NEW YORK (AP) — Teresa Heinz Kerry, encouraging volunteers as they busily packed supplies Wednesday for hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean, said she was concerned the effort was too focused on sending clothes instead of essentials like water and electric generators.

"Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids," said Heinz Kerry, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. "Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes."

Heinz Kerry stopped by a market in the heart of Brooklyn's Caribbean community, where she spoke French with Haitian vendors and shook hands with volunteers busy packing food, clothes and other relief supplies to be shipped to several Carribean islands hit by Hurricane Ivan. Her husband's campaign donated water, blankets and first aid kits.

"I think it's important we help all the kids we can," Heinz Kerry said.

Ivan swept through the Caribbean last week, killing more than 60 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Dr. Roy A. Hastick Sr., president of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and coordinator of the market's relief effort, said the visit helped make difficult days a bit brighter.

"It's a major boost for us and the community to show we have someone on a national level concerned with what's happening in the Caribbean region," Hastick Sr. said.

Supporters gathered on the sidewalk shouted "We love you," and "Good luck" as Heinz Kerry made her way to a waiting car.
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I think her heart was in the right place, but there are a lot of blacks angry about that statement.

I don't see anywhere where she said anything about blacks going naked? Besides, I think its quite obvious what she was doing. She was prioritizing the needs of the people down there. Obviously clean water is the most important thing right now, and then generators followed by food, and then clothing. You are right, her heart was in the right place, but what do her comments have to do with blacks? What I'm trying to say is that I don't feel she made this a race issue in any way. If anything she made it an age issue by saying at least the kids could go naked.

she was talking about people in Carribean Islands (mostly black) who, for the most part are VERY poor. Many of them can't afford proper clothing, so they wear whatever they have, sometimes that is nothing. Her comment just seemed a bit insensitive, that's all. But that's not so surprising coming from a woman who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth....

She's such a snob. She and her husband both.

__________________
"If the President simply adds a couple of Republican solutions to a trillion dollar health care package that the American people don't support, it isn't bi-partisan. It's political cover," Rep Eric Cantor (R-Va.)

Obviously the Carribean Islands are mostly black, however, she was trying to make a point that our efforts should not be to make sure clothing gets there, but to make sure we get water and food to the people. Clothing can come later. I don't believe it was insensitive to make a point to say what she said. It may have been a poor choice of words, but her point was simple (Water/Food > clothing). Its not like the people of that part of the world are going to freeze to death or anything, it is the Carribean for pete's sake...

I am not saying her sentiment is wrong, it probably wasn't. Nor am I trying to say that people don't have the right to be offended, I think they do. I am not black, so I can't decide as to whether or not it should be offensive to black people. Personally, I don't think it's a huge deal, but that's not my concern.

My point in all of this is that Heinz-Kerry, while trying to be sensitive and make a bad situation better, stuck her foot in her mouth. One of the reasons is probably because she has lived such a life of privalege all her life. I guarentee a person who has lived in poverty would have NEVER word it like she did.

Hans...I understand what you are saying. I suppose as a white man, I don't have the right to say what is and is not offensive to black people. I am with you, I don't see why it would be a big deal, but I've also always been able to afford clothing. You have a point. She did seem to put her foot in her mouth on this, thinking of it that way. I did say she used a poor choice of words. That in itself is putting your foot in your mouth. I do wonder how her life of privalege played into her saying what she said?

Yeah, I think if you put yourself in the shoes of the average Haitian, the statement sounds pretty arrogant. She could have said the same thing and left out the naked part and we probably never would have heard about it, or said something like, "We don't want people to go naked, but it's absolutely essential that we ensure they have water, generators and food."

I don't think that she had put her foot in her mouth or anything like that. I thought maybe she was calling people names or something. This is rather trival piece of election time press.

__________________
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH