Horror in Haiti

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Hopes Fade in Quake-Ravaged Haiti, and Anger Rises.” It describes the current situation in Haiti where the residents of the capital city, Port-Au-Prince, are in urgent need of assistance.

According to the article, the first U.S. troops have started to arrive, and the U.S. Air Force has assumed command of the airport where hectic operations seemed to be on the verge of thwarting the widespread outpouring of aid. The picture painted of the situation is truly alarming. Bodies are piling up in the streets, and there is no heavy equipment to save people who may be still alive under collapsed buildings. The President of Haiti said that 7,000 people have been buried in a mass grave.

It’s so sad that the people of Haiti, after all they’ve been through, the crushing poverty, the stripping of the country’s resources by dictators, must suffer even more. I was glad to see President Obama address the situation immediately, promise $100 million in aid and the deployment of troops.

It does make you wonder about the justice of all this, the reason why, the metaphysics. I know that God is in charge and have faith there will be some good that comes out of all this. But I think the best thing for us to do right now, in addition to the humanitarian assistance, is pray for the people of Haiti.