Rain of Things

After the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th, there was an outpouring of support from sympathetic people all over the world. But in the six months that have since elapsed, a lot of that initial attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis has faded.

It’s not that people don’t care anymore. It’s just that we’re still living our own lives, dealing with our own daily struggles. Worrying about our economic situation, about the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, about the wars we’re involved in on the other side of the world. About our own illnesses, our healthcare, our futures. Six months is a long time to think about something we don’t see, and media coverage of the Haitian catastrophe has all but ceased in recent months.

On top of that, we never felt like there was much we could do to help in the first place. They told us to send money and supplies. Many of us did, but it felt like a practically useless gesture. We’ve made donations and prayed, but mostly we just sat and watched, feeling helpless.

This is not intended to make anyone feel bad. I only want to set the background for the link I’m going to share. One of my favorite rappers, Immortal Technique, visited Haiti recently and wrote about his experience. Since I was unable to visit, I thought I’d share the words of someone who did. The opinions expressed are not necessarily my own. But regardless of whether or not you agree, I think that the perspective is valuable.

Here is Immortal Technique’s story, if you’re interested. Please keep Haiti in your thoughts and/or your prayers.