http://www.wbur.org/2009/08/18/flu-minorities WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.wbur.org/2009/08/18/flu-minorities/comment-page-1#comment-1010 OneReader Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:10:22 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=5659#comment-1010 Minorityperson asks whether the problem is impoverished minorities or minorities who happen to be impoverished but the article lists the hardest hit neighborhoods. I am not from Boston so I don't know, but are those neighborhoods filled with minorities? If they are not, then the question would be why are minorities overly affected? If they are, and the issue is actually poverty, why aren't white low-income areas as deeply affected? Or are there no pockets of poor white people in Boston? I think regardless, if the numbers are correct then it is showing that minorities, for whatever reason, are being hit hard. So instead of worrying about the wording, it would be more wise for minorities to take the message and be pro-active in keeping well. Minorityperson asks whether the problem is impoverished minorities or minorities who happen to be impoverished but the article lists the hardest hit neighborhoods. I am not from Boston so I don’t know, but are those neighborhoods filled with minorities? If they are not, then the question would be why are minorities overly affected? If they are, and the issue is actually poverty, why aren’t white low-income areas as deeply affected? Or are there no pockets of poor white people in Boston?
I think regardless, if the numbers are correct then it is showing that minorities, for whatever reason, are being hit hard. So instead of worrying about the wording, it would be more wise for minorities to take the message and be pro-active in keeping well.

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2009/08/18/flu-minorities/comment-page-1#comment-793 MuddyBuddy Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:30:52 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=5659#comment-793 I wonder if anyone has studied the professions of those catching the flu. It would seem that those at the largest risk for infection are those in the cleaning and medical industry. The Medical industry takes all kinds of measures to protect themselves, but how many maids, janitors are that lucky. Since minorities are over repersented in those fields, perhaps that is a major factor. I wonder if anyone has studied the professions of those catching the flu. It would seem that those at the largest risk for infection are those in the cleaning and medical industry. The Medical industry takes all kinds of measures to protect themselves, but how many maids, janitors are that lucky. Since minorities are over repersented in those fields, perhaps that is a major factor.

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2009/08/18/flu-minorities/comment-page-1#comment-789 minorityperson Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:43:31 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=5659#comment-789 It was curious that you reported this swine flue concentration and severity as affecting minorities. I asked myself if it is really a lower-income issue, or a densely populated neighborhood issue. Are more middle-class minorities affected than middle class majorities? Are lower-income majorities of the same neighborhoods and other dimensions less affected than lower-income minorities? The way your headline leads with stating that minorities are affected more is dis-colored to me and has a very disturbing implication. The fact is, and you do not have to be a genius to deduce it, poor people are less informed about staying healthy, have less time to care for themselves, have less access to healthcare, have less money to even buy flu medicine, live in more densely populated neighborhoods, etc., and it is a problem of poverty. The same can be said of many other problems that people always profess affects minorities, instead of stating that it actually affects poor people. The reason I like public radio is that you do not go for sensation headlines as much. Please keep your perspective on the root causes - is swine flu really affecting minorities who happen to be poor, or poor people who happen to be minorities? It was curious that you reported this swine flue concentration and severity as affecting minorities. I asked myself if it is really a lower-income issue, or a densely populated neighborhood issue. Are more middle-class minorities affected than middle class majorities? Are lower-income majorities of the same neighborhoods and other dimensions less affected than lower-income minorities? The way your headline leads with stating that minorities are affected more is dis-colored to me and has a very disturbing implication. The fact is, and you do not have to be a genius to deduce it, poor people are less informed about staying healthy, have less time to care for themselves, have less access to healthcare, have less money to even buy flu medicine, live in more densely populated neighborhoods, etc., and it is a problem of poverty. The same can be said of many other problems that people always profess affects minorities, instead of stating that it actually affects poor people. The reason I like public radio is that you do not go for sensation headlines as much. Please keep your perspective on the root causes – is swine flu really affecting minorities who happen to be poor, or poor people who happen to be minorities?

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