Track 16: Haiti Is Wrecked

This is in all seriousness, but portions of Haiti are completely demolished by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

I have to say that this is devastating for the country.

The National Palace is rubble, most of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, is "flattened", and over 100,000 are expected dead. What's even worse is that there were many support personnel stationed in Haiti during the time of the earthquake. Doctors Without Borders apparently had around 800 staff in the region, and many of them are unaccounted for as of present. Several U.N. Peacekeepers are reported dead. The national penitentiary also collapsed, and many inmates have escaped.

Now of course, many of the nations of the world have offered their assistance to the country. I know of a friend's dad that's a firefighter deploying with FEMA. The Coast Guard is repositioning naval ships, aircrafts, and other supplies if Haiti needs them. France is also sending a specially trained team to the country. I'm sure many more countries are helping too.

But all of this might be not be enough. This not only affects the country, but the region as a whole. It will take a very long time, in my opinion, to get Haiti back to the level it was at (which wasn't very developed anyway). This means that Haiti will require more long term assistance. The U.S. has been supporting Haiti with funds for years, and now it will be imperative for us to recommit ourselves to the cause.

Here's a link to some pictures of the devastation if you're interested.

Also, you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill). Please consider this option as those affected in Haiti definitely need our support right now.

Track 14: He Said "Negro". Who Cares?

So just a short little piece today on account of classes starting back up. This is just something I read about in the news.

So apparently a new book that's coming out claims that Senate Majority Harry Reid referred to Obama as a "Negro" during the presidential campaign. Immediately, the chairman of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, and another prominent Republican senator started clamoring for Reid's resignation.

Now, for full disclosure, I generally align myself with the Republican Party on most issues. Yet, this is just another example of destructive bipartisan politics. Yeah, you Republicans may not like this guy or his policies much,  but him saying "Negro" is not any reason to remove him from office. I'm sure more than enough people from both parties have referred to a black person as a negro. Let's face it. These people are old. They come from a different generation, and you're not going to be able to make them change old habits.

This issue also has absolutely nothing to do with his ability to lead or be an effective senator. It's up to his constituents to choose whether they believe he's fit for office. Both parties are guilty of nitpicking members in the other party, but this does nothing for our country. We need leaders that will actually put personal issues and outside matters aside. We need leaders that will get things accomplished.

I'm done with my discussion now, but just think about if the next person you elect will actually make a difference.