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OT - Haiti


Dana.

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Yeah. This is horrible.

 

I will pick a relief effort and donate.

 

I agree with D-Bon. I hope everyone here will consider helping these folks. Frankly, I can't imagine the horror they are experiencing right now.

 

 

 

 

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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It's ironic but the biggest natural disasters seem to target the poorest countries...

RIP for the thousands of dead people.

 

Unfortunately, no building codes etc. Political unrest and poverty make some countries more vulnerable.

 

Those poor people... :(

 

Regards,

Joe

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Political views aside, many US corporations, organizations, government organizations, and individual citizens contribute significantly to worldwide relief efforts - as we should.

 

Life is about connections, and acting to relieve human suffering seems pretty basic. Using easy targets like greedy banker bonuses to excuse our individual responsibility is just wrong.

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D-Bon, thanks for posting this info.

 

This thread certainly shouldn't become political and/or a platform for personal views.

 

During a crisis, folks need to pull together and/or help out if possible. Save the BS for a better time and place. :cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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wow, this is awful. i plan on speading the word on the red cross thing as much as i can. dunno about the details of the organization (hoping it is an effective way to reach people), but this is an opportunity for the facebook/twitter/ning apparatus to do some real good. small donation (x) a lot of people = a lot of help.

 

This thread certainly shouldn't become political and/or a platform for personal views.

i definitely agree, not the time or place. i gotta say that i do think tragedies are often political. as noted above, this crisis would not have been as severe in a country of better means. above all, this fact should be a motivator to help out. but i don't think it's unacceptable to rage against the inequalities that amplify such tragedies (as long as it's in conjunction with something useful). People should donate and spread the word!

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Locally the CT Norwich Diocese has a Mission House in Haiti (www.haitianministries.org). It was destroyed and several workers injured.

 

In the past the Haitian Ministries offered a 7-day immersion trip to Haiti's underbelly (orphanages, hospitals etc) to raise awareness for a modest $700.00.

 

I'm sure there are similar stories in many of your communities.

 

Not all have funds to help the Haitians but as has been said many times before prayer and raising conciousness is cheap as is starting threads on your favorite forums as D-Bon did on this one.

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"the CT Norwich Diocese has a Mission House in Haiti..."

 

The Rock'N'Roll GirlFriend spent quite some time at a mission in Hatti at a similar mission, trying to help.

 

The unfortunate thing, in my view, is that this is a people and a country that wants lots of help, so long as they do not have to do anything for themselves.

 

My experiences were not pleasant. Lots of gun-waving, threatening, abusive individuals.

 

No one likes to see people hurting, and natural disasters should affect all of us the same way... 'how can I help, what can I do...'. But I can't get worked up about a country that works so hard to take advantage of the generosity of its neighbors and works so hard to abuse its own people. Political killings, government supported gangs, atrocities on a regular basis.... I can't get worked up about sending money when all our past experiences tell us that the people who need it will never get it and the money will all line the pockets of the people in power.

 

I too suggest that if you want to help, contact an existing agency with people already on the ground there.

 

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Billions has been given by the USA to Haiti over the years and will continue to be, yet their is and likely will continue to be no change in the long-term situation there.

 

My point is that money alone and knee-jerk emotional giving does not quench the needs of these impoverished people. Give smart, try to be sure the aid gets where it needs to go, otherwise, it will be stolen and lost, and much suffering will continue.

 

If you want to be a resposible giver, be responsible enough to see to it that the money is used effectively.

 

The history shows terrible corruption in the Haitian system....please don't add to that just so you feel good about giving.

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Some of the things I'm seeing.. Wow, one can only pray, and donate.

 

Here's a special thank you and blessing going out to all those on planes and ships from all over the world, just about to show up to begin the relief. I couldn't imagine that place a week from now without the coming efforts.

TROLL . . . ish.
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My experiences were not pleasant. Lots of gun-waving, threatening, abusive individuals.

 

No one likes to see people hurting, and natural disasters should affect all of us the same way... 'how can I help, what can I do...'. But I can't get worked up about a country that works so hard to take advantage of the generosity of its neighbors and works so hard to abuse its own people. Political killings, government supported gangs, atrocities on a regular basis.... I can't get worked up about sending money when all our past experiences tell us that the people who need it will never get it and the money will all line the pockets of the people in power.

 

 

When Father Aristide first came to power riding the wave of popularity of Marxist/Catholic Liberation Theology on Radio Soleil in 1991 there were those that wanted him to ignore the Catholic Church's admonitions on violence and take the pure Marxist Castro route: Nationalize everything, expel the oligarchs, old guard military, and all opposition and follow a military triage model concentrating on universal literacy and medical care, food independence and community shelter.

 

History will determine whether the decision to keep Haiti a capitalist democracy was the correct one.

 

I'm not sure if those lobbying for Aristide's return from exile have the answer. It may be like pouring gasoline on a burning fire. That issue is likely to make the front pages this week. Something positive may come out of this catastrophe yet. More likely it will just be more ugly politics.

 

And yes, people are dying and Haitians themselves won't be in control of much of the aid money coming in.

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OMG.. watching CNN this evening, I've seen a few things that are so very unsettling.

 

They had started the day reporting on the aid finally reaching the wounded and hungry etc. One report was showing a medical tent where UN doctors and nurses were treating people. Dr Sanjay Guptah was the reporter. At some point there were "rumors" of riots, shooting and looting possibly headed their way, so someone gave the order, and they pulled out all the UN doctors, nurses, and most of the equipment. Now, many hours later, after the rumors are unfounded, Sanjay is the only Dr there, treating a tent full of people by himself. WTF?!! He's a reporter for crissakes!!!

