Who Really Gives a Damn: Haiti

I'm sorry, but I just don't really give a damn about the Haiti situation. There, I said it. I'm the most hateful person in the world. I have no heart. I'm cruel. I'm an evil bitch.

Oh well.

Yes, I am saddened by the potentially catastrophic loss of life. I'm sorry that many people probably suffered cruelly in their final moments. I'm sorry that families have been torn apart. I am honestly sorry about all those things. However, death is a natural part of life. Although we try our hardest, we don't really get to control how we depart this sweet earth. Some Haitian was probably living a very healthful life, eating his vegetables, exercising daily only to have a poorly constructed building fall atop his head. There's nothing he can do about that. There's nothing any of us can do about dying, only hope that we go with dignity and that there isn't any unnecessary suffering in the end.

Having said all that, I admit that I could really give two shits for their suffering and agony right now. I didn't care before the earthquake, so why should I care now? Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the CIA World Factbook, 80 per cent of the population lives in abject poverty. Approximately 2/3 of the population doesn't have a formal job. Unemployment is rampant. About half of the country is literate in its own language. The life expectancy is approximately 60 years of age. SIXTY. That means, the average person dies around that age. Of course, some live longer, some live shorter, but on average, at sixty, that's pretty much it. All of this was fact before the earthquake. Haiti is a country that has been plagued with a corrupt government and inept leadership for decades. Their problems did not begin with this devastating earthquake, but are merely compounded.

Knowing all of that, I didn't donate one brown penny to help them before this disaster and I can't see how giving them a penny now would be any different. I don't believe in throwing good money after bad.

Since last week's earthquake, I've been innundated with all these heartstring miserable stories about people dying in the streets, starving, orphans trapped beneath rubble, etc. etc. Cry me a freaking river. The only difference now is that all of their buildings have crumbled down around their feet. They were dying in the streets before. They were starving before. The only reason why orphans are trapped beneath rubble is because they were already orphans. Now there are more orphans, but what's the difference? How come Brangelina didn't donate $1 million a week before the earthquake? Why didn't Wyclef Jean have a charity concert last month? MSN reported that Sandra Bullock donated $1 million out of her own money. CNN reported that some Muslim American association has gathered up $800,000 so far. All the major powers of the world are sending doctors and nurses, military men, and all this aid to the country in their hour of need. They needed all of that before. Where was the outpouring of relief then?

I read on MSNBC that scientists knew that a bad earthquake could hit the Caribbean region. They published some report in some scientific journal. Well, if you knew that, why didn't some celebrity sponsor some architects to go over there and help build a better infrastructure for an area that could be devastated? What about foreplanning? Why does everyone act like they care after some major disaster? Just like Katrina. Afterwards, everyone was like, "Oh, yeah, we knew the levees wouldn't hold." Okay, if you knew that, why didn't you start planning? Why didn't some celebrity hold a bake sale to put money in some kind of savings in case something happens to the people? How come nobody ever thinks of anything until afterwards?

How come nobody cares beforehand but afterward, it's all like, "Oh, my God, help the people." That's why I said I don't care. Pre-earthquake, I could barely tell you where Haiti was located. Yeah, I do know because I'm good at geography, but like actually giving a damn? No, not at all, and I can't say that I care now. I don't blame Haiti for having an earthquake, of course, nobody causes earthquakes, but I do blame them for not taking care of themselves. Their government is a piece of shit, and now that crappy ass government is holding its hand out. I bet they are actually grateful something happened because now the spotlight is on them. The president of Haiti has already said they would need long-term assistance in order to get back right. Well, you weren't right in the first place, and everybody would be shamed if they got Haiti back to the exact position it was before: a piece of shit. But no, you know you can't do that, you have to build it better. So, in effect, Haiti is getting a free ride, something it would not have gotten if this earthquake had never happened.

