Dear Journalists:
You seem to be missing a subtle, but important distinction in your Haiti coverage.
People who are doing what they have to do to get to food, water and medication when they have been denied these things for 9 days ARE NOT LOOTING, they are surviving. While I know this may come as a shock to you, this is true even if the people fighting for food, water and medication happen to be black and/or poor.
The relief effort has suffered some massive failures. This is partially because of the utter destruction of shipping facilities and roads. Unfortunately, it's mostly because some pretty huge bureaucracies have focused on getting a bunch of stuff to Haiti, but failed to consider the order in which to deliver that stuff to ensure that it is useful and failed to consult the Haitian officials as to where the aid is needed and failed to stop fighting over who is in charge. If the roads aren't really functional, you should probably get your helicopters and all-terrain, heavy duty vehicles up and running before you drop of giant containers of supplies that no one can deliver. You should also make sure that you are dropping off supplies of fuel for these vehicles. You also might want to get locals to tell you where the people who need help are located and how to get there. I heard one heartbreaking story about a collapsed neighbourhood right by the Airport where the folks are watching all the aid come in, and watching it sit there and watching it get sent all sorts of places other than to them.
Before you slap the label of "looting" on people's behaviour, think about what you would do if your city had literally collapsed and there was no food, no water, no shelter, no medical care, no rescue support, no corpse removal and no police protection. Especially think about what you would do if your children were injured, starving and dehydrated, and some other country had flown in giant containers food and water but just left it sitting there, behind a fence, for six freakin' days. Don't forget to add in the fact that before this catastrophe hit you, you were just barely surviving, unable to afford the basics on your bad days even when there was a food store and a hospital close at hand. I'm willing to bet that you'd be tearing that damn fence down and breaking into those containers and getting that food and water and medicine back to your kids. I don't know if you'd wait that six days.
Could you maybe save the "looter" label for the folks who use a catastrophe to victimize others and to steal TVs or Diamond rings, or designer bags? Y'know, actual looters?
It would be much appreciated.
Regards,
BHL.
People who are doing what they have to do to get to food, water and medication when they have been denied these things for 9 days ARE NOT LOOTING, they are surviving. While I know this may come as a shock to you, this is true even if the people fighting for food, water and medication happen to be black and/or poor.
The relief effort has suffered some massive failures. This is partially because of the utter destruction of shipping facilities and roads. Unfortunately, it's mostly because some pretty huge bureaucracies have focused on getting a bunch of stuff to Haiti, but failed to consider the order in which to deliver that stuff to ensure that it is useful and failed to consult the Haitian officials as to where the aid is needed and failed to stop fighting over who is in charge. If the roads aren't really functional, you should probably get your helicopters and all-terrain, heavy duty vehicles up and running before you drop of giant containers of supplies that no one can deliver. You should also make sure that you are dropping off supplies of fuel for these vehicles. You also might want to get locals to tell you where the people who need help are located and how to get there. I heard one heartbreaking story about a collapsed neighbourhood right by the Airport where the folks are watching all the aid come in, and watching it sit there and watching it get sent all sorts of places other than to them.
Before you slap the label of "looting" on people's behaviour, think about what you would do if your city had literally collapsed and there was no food, no water, no shelter, no medical care, no rescue support, no corpse removal and no police protection. Especially think about what you would do if your children were injured, starving and dehydrated, and some other country had flown in giant containers food and water but just left it sitting there, behind a fence, for six freakin' days. Don't forget to add in the fact that before this catastrophe hit you, you were just barely surviving, unable to afford the basics on your bad days even when there was a food store and a hospital close at hand. I'm willing to bet that you'd be tearing that damn fence down and breaking into those containers and getting that food and water and medicine back to your kids. I don't know if you'd wait that six days.
Could you maybe save the "looter" label for the folks who use a catastrophe to victimize others and to steal TVs or Diamond rings, or designer bags? Y'know, actual looters?
It would be much appreciated.
Regards,
BHL.