 

-UN attempts feeding people by a field with MRE's, the crowd gets very unruly, the men jockeying for position and complaining about the expiration dates on the food. So rather than just communicate on a bullhorn the manufacture date is not the exp date in order to calm the men down, these armed UN men just pull out, truck still full of food.

 

-Mass graves with no ID of who the dead were.

 

-The 11yr old girl who was broadcast all day yesterday while being rescued by her neighbors as she was trapped under concrete for 2 days, was taken to some distant hospital and died there from her leg injuries or infection. Couldn't they have flown her to one of the US ships or to the dozens of doctors huddled at the airport?!!

 

-Every single news channel showing C-130's with tons of food and water pouring out of them... All that food and water still sitting at the airport, yet to be taken anywhere.

 

...On and on and on. Earlier I thought this may be the best response for any disaster ever, yet because so many delays caused by fear, or lack of international organization, there could officially be another disaster caused by the relief effort. So many people died today and yesterday that did not have to. And it's sickening.

 

Can somebody PLEASE appoint General Russell Honore' as head of the UN relief force, and let's stop this madness!!

TROLL . . . ish.
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people are dying, yo. Like, as we speak.

 

 

Last night, I discovered another giving option: ebay has a "Support earthquake relief in Haiti" banner near the top of their homepage. Once you click on the "Go", a list of organizations is provided (Red Cross included); plus you can specify a donation amount via paypal - an option that wasn't available on other sites, and the one that worked best for me at the time. I believe that others in my immediate family are using the text/cell phone bill option.

Certainly the country of Haiti has an unstable political history, with no small degree of corruption; but that's been the case with many nations over the course of history. I can only hope that, with more controls being put into place by the increasing world support presence daily, our donations will make an effective difference.

Coming back to the continuing coverage each night on the TV in my NAMM hotel room has been a sobering reminder of this tragic reality. But, I am encouraged by the strong community response - both at NAMM, and from this group, so far. Times like this remind me of how much we all need one another's support. Who knows when some of us made need the same level of help: this one could have just as easily been the San Adreas fault giving way instead of the continental rift near Haiti.

 

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fox is reporting an orphanage of babies, many of which are legally adopted into American families but are now stranded. The orphanage has been attacked by looters twice in an attempt to get whatever goods are there.

 

Fox reports that not one person, whether doctor, aid worker, police, or anyone has assisted these children since the quake.

 

I realize that Haiti is a soveriegn nation and their government must be respected. However, it also seems that if that government cannot function then the UN should declare it null and void and thereby take the responsibility to get moving and eliminiate the bureaucratic red tape.

 

Meanwhile, without formula, water, medicine, protection, further disaster is imminent.....yet the orphanage workers and children are singing the hours away.

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Fox is reporting an orphanage of babies, many of which are legally adopted into American families but are now stranded. The orphanage has been attacked by looters twice in an attempt to get whatever goods are there.

 

Fox reports that not one person, whether doctor, aid worker, police, or anyone has assisted these children since the quake.

 

I realize that Haiti is a soveriegn nation and their government must be respected. However, it also seems that if that government cannot function then the UN should declare it null and void and thereby take the responsibility to get moving and eliminiate the bureaucratic red tape.

 

Meanwhile, without formula, water, medicine, protection, further disaster is imminent.....yet the orphanage workers and children are singing the hours away.

 

That's terrible. I just talked to my wife about this. She's a NICU nurse and has expressed that she'd like to volunteer and assist. However the Red Cross and MSF aren't accepting voluteers for travel to Haiti.

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Not to be political, but please consider the source if this is Fox News. They do have a history of presenting things in a certain light for certain reasons. I followed their Haiti coverage and it seemed very political (surprise). They had virtually no coverage of the earthquake for the first day or two, and only started having some when this was pointed out, and even then, it was more "where did all our previous aid money go" and "are aid workers being attacked." If my post appears political, I apologize - just trying to point out what I think are the politics in an otherwise non political situation.
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Not to be political, but please consider the source if this is Fox News. They do have a history of presenting things in a certain light for certain reasons. I followed their Haiti coverage and it seemed very political (surprise). They had virtually no coverage of the earthquake for the first day or two, and only started having some when this was pointed out, and even then, it was more "where did all our previous aid money go" and "are aid workers being attacked." If my post appears political, I apologize - just trying to point out what I think are the politics in an otherwise non political situation.

 

To say Fox did not report on this for 2 days is...well its absolutely untrue. Please refrain from biased and stupid comments regarding issues of this magnitude. Fox has more feet on the ground reporting than any other news crew in the world. I have no political axe to grind in this matter.

 

The Red Cross is reporting that they have reached these children at the "Children of God Orphanage" with food and formula. However, due to the age of these infants, they will need to be removed as soon as possible.

 

 

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Not to be political, but please consider the source if this is Fox News. They do have a history of presenting things in a certain light for certain reasons. I followed their Haiti coverage and it seemed very political (surprise). They had virtually no coverage of the earthquake for the first day or two, and only started having some when this was pointed out, and even then, it was more "where did all our previous aid money go" and "are aid workers being attacked." If my post appears political, I apologize - just trying to point out what I think are the politics in an otherwise non political situation.

 

To say Fox did not report on this for 2 days is...well its absolutely untrue. Please refrain from biased and stupid comments regarding issues of this magnitude. Fox has more feet on the ground reporting than any other news crew in the world. I have no political axe to grind in this matter.

 

The Red Cross is reporting that they have reached these children at the "Children of God Orphanage" with food and formula. However, due to the age of these infants, they will need to be removed as soon as possible.

 

 

I did not know they have more feet on the ground than any other news organization.

 

Clearly I should have not brought this up, for that I apologize, although of course I stand by what I said.

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