Haiti Matters

By almost anyone's standards, most importantly, those of Haitians, too much poverty and hardship persists both prior to the earthquake and after. There seems to be little disagreement on this front.

Asking whether Haiti matters, or not, given its history, is pondered in some quarters. Exploring this point is important in terms of the quality of life of the citizens and the future of the country. In spite of the heroic efforts of so many, including many brave Haitians, so much remains to be done. On the surface one can make the case that progress is lacking and the future is without hope.

I'm aware of the fact that there are people who believe that the efforts to assist Haitians, in the final analysis, is to no avail. They see a lack of a cohesive government and continued misery. Hard to argue on these two counts.

But Haiti matters because Haitians matter. They matter like any individual, wealthy or not. Recently, I have spent four days among a number of Haitians; John Engle's family, members of Maxandre Bien-Aime school staff, countless IMN school students, and friends of the Engle's. I have also been to a couple of markets with John and met some delightful Haitians.

If I can generalize from this group to the larger Haitian population, I can say that they are; patient, resilient, resourceful, hospitable, and a sheer delight. Needy yes, but, with a true dignity and decency.

And for those Haitians filled with anger and despair, often out of their control, I can say that I understand how they can feel this way. None of us knows what it is like to teeter on the very brink. I don't even want to think about what it would be like to face such a catastrophy on a daily basis. Remember 50% of Haitians live on $1 or less per day.

Yes, Haitians I've met, in addition to those faces unknown to me, matter. Just because the pain seems endless and the future is bleak doesn't means we should ignore them or that they don't count. I tire of hearing the phrase 'if they can take care of themselves, why should I?' To that I say the following...for those who have plenty seek those in need.

Dick Flesher