And for extra credit, why do you care more today, when on monday, on a scale of one to totally fucked up, Haiti was already totally fucked up. Today they’re totally fucked up + 1 (I guess their scale for utter devastation goes to 11).
He’s right, though. Miami is closer to Haiti than it is to, say, Calgary.
You’re wrong. I’d add more specifics on the subject, but really Bricker encapsulated my position pretty well. History informs our present reality, often quite profoundly. Just handwaving it away because it is more than a generation or two old isn’t some noble stance against PC whitewashing.
I’m not losing any sleep over this Haitian disaster either. I don’t lose sleep over any distant disaster, no matter how horrendous, because I’m able to compartmentalize my empathy. I feel bad for people in such situations, but I don’t drag myself through the wringer over it - it really doesn’t help matters any.
But feeling more sorry for Dominicans that would suffer losses because they live in less of a shithole than Haiti, is more than a little like feeling more sorry in the wake of Katrina for the people who lived in nice areas of New Orleans vs. the ghettos.
I care.
Part of the reason is a general understanding and empathy for the lives of the poorest. I was in the Peace Corps for over 2 years, then I worked for the administrative part of the organization for another 2 years. There is nothing like living and working with people who, no matter how kind, hard working, or smart they may be, never had a chance at a decent life. I was never in Haiti, but when I see the faces of devastated people digging frantically with nothing but their hands to try to rescue a trapped loved one, I picture the people I knew in that same situation. And it breaks my heart.
But part of the reason is an intense fear of earthquakes that I’ve had ever since I was in one 20 years ago. The idea of being trapped in the rubble, alive but in pain and unable to escape is one that haunts my worst nightmares. The idea that there are thousands of people in that situation RIGHT NOW, and I can’t do anything about it,is hugely frustrating. Maybe all I can do is give $100 to an aid organization (that I have researched to make sure it is legit) but it relieves some of my frustration. And that money may help buy bandages or nails to rebuild a home, or just some blankets to wrap around someone who has lost everything.
I think people have different reasons for caring. And I don’t blame anyone for not caring. I care differently about different tragedies depending on many circumstances. But it’s the blaming the ‘stupid Hatians’ for their misfortunes that really gets me.
I’m wise to you being a fucking retard.
Don’t you need to get down to the pub and hoist a few?
I like that. If we ever meet, Palo Verde, I want to buy you a beer.
ETA: The above is directed towards Palo Verde’s eloquent post and not the crazy burrito’s less than eloquent one.
“the Devil wearing Underoos”
And I thought the Devil wore Prada!
Apparently I cannot keep up with trends!
Monkey with a Gun
But I’m the one who pitted you. I think that means you have to hate me and you can’t buy me beers.
How about instead you donate $10 to UNICEF, or the Red Cross, or any other aid organization doing relief work in Haiti.
Compassion, it seems to me, should not measured by the worthiness of the recipient.
Being compassionate, giving, is about you not the receiver. When you give you share your humanity and your open heart. Even if that homeless guy goes and spends it on cheap whiskey.
There are those who would say that the ‘unworthy’ are the true measure of our compassion - not the worthy.
Dude, I volunteer for the Red Cross. They have my time, my money, and if I do my math right they have taken 7/8ths of a gallon of my O+. 
And I don’t care that you’re the one who pitted me, I’m still buying you a beer.
I ain’t a dude, I’m a dudette. Donate $10 dollars anyway, specifically for Haitian relief, and all is forgiven.
Agreed. I won’t use Haiti as an example, because I have Haitians in my ‘monkeysphere’. So I will use…um…the tsunami in Thailand a couple years ago. When it happened, lots of people were buzzing about it. I didn’t really see it as something for me to expend a lot of worry (or money) about, seeing as how there is constant suffering in the world that I already try to do my small part to alleviate on a constant basis (giving to charities among other things).
Once someone impresses upon me why their particular cause deserves some of my worry, money or attention, I may challenge myself to give that particular issue some special attention. Everyone does that about different things. Some will pay attention and money to the Haitian crises, and some will not. Those that do, even though they have no Haitians in their own ‘monkeysphere’ will gain something to their character for it, I think. Those that don’t, may be helping other people in other ways that are good for their own souls. I think it is strange, though, for anyone to actually spend *real time actively not having sympathy *for the afflicted group, and declaring them stupid to boot. That is just…I don’t know.
At least he got sympathy at one point too.
You know I can’t do that. How about Doctors Without Borders? They do work in Haiti, but they also do a lot of other stuff. Compromise?
So Pat Robertson’s big theory is that the French were the divine protectors of the people of Haiti? Well, I guess that makes sense. Overthrowing a colonial power would seem to be contrary to that part in Romans where God’s people are told to respect the ruling government.
Good thing that Pat can point to the U.S. as a shining example. Thank goodness we didn’t overthrow a colonial power.
Oh, wait…:rolleyes:
Fuck Pat Roberston.
Is this sweeps week? Is he hoping to win a Phelpsy?
If the DRepublic is so much better off, why not us urge Hati to kill its leaders now and we help let DR to take it over, they might be only ones on earth who might want the territory and wouldn’t that be a good solution, cheap too?
We should send aid only if we improve things, otherwise no point. Get a new group in charge, and the DR ought to know how to run that area. Now is the perfect time to help them settle the problem.
A donation to Doctors without Borders is always a good idea.
Well since the Pitted and Pitter and now so friendly, it seems suitable to hijack a thread with this title in honor of Pat Robertson, and by extension, the Christian thought mis-process in general.
NPR used words like “unimaginable catastrophe” or something heavier to describe the quake this morning. It is cruel that this quake hit a place least able to deal with it. Sarcastically, I thought, “thanks a lot, jesus. tell your eternally loving and merciful father that his plan for unimaginable catastrophe is coming along swimmingly.” I thought that in a rude, satirical sense, but here comes Pat! to actually say it and mean it. While the voodoo pact theory puts Pat in a class of his own, he is only saying what Christians are supposed to believe. God’s plan is awesome. Christians, your imaginary friend did this exceptionally cruel thing intentionally. And you worship him for it. orz
I can’t believe the thread has progressed this far without someone making a stupid “hat” joke, but I don’t really feel up to it.