In the midst of the numerous fundraising campaigns for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, most people taking part in the relief effort are focused purely on helping those in need. Yet there are some who think the federal government has not done all it can to assist the hurricane victims. Among those who are concerned, rapper Kanye West stands out as a celebrity who decided to speak up about his opinions -- on live national television.
During the NBC live concert fundraiser for Katrina victims last Friday, West was expected to read from prepared scripts about the disaster. Instead, West expressed a belief that the media favors white people, that the government did not respond as quickly as it could have to the disaster because the victims were of lower socioeconomic status and that "Bush doesn't care about black people."
University students hold a range of opinions on whether West was out of line during the broadcast.
Third-year College student Samantha Norton said she thinks the government should not be blamed.
"No one knew the full extent of how bad the damage was going to be," Norton said.
In addition, Norton said, celebrities should not be looked to for information about world events.
"Kanye cannot speak for Bush -- he can't possibly know his intentions," she said. "Celebrities are perpetually overstepping boundaries. That's why we have the CIA, FBI, and other agencies -- to provide information to the executive branch to make informed decisions."
On the other hand, some students said they do not think West's remarks were objectionable.
Yet third-year College student Jalil Andraos said no matter what is said by a celebrity or anyone else, not much is going to change under the current administration.
"What celebrities have to say is usually very powerful, but not enough has been done to criticize Bush," Andraos said. "I mean, he's still in office, isn't he? It's good we're hearing a celebrity as big as Kanye speak his mind about Bush."
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