Haiti

The news from Haiti over the past week has been terrible. A meaningful aftershock today is more horror for the people there.

The significance of this devastation to a relatively small part of a small nation is overwhelming. In 2004 the giant Asian tsunami killed 230,000 people spread over 14 countries. That was a disaster of historic proportions. In Haiti, one small country, the confirmed death toll yesterday, as in bodies that have been counted, was over 70,000 and estimates for the ultimate tally of those killed ranged as high as 200,000. Those many more severely maimed or wounded by being crushed in buildings are likely forever maimed as we have seen in photos. The government infrastructure has been mostly destroyed as compared to the many seaside villages and tourist areas in Asia five years ago.

Both the Asian tsunami and what we are witnessing today are horrific events. Comparing them has no real meaning, a fool's errand as they say, except to underscore the magnitude of what we see in Haiti. Can one even imagine the road back from this.

While the reliably inane Pat Robertson has an answer to all of this, there is none. We can only look for some well run organization and donate money.