I was in a bit of a black hole this week, stuck in an unseasonably cold Florida for a full week conference. My days were verging on being unbearably long and I had no time or access to the media, which was actually quite nice.
When I picked up the morning paper on Wednesday I saw some of the first reports of the earthquake that happened on Tuesday, but I had little time to digest or realize how devastating the disaster was. It was only until this weekend that I was able to catch up on the news and see the full magnitude of the devastation, although it’s still hard to comprehend and even begin to understand the loss and turmoil that the Haitian people are going through.
Conservative estimates as of this morning have the death toll at 100K, but the number could be significantly higher – maybe double that. 100,000 people. Think about that for a minute. We’re talking about entire families wiped out. Children with no parents anymore, parents with no children anymore. It’s hard for me to really mentally put that number in some sort of context. I think about the city I grew up by and try to imagine the entire population being wiped out. I think about the attacks on the World Trade Center some 8 plus years ago and multiplying that death toll by a magnitude of more than 30.
Even when you put it in terms of numbers and compare it to other disasters, it’s hard to comprehend. As with any other disaster, it’s only when you hear the stories on the ground that you are able to get some small sense of the devastation.
I was listening to Face the Nation and an interview that Bob Schieffer had with some people on the ground in Haiti. One of the men in the interview told a story of a girl who was pulled out of the debris by rescue workers only to die five hours later in the arms of her mother. Now the mother is in such a state of shock and sadness that she is unable to move and speak. Or, a mother who was badly injured and is incapacitated and can’t tend to her three children who haven’t had anything to eat or drink for more than two days. The woman is terribly frightened that her children will die as she can’t take care of them and they have no access to food and water. This is just scratching the surface.
My initial gut reaction to all of this is that I want to help. I want to help in whatever small way that I can. Donating and helping out can be quite confusing and because of that I think that many people opt to do nothing because they don’t know where to go or where their money will go if they do donate. Well, Bill Clinton and George Bush have set up a relief fund called the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. The two unlikely friends have joined forces to set up a fund for relief efforts. Both are 100% committed to making sure that any and all money donated goes directly to immediate and long-term relief efforts.
I’m not particularly fond of politics and I have become even less fond of it over recent years. It gives me some hope that these two Presidents from different parties can come together out of their shared desire and compassion to help the people of Haiti.
As bloggers….in fact, as human beings, I believe that we have a duty to help other human beings in need, especially in circumstances as dire and tragic as this (not to overshadow other humanitarian crises out there). I am donating $75 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and I urge all of you to donate, if you can. The amount is not important. Even if it’s a couple of dollars that can provide water to those in need, that is good.
Here is further information related to the fund:
Official Website: http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/index.php
Donations (note: all info can be found in About page of website):
Web: See link on bottom of About Page
Mobile Giving: Text the word “QUAKE” to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, charged to your cell phone bill.
Mail:
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
c/o William J. Clinton Foundation
Donations Department
610 President Clinton Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201
OR
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
c/o Communities Foundation of Texas
5500 Caruth Haven Lane
Dallas, TX 75225
