LadyFish
Admiral
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2003
- Messages
- 6,894
Hurricane names have been too lily white for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). She says all ethnic groups should be represented.<br /><br />The 2003 hurricane season is here, and that means a whole new list of names such as Larry, Sam and Wanda ready to make tropical-storm history.<br /><br />Although Spanish and French names are included in this years lineup, among them Juan and Claudette, which struck Texas last week, popular African American names, like Keisha, Jamal and Deshawn, are nowhere to be found.<br /><br />Some black lawmakers dont seem to mind, but Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) does. All racial groups should be represented, said Lee.<br /> <br />Courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration Hurricane names have been too lily white for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). She says all ethnic groups should be represented.<br /><br />The World Meteorological Organization began naming tropical storms after women in 1953. That made sense to scientists at the time who thought women and storms were both unpredictable. After feminist groups protested, mens names were added in 1979.<br /><br />The National Weather Service says hurricane names are derived from languages spoken in areas that border the Atlantic Ocean, where such storms occur. Yet that doesnt explain why Gaston, Ernesto and Cindy were chosen and Antwon, Destiny and Latonya were passed over.<br /><br />Lee said she hoped in the future the weather establishment would try to be inclusive of African American names.<br /><br />That could take a while. The current roster of hurricane names isnt due to be updated until 2007. <br />Source<br /><br />The funny thing is if black names had been used, Sheila Jackson Lee would've come out against it as playing on stereotypes of blacks as violent. She also would've sued somebody for racism for using the term "African American names." 
<br /><br />When is this nonsense going to stop? And, we pay this woman's salary. She is an embarrassment to Texas.
<br /><br />When is this nonsense going to stop? And, we pay this woman's salary. She is an embarrassment to Texas.
