The recent devastation in Haiti and the resultant flurry of charity groups got me thinking about how they spring up so quickly and if we give more to foreign causes than those in our own backyard? It seems like when something like the Indonesian tsunami or Haiti earthquake happen we all immediately open our wallets to give and urge our friends and family to give along with us. I remember very clearly organizing donations in the days following the tsunami and ever since the Haiti crisis you can’t get away from organizations, Facebook groups, local news programs and even the checkout at the grocery who are asking for donations. What I don’t remember is the same type of outpouring after domestic situations like Hurricane Katrina.
Granted, the loss of lives from both the tsunami and earthquake are staggering, not to mention the structural damage and homelessness caused by both. We have not experienced anything on the same scale or even close to it in our own nation. The terrorist attacks of 2001 killed thousands of people and destroyed buildings, but compared to nature’s wrath the collateral damage was minor. Katrina killed a great many people and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and community infrastructure, but the loss of lives was not nearly as devastating. Entire communities were displaced , however, and many did not return, but instead left New Orleans and relocated to another city permanently.
I don’t recall the uprising in sentiment in our nation to give to those people. There was a great deal of resentment and anger at people who chose to stay in their homes rather than to leave as urged by emergency workers. I remember people saying things along the lines that they deserved what they got for not and that taxpayer and emergency funding should not have to be spent to rescue those that were trapped on their roofs or in their homes. Why were we so much harsher to our own citizens than to others around the world? Are we ashamed of the poor in our own nation, but able to muster sympathy for the poor in poverty stricken countries like Haiti?
Perhaps it’s not about socio-economic class, maybe we just assume our own government will take care of their own, but we don’t trust the governments of other nations. That is a slightly better possibility except we saw how poorly our government reacted to Katrina and the abominable treatment the people there received and still we didn’t do all that much. I don’t remember the fundraising and charity like we have now for Haiti. No one at the grocery asked me to donate money to Katrina relief efforts when I paid for my Lucky Charms and tater tots. I’m sure there is some deep anthropological reason behind it that I am not qualified to discern, but all I know right now is that as much as I want to give to help those in Haiti, just as I gave to those after the tsunami, I wish I could go back to Katrina and give a little more. When will we finally help our own with the kindness, acceptance and charity with which we help strangers around the globe? When that day comes we will truly be a great nation.
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