2010 EarthQuake Devastation

2010 Earthquake
  200,000 people dead and more coming in this year's Haiti earthquake. 2010 was devastating for Haitians. When a 7.0 earthquake hit many people were killed, and buried under the rubble of their lost homes, churches, hospitals, and schools. Bodies filled the streets, some alive, most dead, but all in dire need of help. The Haitians have been the poorest nation in the world for years now, and have constantly been struggling, now with this natural disaster the governments have lost all control. Jails have been emptied, children have been orphaned, and Haiti is nothing but a world of suffering and chaos now.

Here is a picture of a boy suffering and seeking medical care after the Haiti earthquake.

(Uploaded on January 14, 2010
by United Nations Development Programme on flickr)
  Upon thinking of this accident I remember Katrina. The hundreds of victims to a natural disaster, unable to receive the help they need. We criticize our past government leader based on his lack of care and aid given to our American disaster, but what do we do to help these other people. This other country unable to help it's self and begging for someone, anyone to send some aid. If people, if our government, if other governments do not send aid the numbers of dead will only continue to rise as the barely living people left lay in the streets next to bloody decomposing broken bodies, with no care, no food, no water to keep them even sustained.
Though atheist in my beliefs, for this one moment of devastation, I can only pray that someone will help them.
When I first watched the videos in class about Haiti, on DemocracyNow, the only thing I could think of or focus on was the people. All the clips of people on the streets and in the background, suffering, and crying. I heard all the information about how bad the quake was, and about how few aids their were for the people, but all I could imagine was if those people, were my family. The deep descriptions of the crushed bones, the head injuries and the tiny bit about individuals tugged on my heart strings. (http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/14/the_sound_of_screaming_is_constant )

Here is another photo, of a woman suffering while recieving treatment with no pain medication. They have no anestisia.

(also found on flickr Uploaded on January 14, 2010
by United Nations Development Programme)
 One story from the Democracy Now videos was the boy whose family spent hours digging him out of rubble and trying to save his life. They finally rescued him and found medical help, as little as it was, it was his families only hope for his life. After they struggled and the man in the hotel worked to splint his leg and ease his suffering the boy died anyway. The fact that these people are trying to hard, and working to death to save their children, parents, and siblings kills me inside because I can not imagine what it must have felt like for them to work all night to save him and still lose his life.
 Besides the emotional parts of the Haiti earth quake I also did research on the US involvement in Haiti. Bill Quigly's article about US owing Haiti billions ( http://counterpunch.org/quigley01182010.html )really opened my eyes to how Haiti even got into the position of poorest nation to begin with. He stated that in the "Pottery Barn policy"  you break it you buy it, we would owe Haiti a lot more then just billions. The reason of Haiti's poverty level is because the US personally destroyed Haiti's land scape, and population. It was stated the Us even used Haiti for sexual recreation. Now, knowing all that the US had done to put Haiti in such a bad place, I question even more what we are doing for them.

This family is left to die after the Haiti earthquake.

(again flickr Uploaded on January 14, 2010
by United Nations Development Programme)
 Besides doing research in class I also continued to watch the news at home. I remember in the beginning it was said only 100,000 were dead, and now they say over 200,000 are dead. Because of this information I must infer that the number of deaths from the earthquake are less than the numbers of deaths during the after math. If there is no aid sent to Haiti, no help, the numbers will only keep increasing. In another video from DemocracyNow ( http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/14/haiti_desperate_for_aid_with_rescue ) there was a nurse in the "largest" Haiti medical center who said that some children they have are ready to be discharged but because there is no food the nurses have to keep them inside on IVs. All the work the hospitals do to save these people are useless if they will starve and suffer as soon as they leave. If the US owes Haiti billions, why can we not pay them back now. Pay them back with help, care, and the aid they need to survive.
 I think that too many of these news reporters and too many of these other nations are talking too much about Haiti and not doing enough to help. I see all these people saying how sad they are for it and yet when asked to donate they shake their heads. Haiti is not just a country it is a nation of people. Those people are just like us, with love, families, and tribulations. We are not just a country, we are a nation of people, and if our people do not do something. If we all do not do something, then Haiti, the People of Haiti will continue to die. Haitians will continue to watch their family members suffer. Haitians will continue to hunger, as they have hungered even before this earthquake.
 Honestly, this is a tragedy..

A photo of the destruction.

(found on flickr Uploaded on January 21, 2010
by newbeatphoto)