What if we went in and rebuilt all those shitty ass buildings back to the same sorry standard in which they were built? That's all you had before, so why should we make it better, especially since we never had any intention of doing anything for you? We were scarcely away of your existence the night before the earth shook.

I read that the nation's only prison collapsed. It was a 95 year old dilapidated building and it fell to the ground and now all the criminals are free. So now somebody has got to go in and build Haiti a brand new fancy prison with state of the art everything and round up all the criminals for them because they can't do it themselves. According to reports, Haiti's police force has been diminshed to approximately 1500, down from 4000. So now, the U.S. and other first world counries need to send in their own militaries to help keep the peace. And until Haiti's police force can get back right, our soldiers have to stay over there. News flash: we already have a shit ton of soldiers in other places they don't need to be.

When does it end? How come none of the celebrities were over there getting the Haitians to learn how to read and write in their own language? Half of them are illiterate, which is almost the basis of a poor nation. If you're uneducated, chances are, you're going to be dirt poor. How come none of the celebrities were trying to build jobs for the Haitians to work? How come nobody was adopting Haitian orphans before?

How come Haiti wasn't helping Haiti? How come Haiti isn't helping Haiti now?

You know what I just read? I read an article about the tent towns that have cropped up in the parks because most of the homes are destroyed. The reported stated that there was a decided sense of hopelessness in the tent towns. He wrote "men sit around staring off into space, milling around and praying."

Milling around and praying. Really? Really. While Israelis, Chinese, French, Americans, Brazilians, etc are out busting their asses trying to clear rubble, rescue survivors and distribute aid, and the Haitians who did survive are milling around and praying? How about you get off your ass, stop milling around and help out. Why don't you organise the wounded into one location so the Doctors Without Borders can find them easily to do what they do best? How about you try to figure out what to do with the trash that is piling up? How about you organise yourselves so you can keep the peace in your little tent town neighbourhood, protect all the orphans? Or get the dead situated so they can be buried. Search for food and water. Help clear rubble so the aid can reach you.

It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it will give you an occupation and take your mind off the hopelessness that is pressing down upon you. It will empower you and let you know that you are in charge of your own destiny. Even in the face of disaster, there are still some things you can control. Milling around accomplishes nothing. Don't sit around waiting for someone to save you, save yourself!

In Italy last year there was a devastating earthquake. It was 6.3 on the Richter scale compared with 7.0 in Haiti. There are some major differences. Approximately 300 people died in Italy but that's because they didn't live in dilapidated unsafe buildings. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless, but they quickly organised into tent cities and a week after the earthquake, their children were back in school (tent schools). Different "neighbourhoods" in the tent cities formed little associations with a leader just to keep things organised, to keep people occupied so they wouldn't go crazy. The media did report on this earthquake, but you didn't see dead people lying all out in the street, homeless kids wandering around looking all devastated and all the other sad depressing images we're seeing out of Haiti.

The difference is that Italy is established and prepared before disaster strikes and afterwards, they took matters into their own hands. Most Italians can read their own language; most of them are employed. That country is not impoverished. They can take care of themselves. There was relief and aid sent in, but American celebrities didn't have to hock their jewels and hold charity concerts in order for them to get back on their feet.

Some people may see that as comparing apples to oranges, but my point is, if somebody actually cared about Haiti in the first place, there wouldn't be all of this right now.

I don't like the hypocrisy that is coming out of this. I don't like the exploitation. All of my friends on Facebook and Twitter are talking about donating and whatnot. Did you donate before? Did you even know where Haiti was? Did you even care? Why do you care now? Because you're trying assuage the guilt you feel? You see these tragic looking battered children in a broke down palace and you feel guilty because you just threw out a half eaten prime rib? You think that by texting YELE to make a wack ass $5 donation on your cell phone bill, you will suddenly feel vindicated? Get real and get over yourself.

Once the media stops exploiting the tragedy you will forget about it.

Just like Katrina, the tsunami of 2004, and ever other great disaster. Nobody cared before and nobody cares now.