Friday's topics include reaction to critical comments by Howard Dean, head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and why the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) doesn't want photos of those killed by Hurricane Katrina shown to the public. Guests: Roland Martin, executive editor of The Chicago Defender; Karen Narasaki, president and executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium; and George Curry, editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service.
ED GORDON, host: Now we turn to our roundtable.  We're joined today by Roland Martin,      executive editor of the Chicago Defender.  He's in our Chicago bureau.      Karen Narasaki joins us.  She's president and executive director of the      National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium.  She joins us from our      headquarters in Washington, DC.  And George Curry is editor-in-chief of      the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service.  He joins us      from Maryland.</s>ED GORDON, host: All right.  Folks, we heard what Dr.  Dean had to say earlier this week      in his response to my questions.  Karen, when you hear this man, I'm      curious what your thoughts are.  A number of people will suggest that      this is a political partisan tool for people to bandy about.  What's your      thought?</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): I      think it's sad, though, that it's become a partisan discussion, like much      that's going on in Washington today.  It's taking away the focus from      what we really need to be thinking about, which--one of the things that      he raised--which is the poverty that's there.  Congress is out now      rushing to look at who's to blame for the response, but I think Congress      needs to be looking at who's to blame for the fact that they had 30      percent unemployment in that city.  And my guess is it's much higher for      the African Americans there.  We need to really be focusing on what's      happening to the poor in our country, and we as the richest nation in the      world, what are we going to be doing about it?</s>ED GORDON, host: Roland Martin.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): I mean, I      certainly concur.  I mean, what you're dealing with really is years and      years and years of neglect.  And so there's no doubt in my mind that had      the majority of the people had a different skin color, you would have      seen a different reaction.  But the one thing that I would really hope      that leaders from New Orleans and Louisiana--although we're still talking      about rescue and relief and relocation--I really think the conversation      can really shift towards the reconstruction issue, and that is, we begin      to talk about how can New Orleans, these same four individuals, have a      hand in rebuilding their city in terms of jobs, in terms of training and      nationwide with community colleges. And so I think we--you know, of      course, we can sit here and talk about a 9/11-type commission, but      there's still lots of work to be done to get that city back on its feet      because it's a vital city to this country.</s>ED GORDON, host: George Curry, I asked the government about a fine line, walking      a fine line in saying what he sees in earnest and playing a political      game.  He says--and we'll hear more from him next week--he doesn't care      what people think.  He believes what needs to be said needs to be said      and needs to be said now.</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Well, I agree with that, but I think we can      go beyond his comments.  There was a report issued yesterday by the Pew      Research Center for the People and the Press and it showed a couple of      very interesting things.  This racial divide is real in terms of how      Americans look at this. Two-thirds of African Americans say that the      government would have had a faster response if most of the victims had      been white; two-thirds.  But by even a larger margin, 77 percent of      whites said it wouldn't have made any difference.  Another finding was      that 71 percent of blacks say that--you know, shows that racial      inequality remains a problem, but 56 percent of whites say it doesn't.      So you're going to have this massive dialogue, you've got to start right      here with this perception of totally two different views of America,      everybody looking at the same major event.  There is this racial divide.      And so Dean is right on that and this is fully documented in this Pew      study that came out yesterday.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Now, Ed, you may find this interesting.  I got an e-mail      from a woman in Chicago who read a column that I wrote and she said that      she and her husband of means wanted to write a $50,000 check and was      going to write a second $50,000 check, but she was offended by the images      of the individuals, stating that they were demanding federal help out of      this whole deal and was put off by that, said that they should have been      more respectful and be pleased with what they've gotten thus far.  And as      I read between the--you know, of course, I obviously replied to her to      explain to her what the real issue was, and I certainly was reading      between the lines that here was someone of means seeing these largely      African Americans demanding help--This wasn't a few days afterwards.  So      this was still when everything was crazy in the Superdome.  She was      offended by them demanding assistance and said that, `You know, we worked      for these funds.' And you can read through racial, you know, statements      within those lines.  And I just thought it was very interesting again how      white Americans perceive this particular issue where here these folks      are--people are dying around them and she thought they should have been      more grateful.</s>ED GORDON, host: Well...</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Now while there has been--there certainly is a racial divide      on some of these issues.  There are some things that Americans agree on,      and what is important to me--and that Pew study really surprised me--for      the first time since 9/11 a majority of Americans, 56 percent, said it's      more important for the president to focus on domestic policies than the      war on terrorism.  That's a major finding and a major shift.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Absolutely.</s>ED GORDON, host: Well, I'll say this, and I've said it over the course of the      last two weeks, and I'll continue to say it, I think if this country      doesn't talk about race, this go 'round--I think we had a great      opportunity after the Simpson trial to do it because people were actually      saying things they believed in public.  We have that opportunity again,      and I hope we don't drop the ball.</s>ED GORDON, host: Karen, let's turn our attention to FEMA.</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): Well, can I just add to that, Ed?</s>ED GORDON, host: Sure.</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): I just think it's doubtful that this administration is      going to do that.  I mean, they have tried very hard to basically      whitewash any racial disparities.  There was the report of the official      at Department of Justice who was removed from his job because he was      fighting the fact that they wanted to--that his bosses wanted to      eliminate any references to the fact that Latinos and African-Americans      were being racially profiled at high rates from a government report.      This has been going on for the last six years.  Every kind of report that      comes out, whether it's health disparities--even when it's meant to focus      on the issue of race, they don't want to talk about it.  So I think      that's going to be a very hard climb.</s>ED GORDON, host: Yeah, I know, but I think it goes beyond just the      administration.  I just mean people, in general, whether it be the media,      folks on the street.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Absolutely.</s>ED GORDON, host: I think we all have to start talking about race and be real      about where we stand on it and get past some of the taboo thought and      issue that we still have.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let's turn our attention to FEMA, and we heard from a representative of      FEMA this week that the agency does not want journalists who accompany      them in rescue boats to take pictures of those that are floating still in      the streets of New Orleans, those on the side of the road.  They say that      this kind of recovery needs to be done with dignity and respect.</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Yeah.</s>ED GORDON, host: George Curry, it's hard to hear those words from FEMA right now,      isn't it?</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): It's hard for me to hear anything from FEMA, quite frankly.      First of all, they wanted dignity and respect, they should have gone out      and rescued the people, and they did a poor job of that.  So, I mean--and      secondly, it's not their decision.  I don't want to trust any government      official, I don't care whether they're Republican or Democrat, to decide      what we can show the American public.  I think the news media is smart      enough not to show people's facial features, but at the same time, let's      not try to sanitize this whole thing.</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Part of the problem with FEMA--and they've got to focus on photographers      and everything else--is that they don't want to focus on their ineptitude      during this whole crisis.  And part of that--there's a story in The      Washington Post this morning that shows that five of the top eight FEMA      officials came to their post with virtually no experience in handling      disasters.  And the top three had connection with Bush's 2000 campaign.      So you've got this political payoff here, and you've got inept,      inexperienced people at the top, and they've botched this whole      operation.  And they want to talk about photographing?  You talk about      their performance.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Hey, Ed, I was...</s>ED GORDON, host: Karen, does Michael Brown...</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Go ahead.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...who heads FEMA--Karen, does he need to be fired?  And if so,      does he need to be fired today?  There are those who are actually going      as far, as I said, to call for suspending money to this organization      until, in fact, he's fired.</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): I think he does need to be fired.  His total lack of      sensitivity that has been shown in glaring light over the last week shows      that he's just not fit to lead an agency that is going to have a long      time in trying to help this region fully recover.</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): I want to note something, though, on the whole photography issue.  I      think it's a little different than the issue of the ban on photographing      the coffins of dead soldiers coming back from Iraq, which I feel is      clearly wrong, 'cause it is this issue of seeing individual people whose      bodies have been deteriorating for several days and the sensitivity to      their families.  But I agree that you should be able to photograph      something, in that, the media, with appropriate guidelines, about not      showing people's faces, the public really needs to know.  When you weigh      it against the public's need to fully understand and grasp the tragedy, I      think that really outweighs FEMA's concerns at least...</s>ED GORDON, host: Here's the real unfortunate part.  Roland, pick up but let me      just say this.  Here's the real unfortunate part of this.  Anyone that      would be photographed at this point probably would be quite frankly      unrecognizable by virtue of them laying in the heat, the humidity, the      water, and that is the sad part of all of this.  Roland, pick up on that.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Well, I actually ran a photo on our front page of one of      those bodies, and the reason being--that is on The Chicago      Defender--because I wanted people to fully understand exactly what is      going on there.  First, those of us in the news media, we know how to      make the judgments.  We don't need FEMA making those kind of judgments      for us.  If we're going to show the National Guard rescuing people from      helicopters, if we're going to show aid drives, if we're going to show      the American Red Cross and FEMA in meetings assisting people, I think you      show the good, the bad and the ugly of various situations and allow those      of us in the business to make the decision.  And if the readers and the      viewers decide that we have gone too far, trust me, from experience, they      will let us know immediately.</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): And I think there's nothing wrong with when you use a certain      taste here.  If you got people in a body bag, you don't see the dent      anyway. You remember we saw that picture over and over of the elderly      person in the wheelchair draped in it.  You know, you saw it but you saw      it in a respectful manner.  And I think as long as you operate along      those manners, I think there's nothing wrong with showing them.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let us also not lose the lesson that the late great John Johnson      gave us when they decided to show the picture of Emmett Till in Jet      magazine and the movement that caused.  Sometimes a grotesque picture can      speak volumes, Roland Martin, to moving people.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): I mean, absolutely.  When it was shown in Jet, when it was      shown in The Chicago Defender, people responded to it, and again, it's      all about judgment.  And those of us in the business--I mean, this is not      the first tragedy that we have covered.  I mean, it is not.  And so as      far as FEMA, what they should be doing--they're saying we don't have room      in our rescue boats, as they say it; that's fine.  Do what we do in other      tragedies.  You have a press pool.  A press pool follows a president      around when he's doing his photo ops and so if you have a press pool in      the situation of a press pool as they're going through rescues--because      also we're still discovering that they're still finding people who are      still trapped...</s>ED GORDON, host: Yeah.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): ...we saw again.  We don't need FEMA deciding that.  They      need to try to figure out how to take care of people and let the press do      what we do.</s>ED GORDON, host: All right.  Roland Martin...</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Mark my word on this.  Mark my word on this.  They can't stop      the press from showing those pictures.</s>ED GORDON, host: ...Karen Narasaki and George Curry, I thank you all for joining      us today.  Greatly appreciate it.</s>Mr. ROLAND MARTIN (Executive Editor, The Chicago Defender): Thank you.</s>Mr. GEORGE CURRY (Editor In Chief, The National Newspaper Publishers      Association News Service): Thank you.</s>Ms. KAREN NARASAKI (National Asian-Pacific American Legal Consortium): Great.</s>ED GORDON, host: You're listening to NEWS & NOTES from NPR News.