The racial gulf

As brackish floodwaters are pumped back into Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain, what’s left behind is pretty nasty. Unusable buildings, decimated neighborhoods, and — surprise! — ugly issues of race. According to a Pew Research Center poll, three-quarters of white Americans think that race played no part in the bayou rescue fiasco, while two-thirds of blacks think it was a factor. Talk about a gulf ripe for a storm.

America may be uncomfortable talking about racial inequities, but cartoonists readily speak out in black and white. While TV replayed images of unused and submerged buses, Mike Luckovich reminded us who sits where. And while Matt Davies showed how the hurricane threw the White House into action, Signe Wilkinson caustically reminded us that in racial politics, it’s hard to tell friend from photo-op.

— Joel Pett