It has been just over three weeks since tragedy struck Haiti. More than 150,000 have died and just under 200,000 are injured. As Americans looking in on the devastation Haiti is experiencing we need to take action and educate those around us who don’t understand the situation.
Many of us watch the news and read the newspapers and are left thinking that the earthquakes in Haiti only affected the capital city of Port-Au- Prince. What we need to realize is that the problems are much deeper. Things are much worse in the cities and towns surrounding the capital.
If you are an American who thinks that we are putting too much money into Haiti relief and that the money is going down the drain, remember that 4,800 U.S. citizens are unaccounted for and 60 have been confirmed dead in Haiti.
Regardless American or Haitian, we are talking about people that need help. If you’re an American who says “who came to our aid when 9/11 hit us?,” remember that even countries that we are not friendly with, like Iran, offered aid. We are one of the most developed and wealthiest countries. Haiti is one of the poorest undeveloped countries in the world.
We also need to realize that things won’t get better in Haiti overnight. Therefore as privileged citizens of the United States we can’t forget about it overnight. We have to think long term. We have to invest in Haiti’s long-term development after the short-term crisis is past. We need to keep giving and keep it in the forefront of our minds and hearts.
