Now...the words that follow really ought to be ignored, deleted. But when I read them in an email forwarded to me (and I can't imagine what about me actually made this person think I'd appreciate a single word of it), I felt sick for a moment.

Hell...it's been longer than a "moment." I still feel sick. I wonder how much good I can really do in this world, where even those that I know and love can think that something this fucking ignorant is funny.

Forwarded Email: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED (from Hurricane Katrina)

Things I have learned from watching the news on TV during the last eight days:

The hurricane only hit black families' property.

New Orleans was devastated and no other city was affected by the hurricane

Mississippi is reported to have a tree blown down

New Orleans has no white people

The hurricane blew a limb off a tree in the yard of an Alabama resident

When you are hungry after a hurricane, steal a big screen TV

The hurricane did 23 billion dollars in improvements to New Orleans. Now the city is welfare, looters and gang free and they are in your city

White folks don't make good news stories

Don't give thanks to the thousands that came to help rescue you, instead bitch because the government hasn't given you a debit card yet

Only black family members got separated in the hurricane rescue efforts

Ignore warnings to evacuate and the white folks will come get you and give you money for being stupid

Email #2: