Kanye West owes me a Sprite. That's what came out of my mouth last Friday when he "deviated" from NBC's script. I couldn't believe the timing of his message or the way he delivered it.

"George Bush does not care about black people." With that sentence, Hurricane Kanye hit the shores. West has always been an outspoken critic of race relations in America. He has every right to be a critic of them. One of this country's greatest strengths is its staunch defense of radical, unpopular speech.

But West had no right to turn a telethon for relief into a pulpit. There is a time and place for certain criticisms. His comments added turmoil to a situation that already has too much of it.

I can understand his frustrations with the over-characterization of blacks as "looters" in New Orleans. But the fact of the matter is that blacks are looting in New Orleans. So are white people. Much of the area surrounding New Orleans has become a jungle. Some of the people in New Orleans have turned to savage acts fit for a jungle. They are murdering, raping, stealing and living without fear of reprisal.

So when President Bush orders National Guardsmen to restore order to the city it is not because he dislikes blacks, whites or any other race. It is because there is a need to bring order to chaos. A "zero-tolerance" policy for looters is not aimed at a certain race. And it certainly isn't an excuse to shoot blacks.

I doubt Kanye realizes that Bush is trying to help people in the Gulf with a "zero-tolerance" policy. By getting the guns and Molotov cocktails out of the hands of looters, the evacuation and relief efforts will carry on under a blanket of safety.

For every looter that is stopped another potential black or white victim is saved from a possible rape or mugging. But West was more concerned with making headlines than offering help to the black people he thinks are being persecuted.

He could have organized his own charity event and donated the proceeds specifically to black organizations. He could have hosted concerts and donated that money to black communities in New Orleans that are reeling in the wake of Katrina. Instead, West chose to rant and rave at a charity event to bolster his reputation as a champion of the black community.

When tragedy strikes unity is essential for a return to normalcy. West's comments about Bush, "sending soldiers to shoot (blacks)" is hardly the language of unity. It is the language of a twit.

As I said, West has every right to say what he wants about our president and his politics. But a singer that characterizes some blacks with racial slurs in his lyrics ("College Dropout") ought to think twice about who he criticizes for racial prejudices. Especially when the lyrics that bring him mega-bucks fuel some of the racial prejudices of this country.

This viewpoint was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 6, 2005.