January 15, 2010
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Good News and Bad News
Right Wignuts about Haiti – Pat Robertson says the earthquake is a “blessing in disguise” because of a pact Haiti made with the devil 200 years ago. While Rush Limbaugh urges Americans to not donate to charity because they already support Haiti through their taxes.
Can anyone be more of a misanthrope than these two bastards? I don’t know what bothers me more, these two hate-mongers, or those who listen and respect these two. Anyone who listens to them to confirm their own fear and hate is as guilty as they are. And I have absolutely no respect for anyone who follows Pat Robertson’s non-Christian religion, nor Limbaugh’s gospel of hate and fear.
The bad news, of course, is the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Most of you wouldn’t know this, but I am on the Board of Directors of Eritaj which is a foundation set up to provide health and education assistance to the children and adults in Haiti. So I am very familiar with some of the Haitian community here in the Boston community. And I am frustrated with how little I can do to help. Not frustrated at any individuals or organization, just frustrated because I would do so much more if I could.
We have set up an 800 line for people to call in seeking information on their friends and loved ones. However, we have no information to provide. People want to know if their relatives are safe, or injured, or dead, or missing. If safe, are they living in their homes or are they homeless? If injured, are they minimally injured or seriously injured? If dead, is anyone taking care of their bodies or are they dumped on the street with the thousands of others? If missing, what will it take to find them and make contact with them? These are the frustrations of the Haitian community here. Right now, there is no communications and information coming out of Haiti. Even when the lines are brought up, this information will not be accessible. The hospitals are non-functioning. Who is able to identify the tens of thousands who are dead and lying around? Who will identify the injured and homeless? How would this information be collected and disseminated?
Those providing aid are frustrated. Planes cannot fly to Haiti because the airport is already over-crowded and there is no fuel for return trips. Roads are blocked so supplies cannot be delivered. The downtown streets are a rubble so vehicles cannot go from point A to point B. How can distribution centers be set up? How can the hundreds of thousands of refugees be told what the distribution plans are? How do the survivors survive with no stores with supplies, with no fresh water, no jobs to earn what money they might have been making previously, without the provisions being provided that were previously provided?
How does the United States coordinate the efforts of every other country sending aid? How does the United Nations organize the relief efforts when their own center was destroyed and the head and many of the workers died in the building? How do so many people in the States who want to help, help except to donate money to the Non Government Organizations (NGOs like Red Cross, UNICEF, WHO, Oxfam, Eritaj, and a myriad of smaller ones)?
All of these are sources of frustrations if one is truly seeking answers.
But the greatest frustration is having to listen to these two bastards spew their hate and venom at a time when innocent people are slow-dying.
But now for the Good News. I’m going to be taking a course at Harvard on Strategies for Sustainable Management. The whole issue of Triple Bottom Line Reporting/Accountability is an interest of mine. (It was also the reason I just went for a week of training in Vienna last month.) This course will help me as I prepare to write my book on Responsibility Reporting for Municipalities and also prepare me to teach courses myself in my spare time.
Comments (21)
This weekend’s New York Times Book Review is supposed to be listing the best books on Haiti — for folks who might want to bone up.
I understand the frustration you’re talking about, and am hopeful, if not optimistic, that the experiences from the tsunami of two or three years ago, from Katrina, and even from some of the Florida hurricanes (Andrew comes to mind; needed supplies were left to rot on the impassable roads) will have taught organizations like the Red Cross and the military how to cope, how to manage the situation.
As for Limbaugh and Robertson, they’re just pathetic, as are their listeners.
you have such a beautiful way with words. and those two, pat robertson and rush, both something the pig shit…!
I want the world to be perfect, and perhaps, even more, that I could realize that it already is in its own way.
The twinkling stars background is just lovely.
(btw, did you ever receive my e-mail?)
@llibra - Evidently I did not receive your e-mail. I’m sorry. I’m sure I would have responded if I had. Did you send it to David.Kimball@att.net? Please re-send it as I would love to hear from you.
I am aware of the frustration that you and many others feel at the inability to directly help all those people who so desperately need assistance in Haiti. I have put in an application, to be sent as a medical person to help in what ever way I can. But apparently, I have to have had International Red Cross authorization to be allowed to go there. I am hoping ’ doctors withour borders’ may be interested in my work. I will just wait and pray.
You know David, I used to read/ listen to the two idiots before, and I used to get almost apoplectic with distraught. Then I decided that being in that stage of anger doesn’t help me, because people like them will continue to be toxic and venemous, no matter what. You just have to wonder what kind of end they will eventually meet with, when they have an entire humanity cursing them during their life time.
This is becoming more and more insane . . . I am astounded at how so many people seem willing to help, but essentially we’re all just standing around with our fingers up our noses. We have to be better than this.
