Haiti - The World Watches...

On Tuesday, January 12th, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. Over the next 72 hours, my faith in humanity and of the inner strength of those involved has been strengthened...as it so often is in times of major disasters. It is with a heavy, yet hopeful heart that I share these thoughts.

As I write this, the death toll is estimated to reach 50,000. An additional 300,000 people are estimated to be homeless. In a country that on it's best day is as corrupt and poorly prepared for normalcy, this disaster has presented a seemingly overwhelming challenge. Haiti, as has been often repeated on the news, is the poorest country in our hemisphere. There is no military (other than UN peacekeepers) and the police are of questionable integrity. Despite these obstacles...these citizens of our planet deserve and are receiving the help they so desperately need.

My Observations of Sorrow

The scenes of death and despair are on the level I have not seen in many years. Hundreds of bodies are lining the streets, and hundreds more are piling up outside those hospitals still operational. I have seen cars with arms and legs protruding from the trunk, and even more disturbing...various body parts sticking out of the rubble...a somber reminder that rescue is still the priority rather than recovery. Today, CNN is reporting that mass graves are being created (and filled) a few miles outside of Port-au-Prince. The lack of resources is resulting in the necessity to remove the decaying bodies from the streets. The result is that thousands of Haitian will never know what happened to their loved ones, as the majority of these bodies have not been identified. I am also anticipating that "The Orphans of Haiti" will be a term the world becomes all too familiar with...how many children have lost their parents?

My Observations of Hope

Some of the first pictures out of Haiti were those of people digging through rubble by hand to reach the survivors. I watched the story of people that moved concrete for over 6 hours to save a 15 year old girl...she survived. I watched today as hundreds of Haitians marched through the streets of Port-au-Prince singing songs of hope. They were not looting, they were not rioting...they were singing. The very first nation to answer the call for help was the Dominican Republic, a nation that shares almost 200 years of hostility and hatred with Haiti. In addition, the United States, Britain, Iceland, Chile, Norway, Japan, China, Brazil and many other countries have already responded with supplies and manpower.

My Observations on the Power of Social Networking

We have been witness to an amazing leap forward in the power of technology. Within MINUTES of the earthquake, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with the news. Within HOURS, the ability to donate money towards relief efforts were up and running, and within a DAY, more money had been raised that anyone thought humanly possible. This was directly attributed to social networking and people like you and I donating $5 or $10 dollars at a time. It was reported this morning that more money has been raised as a result of social networking than was raised for both Katrina and the Tsunami COMBINED. The Red Cross is raising money through text messages at a rate of $200,000 per hour. Talking to my friends online, many confirm that they made contributions. Some of these people (like me) live paycheck to paycheck, but shame on any of us that cannot afford to donate $5 to help save a fellow human being. What impresses me the most about the social networking phenomenon, is that it is mostly the younger people that are making this happen. Although I am a little older, many of my cyberspace friends are younger...and they have made me very proud. Here are some ways you can help:

Wyclef Jeans Organization Yele Haiti
Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5

American Red Cross
Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10

There are many more agencies that are directly working in Haiti and you can google for information on how to donate to them.

My Observations on the Sick Side of this Crisis

Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson. May they both die in a horrific manner on par with those in Haiti that they dismissed as unimportant. That's all I have to say about those two monumental scumbags.

My Final Thoughts

I am both touched and proud of my friends, my countrymen and my species. Once again the true value of life has been proven to outweigh the petty disagreements between us. There is no doubt that Haiti faces even more dire times to come. There will inevitably be the looting and fighting, and the criminal element will of course attempt to profit from this crisis. But for now, the eyes of the world are on the tiny country of Haiti - population 10 million. Those people need our positive thoughts, our prayers and most importantly our help. Please donate.