> The giant aircraft carriers of the US Navy are run
> like modern cities ... Boarding one is like entering a time
> warp back to the former Deep South. In the bowels of the
> carrier, where the crew are cooped up for six months at a
> time, manual workers sleep dozens to a room. Most are black
> or Puerto Rican, paid $7,000 to $10,000 a year to work in
> the broiling temperatures of the kitchens and engine rooms.
This is pretty inflamatory stuff. Also way wrong. There's no one in the government who makes the equivalent of $3.50->$5.00/hr (roughly 2000 hours in a year). $14k is about right for Joe Nobody walking in the door, and it rises quickly. That doesn't include other tax-advantaged benefits like housing allowences, clothing and travel. I'm not saying it's a great deal, but it's not illegal wage labor.
For those who care, here's a recent summary of racial breakdowns for recruits (admitedly, the crappy jobs on a ship are manned by the newest recruits):
http://dticaw.dtic.mil/prhome/poprep99/html/chapter2/c2_race.htm
Say what you will about the military, but it's more supportive (in terms of advancement opportunities, etc.) of minorities (and women, and "the poor") than the civilian world. For many people (not just minorities), it's the way out. "Most" are _not_ "Black or Puerto Rican" ...
> As you move up the 11 segregated levels towards the pilots'
> quarters beneath the deck, the living quarters become larger,
> the air cooler and the skin tones lighter.
A recent summary for officers (with some interesting analysis of the racial issues) can be found here:
http://dticaw.dtic.mil/prhome/poprep99/html/chapter4/c4-race.htm
They blame the schools for not providing enough high-school graduates and the competitive markets for college-educated minorities :-)
> Access to the deck, which buzzes with F14 and F18 aircraft
> taking part in exercises, is banned for all except the flight
> crew.
This makes it sound like only fly-boys get to see the light of day. In fact, the majority of "flight crew" personnel are enlisted (as opposed to officer) rank, and the reason for the prohibition is one of safety! An aircraft carrier flight deck is perhaps the most dangerous workplace in the US.
I'm having a hard time understanding the slant of this reporter: the Kitty Hawk sailors involved in violent crimes has something to do with the deep South? 'Splain it to me, Lucy.
/jordan