@ZSA_MD - Thanks, Zsa. I know that when an emergency hits, it is too late for the average person to do anything directly other than indirectly like donate. One has to be established with an NGO beforehand like the International Red Cross, or Docteurs sans Frontier, or Oxfam, or whatever. Did you know that there are about 1,500 NGOs operating in Haiti? It is called by some the Republic of NGOs. (smile)
As for “those two”. I know that there is nothing to be done. At least with them. But when they pull these things off, I want to publicize it so that others will see how idiotic they really are. I hope to help them become “hoist of their own petard”. When they say things like this, they actually drive away more people than I could try to convince myself. So I love to broadcast their evil ways in hopes that others who are on the verge, will realize the best thing is to consider them idiots too. It’s a game. But with these people, all you can do is play a game with them because they themselves are not serious about anything other than deliberately saying something controversial. I say, let them spout their venom. The more venom they spout, the soone no one will listen to them.
@jacksoncroons - Jackson. Thanks for the comment. Some of us are doing things. I will be planning a fund raiser through the Storytelling community to which I belong. We will probably have one event in Boston and one in the Mattapan area where there is a large Haitian community. They probably won’t be held until March or even April so we can plan it appropriately. And believe me, there will still be a need even then.
Perhaps you could come to our Boston event?
@curiousdwk - No promises since my life is so chaotic . . .but send me details as they become available, I’ll do my best.
@ZSA_MD - With respect to the two idiots, it says something about the state we’re in that it takes a madman like Keith Olbermann to keep me sane. I loved Keith Olbermann before he left the sportscasting biz. I love him more now. I use the term madman affectionately. Keith, and our host here, David, are on the same mission. Praise be to them both.
It’s just so heartbreaking to see the people over there and I am beyond outraged to see and hear those two devils doing their best work. Yes, the two you mentioned are the devils, no question about it, and their followers are the same.
@awoolham - Thanks for the comment. I’m hoping if enough people broadcast their idiot statements, maybe enough people will realize what idiots they are until they are ineffectual.
I’m just not sure what to say in all of this..I really don’t. I feel for them. And the only thing I hate the most is how countries with money could do so much more for them, for everyone..to be united…but…what’s the point of wishing when the masters of the universe run only on fuel of greed?
@TheEmotionallyDisturbedWoman - That’s an especially good thing about Haiti. The relief isn’t so much a work of the governments as it is the NGOs (Non Government Organizations). NGOs like the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are known to most. But here there are literally thousands of smaller NGOs. (Over 6,000 which is why Haiti is sometimes called the Republic of NGOs.) This is the work of the people – not government. So one doesn’t have to be as much of a cynic with Haiti as they should be here in the US where the people are so stupid they don’t even want a decent health plan. And it’s the stupid people and the business lobbyists that have so much control here. But not so in Haiti.
David, this is a very meaningful piece of writing dedicated to Haitians. I have to admit shamefully though, that I am one of those who merely are able to contribute my help financially. I wish I could do more, but work is a posessive companion.
I hope you enjoy your course, and I am sure you’ll make a great lecturer conducting your own courses.
I wrote a reply to your mail halfway, but I need for it to be more complete. I hope you dont roast the pigeon for dinner before it delivers my letter
I apologize for the delay once more.
@persephone_winter - Just as I would never kill the messenger, I would never roast the pigeon. (smile)
As an update, I am a member of LANES (League for the Advancement of New England Storytellers) and several LANES members are going to be working with me and Eritaj to hold several storytelling and spoken word events to raise money for the programs of Eritaj which help the Haitian people directly.
Well, Rush said what he said just to twist-off the liberals. He’s actually been donating to charities down in Haiti for several years. Still, one would think that there might be a better time and way in which to mess with those of a different political bent, huh? And Robertson … sheesh. It’s obvious he didn’t say much in the way of compassion.
Sometimes I just shake my head. What ever happened to just having compassion?
DROPPING BY TO SEE IF YOU HAD A NEW POST……NOPE! SENDING YOU LOVE, HUGS AND KISSES!
@LUNAPHIA - I love your blue-haired icon photo. Very sensuous.
Actually, I’m hoping I have the time to make a new post tonight. I just came back from an experience I will write about.
Wow. I can’t believe it’s been that long ago. When you say Sustainable Management, what does that mean? I am studying sustainable agriculture right now and sustainable fuels. I just met another person studying Biochemistry here on Xanga. One was researching the incineration plants in Europe (Sweden uses burnable stuff to heat homes, biodegradable garbage to fuel their cars) and the other was researching the use of algae for fuel in cars. I’ve been researching the http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/ ,but it boarders too much on communism (actually based on socialism, but machines can’t do everything) so I don’t think people will go for it. But if you present it in the form of Star Trek, then we might have some takers.
Ok, that was brilliant! You have answered my prayers. I was trying to sort out thoughts in my head to make my argument against Nuclear energy, but you clarified it for me. I just realized I have a little more to think about. =)