That conversation got me to thinking about an area, that while I had visited it, I had never really known much about. I didn't know if our government had taken steps in the past to right the wrongs and suffering of these people. I have found, through "extensive" Internet research (and please take the meaning of the word extensive lightly) that since the late 1800s, American has stepped into Haiti to help or hinder (it has been reported that many see our involvement as "controlled dependency") in many ways. In truth, the area has never been at peace. Haiti has seen countless presidents, many overthrown within months of coming into power and then coming back into power, etc., and more than its share of civil wars since it was granted its name back in 1804. These civil wars have been responsible for a crumbling economy, countless deaths and an inability for the country to prosper despite its inherent natural wealth. Things got really bad in Haiti after Francois Duvalier was elected president in 1957. During his and his son's (known as "baby doc") reign, tens of thousands of Haitians were either killed or exiled. In fact, the world recognizes "baby doc" Duvalier's 15-year rule as being one of the most brutal and corrupt. By the 1980s, many Haitians were seeking refuge in the United States. In 2004, the United Nations began its mission to transition the country to live under a democratic rule, but despite these efforts, peace has not yet come to these people. Later that year, the country was hit by another hurricane. Over the last few years, the political climate has not changed much. Presidents and prime ministers have come and gone, and still the country's infrastructure is, quite frankly a mess. In fact, the trials and tribulations the people of this country have faced over the last 100 years is just terribly distressing.  

In the end, the country remains one of the poorest in the world, and this latest natural disaster is just one more nail on that tiny nation's coffin. As sad as all this information truly is, bringing Haiti into the limelight again will hopefully direct more attention to building up that country's economy and helping it to stand alone. I guess we have to hope that there is a silver lining to every cloud.

Finally, I decided to broach the subject with my mother, who believe me, I don't always agree with. In this case, though, I really appreciated her ideas.  We discussed the idea that the United States may just be able to help this suffering nation while helping those who suffer here. Why not send our educated, but unemployed, electricians, builders, plumbers, etc. over to Haiti where they can work for a while, earn money (yes, money that we have sent over there to rebuild that country) and TEACH those there how to correctly build their infrastructure to hold up to such disasters, which, considering the area, are bound to happen again? It seems, perhaps more easily said than done, a solution that may help many. Why not help them rebuild while helping us to rebuild as well?

At the risk of being clichéd, this Chinese proverb seems to hit the mark: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

In response to my piece on Haiti, a friend writes in with this additional information: