For the past
several days I've been watching the news regarding the devastation of
hurricane Katrina. What I'm really appalled about the most if how the
people of the city are referred to as refugees by some of the news
media. I prefer the state of their condition as it relates to the
situation: EVACUEES...seems more like it. Initially, MSNBC news
were referring to the people as refugees but changed this status to
evacuees after much verbal disapproval.
When I think of
refugees..third word countries come to mind in the midst of civil
upheaval , famines, etc. The United States is not a third world
country. Are these people being referred to as refugees due to
their lack of wealth? If the people were more upwardly mobile and
financially stable, I do not beleive that would be labeled as refugees.
I sought the online defininition of refugees and came across this at the US Immigration and Natrualization webpage: Refugee
is defined as a person outside his or her country of nationality who is
unable or unwilling to return because of persecution of a
well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion,
nationality, membership in a particular social group or political
opinion. Thus, this definition does not correspond to what the media is suggesting.
I regard the people of New Orleans as innocent US citizens who
have been sidelined by a devastating act of nature..therefore, they are
evacuees!
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