Grateful for Haiti
It has now been just over two weeks since the devastating 7.0 earthquake shattered Haiti’s capital city and beyond, and another article regarding the great work at least one fraternity Brother, Dr. Mill Etienne – here’s the first – of Haitian birth, and others perform daily, I wonder of how much we all take for granted. Everyday we wake is a new day to give thanks to our Creator, our God, for the blessing(s) of another day. Because of the earthquake, there are many who can’t.
During our 24 hour daily ritual of sleeping, rising, working/schooling, playing (whether actively or passively), eating, arguing, watching TV, exercising or whatever we choose to do, there’s an opposite who doesn’t have the same privilege. Obviously not everyone things such is the case. Consider the spiteful words from a few (SIDEBAR: I will not give them the satisfaction of mentioning their names here, because any publicity is good publicity.) who have the audacity to blame the Haitians for a natural event – that we refer to as a disaster. The insensitivity of some is a constant reminder that most of us are arrogant Americans.
The “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” telethon raised over $58 USD from among the 80 million viewers, and as of today the album is No. 1 on the Billboard charts, making it the first digital-only album to hit the top spot (AP), there’s much more to be done.
Pretty soon the “Help Haiti” spotlight will begin to dim, not because all of the countries problems would’ve been solved, but because our “insensitive sensationalistic appetites” (read: the 24 hour news cycle) will have tired and begin to seek out other causes for us to say, “There, there…here’s some money to help you.”
But guess what? I have a plan to thwart that dreaded “over news’d” affect. You see, when everyone else begins to tire of the devastation and the long road of rebuilding the countries capital and surrounding areas, I will have united with fraternity Brothers such as Dr. Mill Etienne, or organizations such as Edeyo or Yéle Haiti to adopt an area for the purpose of (re)building a school for the children of Haiti. It’s the least we (i.e., Americans) can do for the first Black Republic that helped to shape the United States as we know it.
Despite all of this and the fact that as long as there’s good in our world, there will be bad (its the law of opposites/balance) I’m grateful. Just as my (internet) sister Abiola often reminds us, we have to proclaim the things we’re grateful for on a daily basis. I’m grateful for all the blessings of life…as a matter of fact, a short while ago I listed everything I was grateful for.
In the grand scheme of things Haiti’s issues are on par with those of many others, however, for Americans, understanding how to rid Haiti’s “cultural-led” blight might go a significant distance in doing the same within the continental U.S.
What role will you play to show how grateful you are?