The concert been quite well done till now - between the songs, the celebrities are taking a few minutes to describe the suffering, and the need to care. And yes, Bill O'Reilly made an impassioned appeal to be 'friends' with the victims and contribute.

The song selection has been apposite, and well arranged.

Interesting auction items - coffee cup signed by all the celebs($2500), an autographed telephone ($3000)

The music is available for download from Sony's Connect store(IE only) and all proceeds go to the victims' relief programs

did anyone else see kanye say " george bush hates black people", then the camera cut off immediately, this is going to be huge.

Yep. Let's hope people can see beyond Mr. West's emotion and really think about what is behind such statements.

I am ashamed at Kanye's comments. It is stupid stuff like this that drags down all Africab Americans. He should apologize.

D

"Yep. Let's hope people can see beyond Mr. West's emotion and really think about what is behind such statements."

Oh great, another apologist for disgusting black behavior. There is nothing to "think about," lady, he's a racist thug getting away with it because cowardly white liberals won't judge him and ban him from TV.

HE'S a racist thug, and the reason is he's engaging in "disgusting black behavior."

where to even start

Show me where I apologized for Kanye West's words.

And people will ice skate in Hell before I consider seriously anything said by a human who calls people "schwartze." You call Mr. West a "racist thug?" Seems like a case of takes one to know one.

While I agree a benefit concert was not the right forum for Kayne to say those words, you cannot help but wonder if it is indeed the truth.

Bush does hate blacks if this had happened to 1'000s of white people troops would have been there sonner. It that people look down on the lower class. People are laying dead on the streets children are dieing for just because they are poor. America should be ashamed. If this i happening now what if we did get hit by a dirty bomb. We are not ready.

I don't want to say that Bush hates anyone. I don't know. And a telethon perhaps was an inappropriate place for sucb an over-the-top emotional outburst. But if Mr. West's comment gets people thinking and talking about important issues that, like it or not, are a big part of the disaster and the ways in which it has been (mis)handled in an effort to make positive change and promote a more equitable present and future for all people, that would be a good thing. Of course, as we see here, it likely will lead to lots of namecalling and bigoted comments (which, of course, allows us to see the bigots out in the open). All in all, Mr. West may have done us a favor in a sense.

Ok then, I'm going to post a provocative comment in hopes that it gets people thinking. In short, I'm going to do a "Kayne West" but from another racial perspective.

Black males in America, generally speaking, are predisposed to violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and crime. Surveys have shown that seventy per cent of all violent crimes in America are perpetrated by black males.

Well, Mr. "Schwartze" slinger, you certainly have me thinking.

"While I agree a benefit concert was not the right forum for Kayne to say those words, you cannot help but wonder if it is indeed the truth."

This type of bizarro conclusion is the sad product of hyper- "analyzation."

Perhaps, MSS, my conclusions just allow for additional evidence to be analyzed, before I spout off the type of racist comments like you make.

Mark, you say;

"Black males in America, generally speaking, are predisposed to violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and crime. Surveys have shown that seventy per cent of all violent crimes in America are perpetrated by black males."

first, who conducts the surveys?

second, would you agree that poverty-riddled areas are obviously gonna have higher crime rates? have you thought about WHY the statistics are so high, if they're accurate?

or maybe you're acceptin something you read cause it's somethin you already presume to be the case, an fuck it, who needs to bother thinkin bout it any deeper than that?

cause it seems to me flingin statistics from surveys you don't quote an leavin it at that without ANY thought regarding the information is as offensive as standin up and flat-out lying, which i know you so despise.

"have you thought about WHY the statistics are so high, if they're accurate?"

I don't care WHY people commit violent crimes. I know that they do and they should be punished severely.

"first, who conducts the surveys?"

That's irrelvant. No one asked Kayne West to cite his sources about Bush hating blacks and the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

"or maybe you're acceptin something you read cause it's somethin you already presume to be the case, an fuck it, who needs to bother thinkin bout it any deeper than that?"

Don't you think that you should be asking Kayne West the same question, but you won't because you agree with him?

"cause it seems to me flingin statistics from surveys you don't quote an leavin it at that without ANY thought regarding the information is as offensive as standin up"

I see, you are more concerned about giving criminals the benefit of the doubt than condeming lies about America.

That's very telling, aaron, I know where your allegiances lie.

I think Mark the Sane and Sensible is saying what Kanye West said was idiotic just like the statement he made.

"Don't you think that you should be asking Kayne West the same question, but you won't because you agree with him?"

Mark, if i haven't been questionin it with you for the last hour an gettin nowhere, then what the hell HAVE i been doin.

anyway, i'm off to bed. very draining, this has all become.

oh, an with regards irrelevant statistics - the source is NEVER irrelevant. if i quoted you a statistic from a survey you then found out was from Socialist Worker, you'd be unlikely to accept it.

"if i quoted you a statistic from a survey you then found out was from Socialist Worker, you'd be unlikely to accept it."

I certainly wouldn't if it was a criticism of the American free market system.

heh. nice. an my point made, also.

"heh. nice. an my point made, also."

not at all. The Socialist Worker, which is not a credible news source, has no business criticizing the American free market system. Socialists are diseased individuals. Anyone that believes in the redistribution of wealth should be drawn and quartered.

well get those knives sharpened, honey, i'm diseased to the back a the eyes. an i won't accept "statistics" from unnamed sources anymore than you would accept those SW cats tellin you all bout the economy.

Duke, I'm amazed you can carry on an Internet discussion:

This is from the government.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/cpracept.htm

"i'm diseased to the back a the eyes."

We can't all be perfect.

I am highly disappointed with these Blogs. Yes, we do have the right to say what we want, but we must also use discretion. Kanye is a very insightful person, but his comments were over the top. When I see Blogs like this, it shows that we do not understand how our government is designed.

1. The National Guard should have been the first military presence in the area. The body of government that controls the National Guard is the governor. Therefore, I guess we can both say that the governor's of three states failed to mobilize the assets needed to help manage the pending natural WMD headed for the area.
2. The New Orleans Mayor has not been heard from in several days. This is his city. He should be out in the front leading the response for this disaster (remember Rudy, Sept 11th). He is a black mayor, elected by "the poor, the black" majority. What has Mr. Kanye have to say to him?
3. The person who votes, it the person who get feeds. Minorities get out and vote. No excuses!
4. Kanye, politicians are politicians. Most have good hearts, but if they want to stay in power, they must follow their base. Since blacks do not vote, they are not the base. See #3.

I buy Kanye's music, but I seriously doubt buying anymore. What is his goal? Making blacks the top race in this country. If that is his goal, he will go down as another voice that screwed his opportunity to bridge relations in this country.