Haitian Earthquake Relief Efforts Are a Heartfelt Priority for Americans

There has been an awful lot of talk about Haiti since the earthquake devastated the island on January 12, 2010, and much of it is unkind and untrue. The one thing that has angered me the most is a statement that "The American people would be more willing to help Haiti if there weren't so many Haitians there." I do not know whether this was said just to stir up trouble, but I do know that it is about the most ignorant statement I have ever heard.

If this is meant to accuse the American people of indifference due to racism, it is ridiculously inaccurate. People around America have true empathy for the people of Haiti, as can be seen on countless blogs, in churches, and anywhere people share their concerns with one another. In fact I have never seen such widespread empathy for a disaster suffered by another country. Many, many Americans are praying and weeping for Haitian people they know personally and care about deeply. That is because so many people have a previous and ongoing relationship with the people of Haiti.

The people of Southwest Florida certainly care very much about the Haitian people who are still on the island, mired in poverty without prospects. I personally know of many who have poured out their hearts, purses and energies helping the people of Haiti long before this tragedy ever occurred. This takes many forms, including giving generously, going to visit Haiti, helping to build schools, churches and orphanages, teaching, bringing medical care, adopting orphans, and providing Christmas gifts.

My son works with a missions organization that sponsors and cares about many missionaries in Haiti, including native-born Haitians, who have only just been accounted for three days later. My daughter in law went to Haiti to visit and help several years ago, and still prays regularly for the people she met. A lady from church is sponsoring a child that needed surgery in the United States because she could neither see nor hear. By sponsoring, I mean this child has lived with this family for a year so far, and is a treasured member of their family, being fed, clothed, educated and deeply loved. Our church held a "shoe box" drive for Christmas whereby parishioners filled shoe boxes with an assortment of things they thought a boy or girl might be able to use or enjoy; one such box for a girl included pretty little undershirts and panties, a small doll, toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and soap, hair ribbons, a tiny stuffed animal, markers and bright, little index cards, for instance. A friend's daughter is heartbroken because, although she has been trained as an EMT, she can not go to Haiti and help due to a recent motorcycle accident she is still recovering from.

If the statement that American people are not willing to help Haitians is meant to express dislike for the Haitian people themselves, this I personally know to be ignorant. There is a large population of Haitians and Haitian-Americans living in Southwest Florida. They are our neighbors and our friends. We go to school and church with them; we shop with and buy from them. In my experience they are some of the sweetest, kindest and gentlest people I know, with large families of beautiful, well-behaved children. Many, many Haitians are Christians. These Haitian Americans are worried about their families in Haiti and that is a concern that we all understand. Because we care about them, we hurt for them.

Whatever your personal views of American levels of concern or Haiti's merits, think whether what you are saying needs to be said right now when so many people are experiencing such tremendous suffering. It is never nice to kick someone when they are down. Right now, when hundreds of thousands of Haitians and the Americans that care about them are actively trying to figure out how to survive or help others to survive, it is just one more thing adding to their pain. Perhaps instead of so much talk, we Americans could all focus on working together to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.