in my car tonight i heard these words from scott simon of npr's weekend edition:
"It's moving to hear so many stories of so many Haitians bearing up with bravery and grace, and it's impressive to see the world dispatch so much help to Haiti. Medical search-and-rescue teams have arrived from such distant and dissimilar places as Iceland, Israel, and Fairfax, Virginia. Food and medicine is being sent from as far away as China, and as close as Canada and Cuba. In fact, the Cuban government is letting U.S. medical evacuation planes, which are military aircraft, fly over Cuba to reduce travel time. Catastrophe has at least temporarily overcome animosity.
The U.N. Secretary-General, U.S. cabinet officials and prime ministers are beginning to visit, bearing pledges of aid.
But when the famous faces have gone home, the bright lights packed up, and much of the news snaps back into normalcy, Haitians will face some of their darkest, most desperate hours. The struggle to survive, to build lives with clean water, safe food, medical care, security, education, and real opportunity, will be as urgent, if not as dramatic, as rescuing people from the rubble and ruin. Haiti will still be a great human emergency. It will last a lifetime."
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2 comments:
I can't even imagine the level of devastation. That last paragraph reminds me of the way it always is for someone who loses a loved one close to them. After the funeral and all the hubbub is over and everyone goes home, etc., that's when the person needs the most support. But it never seems to happen that way. How easily we forget.
world peace? even for a moment? kind of seems that way.
thanks for sharing.
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