructive criticism.

You know, I was watching CNN Headline News and they had some crazy white dude saying that Black people in New Orleans brought this situation upon themselves.

Obviously, the man's an idiot.

These are the people, we as Black people need to come against, not each other. I still haven't changed my point of view from my first post on the topic, but this has surely changed my outlook.

Anyway, this is my last two cents on the subject 'cause it has completely tired me out.