Haiti: In An Unfair World, A Country At The Bottom Finds New Depths

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
—Martin Luther King

When I was in school at NC State, I wrote an article on Haiti for my Environmental Politics class. The more research I did, the more depressing it became to learn of the island country’s desperate poverty, ruinous ecological practices, rampant political corruption and inarguable status as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

From an environmental point of view, in essence, a lack of resources and resource stewardship led to deforestation, which led to soil erosion, which led to desertification, which led to the land having no natural defenses, which led to Haiti becoming an ideal target for and frequent victim of horrific flooding and mudslides. This month’s earthquake -- and now word of an aftershock to the magnitude of 6.1 today -- was the latest in a string of natural disasters, and the resulting destruction of infrastructure and hellacious damage to such a poverty-stricken region feels like some unfeeling god’s version of kicking the christ out of a dead horse.

Now, as the world turns its eye toward Haiti and extends a helping hand in its destruction, our planet’s scum has risen from the depths to take advantage. I maintain that there is a special spot in Dante’s hell for those who would steal money intended to help people who have less than nothing, yet this type of fraud and abuse persists.

You’re already being asked by so many to give as much as you can, so I’m not going to add my voice to the fray, in the hopes that those who know more and better how you can assist can carry their voices as far and clearly as possible. But I will say that if you live in Raleigh, and you’re interested in ways to get involved in the Haiti situation, NewRaleigh can point you in the right direction. On a national level, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and the American Red Cross are two other proven ventures that will ensure that your money makes it to the right hands.

Nothing that any of us can say, or write, or pray, or give, seems like enough in such a dark and desolate situation. Yet it falls to each of us to ensure that something is said, words are written, prayers and thoughts are delivered, and hope is given. For Haiti’s motto is “Strength Through Unity” … and in a time when strength is wanting and bonds have been broken, it falls upon the global community to unify for the strength needed to lift up a fallen neighbor.