Thursday, January 14, 2010

My Math Was Off And Still The Numbers Stagger

Okay.  So ten percent of the population of Haiti is not expected to perish from the devastating earthquake.  Just a mere one percent of the population is expected to die.  Instead of ten people in every hundred only one person in every hundred will die.  If fifty four thousand people attend a Dodger game in Chavez Ravine (a not unusual box office draw at least before the stadium was remodeled so to speak) imagine five hundred forty of those fans not leaving the stadium alive.  Then imagine that some fool named, for example Pat Robertson, said those people deserved to die because they had sold their souls to the devil.  Then imagine that all of the people attending the Dodger game on that specific day were -- and obviously then those five hundred forty people were -- African American (or black if they happened to be from Haiti) and President Obama sent federal help to Dodger Stadium and then another fool perhaps with the absurd first name of Rush said that the only reason help was sent was because of the color of the people's skin.
The numbers of dead, the numbers of injured in Haiti are so great, so beyond my ability to grasp, that I can't even imagine what is going on in Haiti right now.  Unfortunately, though, the arrogant hatred of people like Pat and Rush is not beyond my ability to imagine.  My mind wraps itself around that very quickly.
There is tragedy in Haiti -- the tragedy caused by natural and thus unpredictable forces of nature.
There is also tragedy in this country -- the tragedy caused by fear mongering bigots who amass fortunes built on ruined lives.  For our homeland sorrow the Red Cross has no response.