Mwen di ou messie nou menti

Something terrible happened in Haiti just the other day. Oh, and there was an earthquake as well. Tuesday brought the walls crumbling down in a republic that was already in tatters. The simple fact that people have begun an outpouring of support shows just how fad conscious this country really is. Haiti has long been a deeply impoverished nation. I was going to have a section roughly titled something like: The person Least deserving of their space here on earth; or the PLDOTSHOE of the week if you will. But I’ve since decided that anyone who can make it one day on this wretched rock without being raped, murdered, or volcanoed to death deserves the next day given them.

Life is hard and there is no reason to take anything away from anyone. Haiti in particular with its 60% literacy rate, average yearly income of $560 USD, and overall lack of access to modern day amenities; it’s no small wonder why they were hit so hard by this devastating natural disaster. So don’t mistake me for a Pat Robertson disciple when I say I feel no motivation to assist in this humanitarian effort. I’ve long been a fan of Wyclef Jean and have supported and donated to his efforts on that island for years now. And while this effort is much needed, I think the motivation for our government has as much to do with a need to avoid another scenario in which they’re perceived to be sitting on their hands ala’ Katrina as anything. While our citizens are just caught up in the hype of another trending topic, please believe that no matter what happens, Post-Katrina New Orleans will be just like Haiti in that once the relief efforts have come to a halt, and people turn their attention elsewhere, those who live there will be again forgotten, left with the same substandard conditions they had to begin with…if they’re lucky. You don’t believe me? Ask the folks in Sri Lanka or Samoa, anyone remember the tsunami in Singapore? The woman whose fiancé was taken from her that day does.

Yele Haiti

So please, text, call, send help, GO if you can; do whatever you can to help these people and others. But don’t stop when the fervor ends. Too often these tropical places are only salvaged because they are vacation spots but the indigenous people are largely uncared for. Don’t do it because I said so, do it because it’s right; Let us remember, I’m not talking to you.

1 comment:

  1. The number of US citizens that have died/survived that Earthquake should be a sign that while that country is impoverished, while our country is one to be caught up in the hype- there are MANY who travel there to help, year-round.

    Thanks for the post!

    ReplyDelete