Thinking of Jill Carroll

The news about Jill Carroll is a matter of grave concern. After reading this post by Jane at Firedoglake I had a greater appreciation of the dangers that journalists face in Iraq. Anyway, this morning our thoughts are with Jill and her family.

I don't know Jill but I understand she is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. This is the university where I did graduate work in the late 1970's.

Update:

I did some venting yesterday about CNN's obsession regarding remarks by New Orleans mayor Nagin. After watching Anderson Cooper last night I was feeling even more pissed-off with those guys.

Essentially, what Nagin did was assure some members of the diaspora that New Orleans would continue to be a predominately African American city. He was responding to the deep suspicion that many African Americans will not be able to return...and will not be welcome.

There is no doubt that the city is whiter than it was before Hurricane Katrina. The city has gone from an African American population of 65% before Katrina to a current population estimated at 35% to 40% African American.

In a media environment where CNN has just hired a pundit best known for referring to Katrina survivors as "scumbags" it is easy to understand the paranoia.