The Best and The Worst

As the news about the unfolding tragedy in Haiti continues to pour in, I have to relate to you all something that really horrified me last night.

I'm part of an email group and one gentleman passed along information about Catholic Relief Services and the work they do. He let us all know about the 100 Catholic seminarians, who along with the Archbishop of Haiti, were killed in the quake that devastated that country this week.

Catholic Relief Services does a lot a good work, and that man suggested them as a group you can send money to without worrying about possible scams. (Unfortunately, the leeches come out of the woodwork during tragedies like this, and I remember that more than a few people went to jail trying to pull off scams after the 9/11 disaster.)

And then, some guy, and I have no idea who he is or what his views are, wrote this in response:

Yeah, sure. How much of our money can they absorb? I think the answer is all of it. It's a lost land, let it go.

That I was furious reading crap like this is an understatement. A "lost land, let it go?" Are you f**king kidding me, pal? Would you have the same attitude if you were from that country, or if a quake devastated the land of your ancestors? I sent him back a simple one line statement:

"Do you have any humanity, sir?"

I got no response back. Figures. Do we really manufacture people who think that we spend too much money already on a place like Haiti, and we should abandon them in their time of dire need? (Sounds a lot like Rush Limbaugh.) These are human beings, who have had their lives altered forever and are in a place where they are absolutely dependent on the rest of the world for help. (And do I need to mention how many Americans are missing in Haiti right now as well? Do we abandon them too, sir?)

Again, I have no idea who this guy is, but I was simply horrified at this attitude, where money seems to eclipse simple humanity. I am amazed that some people can be that unfeeling, that obsessed by money, and I like I wrote yesterday, soulless.

And a short time later, I found this absolutely heartbreaking post from Jeff Pearlman's blog, and sent this out to everyone on that email list. It's hard to see it and not be moved by it.

It has been heartwarming to see the world's response to the disaster in Haiti, but it has also been rather disconcerting to see the attitude of some people who think our money is more important than the lives of people who've had their world shattered in an instant through no fault of their own.

I pray for Mr. Lionel Michaud and his family, as well as all the good people of Haiti. May they all find peace one day.