On Haiti
To be serious for a moment:
In a number of online forums, I’ve seen a constant theme of skepticism about giving to the Haitian earthquake relief efforts — skepticism that the money will actually reach its intended goal, that there is any reason to believe these efforts to help in Haiti will be any more effective than a number of other charitable interventions in the past, or that the money given to Haiti should be kept at home to address American poverty.
I choose to give. And I choose to give not because I am naive enough to believe there won’t be problems in translating those gifts into help, or that we can solve Haiti’s issues with one sudden infusion of cash. I choose to give because I have no doubt the need is immediate and pressing. I choose to give because while giving may be not be an ideal way to help, it is the best I can offer. And I choose to give because while giving may not address all Haiti’s problems, not giving assures none of them are addressed.
I hope others will join me in choosing giving over skepticism or inaction.
www.hopeforhaitinow.org