Looting & Brandishing in Haiti

I wonder if anyone is annoyed at the rampant use of “looting” by the media in regards to the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. I watched either CNN or MSNBC last week, and they made a interesting point that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, media outlets referred to white people as foraging or finding food and to black people as looting or stealing. I think it is interesting that now in Haiti, which is predominantly black, the term “looting” is the only word we are hearing/seeing.

Do these reporters, editors and the like stop to consider that most likely, this so-called looting is not for the sake of stealing, but rather out of desperation for sustenance and survival? These are people who had shitty conditions before this earthquake; now, they have even less, if anything at all. The international aid has had its issues (still) getting outside of the small airport and port and to the people in the most desperate need. If I were in the position of these people, I probably would be rushing vehicles with people who are giving out food, and perhaps would take what I need from stores, etc. I think we should get past the semantics and focus on the reality of the situation: everyone who was there at the time of the earthquake; be them black, white, followers of Christianity or Voodoo, French speaking or English, are trying to survive.  For those who do not have the money and resources to get out of Haiti, the situation is worse. For those who do not have immediate access to food and water, the situation is critical. And there should not be the negative connotation of looting when what’s being taken is food, water, and survival items.

On another note – the comments about gangs of young men roaming the streets brandishing machetes should be put into context. If this country is a culture whose citizens begin using machetes at a young age, as I know is common in other countries such as Costa Rica (as I have seen firsthand a 5 year old ‘brandish’ a machete for his chores more expertly than I ever could), then this comment is ridiculous. Is there proof that these men are using machetes in a menacing way to harm others or are they using them in case the need for protection in an increasingly tense situation?

I think there are a lot of assumptions being made about this situation that may not be true. And I think, if anything, we owe these people who are just at the beginning of this horrible state of affairs the decency to report the facts, and not assumptions based (however subtly) on race, economics, and a culture we are largely unfamiliar with.

To Haiti and Beyond…

As everyone should now know (unless, of course, they live under a rock), Haiti was hit by a devastating 7.0 earthquake yesterday afternoon. I am glad to hear that our government is sending aid and volunteers to the country in this time of need. However, this entire situation brings up two thoughts I had this morning.

1)       Perhaps if the more developed/wealthy nations of the world took some of the money and personnel from things like a War on Terror (a war that we cannot win just by being present in these countries and expecting that they like the idea of democracy as much as we do) and perhaps put it to use as humanitarian aid in countries that are in desperate need, maybe it would be better served for everyone in the long run. While I am in full support of the men and women fighting at home and abroad, I do think that the government has spread the troops and their resources too thin. Yes, we need to keep our citizens safe, but we are shown time and again that despite strict measures, things still occur.

My thought is perhaps to take some of these military trained individuals from a horrific war zone and give them resources to help countries like Haiti (now and in the future) get on their feet. A huge reason for the abject poverty in Haiti is the deforestation of the land, which is directly due to governance issues. We can hand over money to countries in such poverty, sure, but that never seems to solve the problem. The presence and willingness to of outsiders to help teach people what needs to change, and then helping implement the changes will not only help the citizens, but the world in general. Inevitably, a country like Haiti will continue to be hit by natural disaster after natural disaster, and we will continue to come to its aid. The storms that hit earlier this year were exacerbated by the deforestation and habitat loss, and the earthquake was exacerbated by governance issues regarding the soundness of buildings. If we can help by giving resources directly and in a hands-on fashion to help these people, it may help us all in the end. In addition to helping change the mindset of these people, perhaps it will help (however slowly) to turn their economy around. At the same time, we will be helping create positive change  in another country instead of having our military presence perceived in a negative and destructive fashion.

2)      My other thought is – wasn’t there a warning last year sometime that a huge 7.2 magnitude earthquake was imminent in this region? Why was more not done Haiti’s government, as well as more developed nations, to help make sure this wouldn’t reach the devastating proportions it is certain now to reach?