Every time I hear a story about Haiti my eyes tear up. I feel for them and I'm sad that any human would have to suffer like they are and like they have for so long. When I hear stories of American generosity I tear up. It makes me proud to know that our country is full of so many generous and caring people. It reminds me that being rich gives Americans the opportunity to help the rest of the world. But then it happens. I run into people that make me rue the day I became a Westsider. Facebook is good for that. I guess I was naive to think that everyone was for helping the helpless. I never though that I would read a statement like this one from a gentleman from Westwood:
"Haiti is the toilet of the earth. Mother nature was just trying to flush." or how about this one from a young man from Price Hill "help america first f**k everyone else!"
There was even a young lady from Western Hills who chimed in with "Yeah its sad that happened to them but its every man for himself or in this case country... Noone helped us on 9/11 or hurricane katrina we did it all ourselves..."
When I informed her that over 100 countries offered aid when Katrina hit she told me that she didn't care about statistics. Yea, statistics, who need them? People,who cares about people? The rest of the world can burn. God bless America?
What do you expect Dan? The westside is the toilet of Cincinnati!! J/K
ReplyDeletePeople are dumb.
ReplyDeleteI really think this type of sentiment is a runoff of two different events. Global economy and voodoo.
ReplyDeleteGlobal economy and corporate greed made it possible to take thousands and thousands of jobs away from Americans. Sure, it brought up the economic status of some of the struggling countries, but all it did for Americans was to bring down the economic status of many struggling Americans. Some Americans (admittedly myself included) are bitter about losing their jobs over this type of mentality. The only ones making REAL money in these types of transactions are the CEOs of these corporations...while they continue to live in the USofA.
Yeah, Im bitter about that. I just lost my job in December for that very reason. Of course Haiti has nothing to do with it, but for some people Haiti (or any other people in another country) becomes a symbol of it.
Haiti has long been a country that practices black magic and voodoo beliefs, although they also believe strongly in God as a people....it's dangerous to mix the two. Add that to overwhelming cases of child slavery, prostitution and mixed with government corruption to the maximum and it's then over the top.
Some people who believe strongly in Hell, might think this is Gods way of wrath. Personally, I don't believe that God is vengeful or wrathful, but I do believe that demons and the Devil will play with geographical areas, if invited to play in playgrounds here on earth.
I understand what these people are saying. But once we do not see the individual for who they are, we have lost humanity.
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ReplyDeleteI don't get it. The standard of living when you are considered poor in America is so much better than the standard of living in Haiti or any other third world country for that matter. Everyone in our country has the opportunity to go to school, we have clean drinking water when we turn on the faucet, if you are running low on food there is a food pantry that will help you, if a child was founding sleeping in the street it would be all over the news and that child would be helped.
ReplyDeleteThe very people who are saying this "only help americans" crap are the same people who criticize the welfare receipients in this country as deadbeats who don't want to work and call the homeless "bums."
I disagree with Karen that this sentiment is situational to the global economy and voodoo. I think the people who say things like "Haiti is the toilet of the earth. Mother nature was just trying to flush" and "help america first f**k everyone else" have a lack of compassion fueled by bitterness and cynicism which is rooted deep in their souls. They need as much prayer as those in Haiti.
And Dan, you don't need to "rue the day" you became a Westsider because I can assure that the Westsiders who are filled with compassion and whose hearts break for Haiti far out number those other people.
What this seems to me is even more evidence of people who are too lazy minded to look at the information and make up their own mind. They spout off a bunch of sound bites they heard from some stupid celebrity who makes his living off of inviting discord and conflict. (Can you tell I just love those guys?)
ReplyDeleteWhat I dislike is when reasonable minded people actually give weight to their pseudo-viewpoints by feeling defensive about their tolerance. I know you didn't in this post, you stood by and owned your feelings. But I think a great response to Ms. "statistics are bunk" would have been "and that's precisely why your opinion has no weight or value with me."
Fran, I did not say that I agree with the sentiments. On the contrary, I said that I do not agree with it, but I understand why someone would say it, because people resent that their jobs are being sent overseas....and some people grow bitter toward all of the other countries, without using logic.
ReplyDeletePlease read my final sentence in my first response.
But I do disagree that you can compare standards of living. When a family loses all they have, to no fault of their own, it's tragic. No matter where they started.
Karen, I understood that you say you understand what these people are saying but that you don't agree with them. I disagree with your first statement on what you think are fueling these sentiments: "I really think this type of sentiment is a runoff of two different events. Global economy and voodoo." That is what I was responding to when I said I disagreed with you.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your second comment, I do agree that it is a tragedy when a family loses all they have; it's a greater tragedy when an entire country loses what little it had, when 150,000+ people lose their lives, thousands of children are orphaned, all in a place where there is little to no opportunity to rebuild what was lost without the help of the global community. I'm not saying it is easy, but in the US, people have a much greater opportunity to rebuild their lives because of the infrastructure that is already in place.