| Even a little support goes a long way in Haiti |
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| Local Content - Editorial |
| Written by production |
| Thursday, 21 January 2010 17:15 |
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As the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti was already struggling with an uphill battle long before a 7.0 earthquake hit last week.
Now a week later, the plea continues for assistance to help the Haitian people recover from a disaster that could have happened anywhere in the world. No country is immune to natural disasters of one kind or another. For the most part, Canada is better equipped to handle disasters than poorer countries are, and for that reason, are also in a better position to offer assistance. Canada is known as a country with heart but ironically some of its individual citizens miss the mark when it comes to acts of charity. Whether you believe in a God or higher power in charge of the university, the fact remains, it really is the luck of the draw when it comes to our country of birth. A child born in Canada is already far more lucky than most of the world’s population. For this reason alone, Canadians and citizens of other privileged countries have a responsibility as human beings to help out when others are in need. Putting aside political arguments and selfish thoughts, almost every Canadian is in a position where they could spare even $5 to help provide basic necessities and medical supplies for Haiti. For less than the cost of lunch or even a night out at a movie, a Canadian family can help a Haitian family get through the next few weeks. Haiti is a country that will likely always struggle. It is small in size and large in population, with nine million people in an area smaller than Alberta. Watching the media coverage of the event in no way can truly allow a person to understand the tragedy on a human level. For some it is just pictures, not people. In North America it is all too easy to feel disconnected to this kind of suffering because it is not a part of our daily lives. With so much media coverage it is easy to tune out the suffering, figuring the chaos is too much to be addressed on an individual level. Ironically, it is individuals who care enough to actually do something to address the needs on an individual level who will be championing the call for support in the weeks and months to come. The Haitian disaster is really about helping people, one at a time, and every little bit of support helps. |
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