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iT'S MY oPINION...
| Community Voices A News Resource ... A Positive Perspective! |
HAITIAN APATHY: “ET TU AMERICA?”
It’s been said: “A wise man does at once what a foolish man does at last.” This is
an age-old attribute of mankind. When it comes to taking a right course of action,
we tend to hesitate, and simply put things off. Then when the worst happens,
those same things become top priorities. Human nature leans toward being
reactive rather than proactive.
When one considers the devastation that took place January 2010 in Haiti – the
most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere – one has to wonder how
much less the cost would have been, humanly and monetarily, had the world
responded to that nation’s needs proactively and with the same sense of urgency
we see today. It took something like this event, something so colossal, to finally
rent the veil of apathy. The United Nations was well aware of the plight of the
Haitian people, and their amazing history, long before the earthquake claimed an
estimated 250,000 lives. How many of those lives might have been spared had
Haiti’s weak infrastructure been improved upon long beforehand? The political
logjams all but disappeared after the quake, and now the cost is exponentially
greater than it would have been if dealt with from a proactive posture. The
immediate outcry and outpouring was (and still is) tremendous world-wide!
Finally getting the attention it deserves, Haiti is being responded to with a sense
of urgency similar to the biblical story of Jonah who tried to ignore and run from
his mission. After he was vomited up by the great fish upon dry land – what should
have been a three-day journey to the city of Ninevah, Jonah did in one day. He
acted out of a sense of urgency!
To bring this analogy closer to home: why do American politicians, lawmakers,
pundits, and talking heads squabble over so much triviality? We have bigger fish
to fry than constantly grandstanding, pitting the left against the right, and wasting
precious time misinterpreting off-handed and/or misquoted comments for some
political gain. A five year old can see the foolishness in all this and the lack of
common sense among our country’s most educated elitist. The media should be
ashamed of itself for giving so much airtime to this pettiness and other
meaningless, frivolous reporting; when there are so many other important things
they could and should focus on.
For instance, where’s the spotlight on the fact that 80% of Planned Parenthood
clinics are located in poor urban communities? Many opponents view this as a
form of genocide for Latinos and especially for Blacks. Since 1973 it is estimated
that 55 million babies have been aborted. That’s more than the populations of
California and Illinois combined.
Where’s the spotlight on building more, and renovating existing schools rather
than building more and more prisons? The priority should be prevention through
education rather than retention. What can be done to decrease the drop-out rate
and steer kids away from gang activity and violence?
Where’s the spotlight on those American-based companies who heavily rely on
the profitable American consumer base, but have the majority of their job
positions held by offshore foreigners? Charity should begin at home where the
national unemployment rate now stands at 10%.
Where’s the spotlight on care treatment for returning military soldiers having
difficulty re-entering civilian life due to mental and emotional disorders?
Where’s the outcry and urgency on just these issues alone?
While this nation continues to reach out to its neighbors, let us at last do the right
thing in our own backyard.
Larry Buford is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer. Visit the author
at www.editorialbylarry.com
-------------------------------
Posted February 16, 2010
It’s been said: “A wise man does at once what a foolish man does at last.” This is
an age-old attribute of mankind. When it comes to taking a right course of action,
we tend to hesitate, and simply put things off. Then when the worst happens,
those same things become top priorities. Human nature leans toward being
reactive rather than proactive.
When one considers the devastation that took place January 2010 in Haiti – the
most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere – one has to wonder how
much less the cost would have been, humanly and monetarily, had the world
responded to that nation’s needs proactively and with the same sense of urgency
we see today. It took something like this event, something so colossal, to finally
rent the veil of apathy. The United Nations was well aware of the plight of the
Haitian people, and their amazing history, long before the earthquake claimed an
estimated 250,000 lives. How many of those lives might have been spared had
Haiti’s weak infrastructure been improved upon long beforehand? The political
logjams all but disappeared after the quake, and now the cost is exponentially
greater than it would have been if dealt with from a proactive posture. The
immediate outcry and outpouring was (and still is) tremendous world-wide!
Finally getting the attention it deserves, Haiti is being responded to with a sense
of urgency similar to the biblical story of Jonah who tried to ignore and run from
his mission. After he was vomited up by the great fish upon dry land – what should
have been a three-day journey to the city of Ninevah, Jonah did in one day. He
acted out of a sense of urgency!
To bring this analogy closer to home: why do American politicians, lawmakers,
pundits, and talking heads squabble over so much triviality? We have bigger fish
to fry than constantly grandstanding, pitting the left against the right, and wasting
precious time misinterpreting off-handed and/or misquoted comments for some
political gain. A five year old can see the foolishness in all this and the lack of
common sense among our country’s most educated elitist. The media should be
ashamed of itself for giving so much airtime to this pettiness and other
meaningless, frivolous reporting; when there are so many other important things
they could and should focus on.
For instance, where’s the spotlight on the fact that 80% of Planned Parenthood
clinics are located in poor urban communities? Many opponents view this as a
form of genocide for Latinos and especially for Blacks. Since 1973 it is estimated
that 55 million babies have been aborted. That’s more than the populations of
California and Illinois combined.
Where’s the spotlight on building more, and renovating existing schools rather
than building more and more prisons? The priority should be prevention through
education rather than retention. What can be done to decrease the drop-out rate
and steer kids away from gang activity and violence?
Where’s the spotlight on those American-based companies who heavily rely on
the profitable American consumer base, but have the majority of their job
positions held by offshore foreigners? Charity should begin at home where the
national unemployment rate now stands at 10%.
Where’s the spotlight on care treatment for returning military soldiers having
difficulty re-entering civilian life due to mental and emotional disorders?
Where’s the outcry and urgency on just these issues alone?
While this nation continues to reach out to its neighbors, let us at last do the right
thing in our own backyard.
Larry Buford is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer. Visit the author
at www.editorialbylarry.com
-------------------------------
Posted February 16, 2010
Editorials by Larry
by Larry Buford
Larry Buford is a LosAngeles feelance writer and
Author of "Things Are Gettin' Outta Hand" (Lifevest);
www.amazon.com Tel (213) 220-8101 www.editorialbylarry.com
by Larry Buford
Larry Buford is a LosAngeles feelance writer and
Author of "Things Are Gettin' Outta Hand" (Lifevest);
www.amazon.com Tel (213) 220-8101 www.editorialbylarry.com
| Community Voices ... Serving a Multicultural Community! Opinions expressed on this Website do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Community Voices LLC, which has no control over, thus no responsibility for, the content of Linked sites to this Web page, financially or otherwise. Issues concerning content should be directed to Community Voices LLC Voicemail (269) 343-4653 * Write: P.O. Box 424, Kalamazoo, MI 49004 * Fax (269) 343-2270 * E-Mail Comvoices@aol.com About Us Advertise Contact Us |
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