by Rachel Grusin

Created on: January 17, 2010

Amongst the catastrophe that we can now call Haiti it is increasingly challenging to maintain a sense of hope and the likelihood of any kind of light at the end of an acutely narrow tunnel. The pin hole we are all peering through, especially the Haitians, has been one that has not shown much sign of widening in the near future. It is necessary to  look at the attitude the surrounding world has held towards the western hemisphere’s poorest nation over time preceding this might blow to the ever struggling Haitian nation. It may be pertinent to the recovery and ultimate survival of the Haitian people to ask one’s self if we have remained distanced and withdrawn during the times of prevailing poverty and the plagues of hunger and disease that has been blatantly observed and reported and done very little, why is it now the world feels compelled to act in such a massive wave of aid when the country has been in need the entire time.

The magnitude of this earthquake has introduced a streamline of exposure and the re discovery of the rest of the world’s responsibility to help its fellow man, but the issues lie in that we should be helping our fellow man irregardless of natural disasters or events that spawn the media to allocate a minimal amount of air time to. The only real way to help Haiti is to be consistent, it is vital to our integrity as a quasi evolved species to not allow ourselves to be wrapped up in the selfishness of every day existence. The only way to help Haiti is to be aware of Haiti, to dedicate yourself to doing something to make a difference. The ability to help anything is fundamentally based on the individuals ability to help themselves, we must dedicated our lives to being aware of our environment even if it means confronting that which is uncomfortable, aesthetically unpleasing and difficult.

It is not the average person’s dream to wake up in a ghetto of millions of scattered ailing refugees, yet those who are willing to make sacrifices are improving themselves, their character and integrity and in doing so are contributing equally to the rehabilitation of those they are living among. It is not everyone’s path to go the slums, it is not everyone’s path to write articles about helping Haiti, be that as it may, it is without compromise or exception, everyone’s path is to live in knowledge and accountability for those less fortunate than ourselves.

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