What can be said?
This blog wasn’t around in late 2004 when 250,000+ people were swept to their death in the Indonesian tsunami, but as I read the news reports about the quake today in this tiny, impoverished island nation, I find myself feeling as I did then. Dread. Sadness. Rage. Guilt. How can I go about my day as if nothing has happened, when people are buried alive as I type this?
As with many crises that happen overseas in our 21st century connected world, this story has local impacts as well.
KHTS is reporting that a Port Au Prince orphanage is sponsored by a local non-profit group. The orphanage is damaged beyond use, but all the children are apparently safe. They’re asking for funds to begin the rebuilding process.
Whenever things like this happen, I’m always proud to see our County’s resources respond, no matter the location, the time of the year, or the disaster. LA County Fire’s Task Force 2 is “a specially-trained and equipped 70 person urban search and rescue task force consisting of LACFD firefighters, paramedics rescue specialists, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, heavy equipment specialists, canine search dogs and handlers, hazardous materials technicians, communications specialists, and logistics specialists.”
As news of the disaster spread last night, one of the first images I saw on the New York Times website was a picture of this task force preparing a giant pallet of equipment. These guys have been all over the world, according to Wikipedia, helping people dig out and recover from earthquakes in Iran, Northridge and and of course the tsunami.
What’s even more remarkable is that five SCV firefighters are part of this elite group, according to KHTS.
That’s all I can bring myself to write about at this point. I’m not the sort to encourage prayer, but I feel that’s all I can do, aside from donating some money. Some friends of mine are texting “YELE” to the number “501501″ to donate $5. Others are visiting the website and donating there. The Red Cross has a page up. It’d be nice if my employer offered to match contributions from employees as my old employer did in 2004.
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I find the comments of Limbaugh and Pat Robertson repugnant.
Robertson’s hubrius knows no bounds.
for what its worth, It has been well over a decade since I’ve met a true devotee of Pat Robertson. Absolutely horrible.
Pat Robertson is the crazy yelling guy at your local bus stop. Ignore him, and he won’t follow you down the street.
Haiti, I can’t begin to fathom the pain. Such beautiful people,
Please ignore Robertson. PLEASE donate to our local Santa Clarita charity supporting Haiti. Unlike other 501(c)3s the group has ZERO overhead in the state and sends 100% of the funds to the orphanage.
Jeff – thank you so much for posting http://www.threeangelshaiti.org/
Here’s something of an “eyewitness account” that may help place this catastrophe into a clearer perspective.
To say the least. Thank for sharing. Words can’t describe.
Hey Jeff, just wanted pass along some info:
Haiti Relief Benefit Concert tonight (Fri 1/15) at Antioch Art Connection:
24422 Chestnut St, Newhall, CA 91321
Come anytime between 8-11pm, entrance free.
Donations accepted for the local non-profit you mentioned, Three Angels, as they’re sending a team down to their school and orphanage there.
Two talented solo artists will be playing tonight, Jess Penner from LA and Josiah James from NorCal (hear them on myspace).
Facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=428471450440&index=1