Going to Haiti in a Handbasket

The earthquake that rocked Haiti on Tuesday was just one of the many natural disasters to hit this small Caribbean island over the years.  In fact, there have been 15 disasters that required some form of aid being sent from the United States since 2001 alone - including tropical storms or hurricanes in 2004, ’05 & ’08, and severe floods in 2002, twice in ’03, ’06 & ’07.  Scientists have pointed to quite a few factors that explain this disturbing trend, and the two main culprits involve Haiti’s location – one being that it lies within the normal geographical path of hurricanes, and the other is the presence of tectonics (consult your 3rd grade science book if you need a refresher).  The other causes of these catastrophes are a result of “man-made” problems that plague the country, such as deforestation, poor building standards, and a high population density – which all have a basis in the high poverty rate of this small republic. 

However, there are those out there who don’t put a whole lot of faith into explanations that involve frivolous things like “scientific evidence”, “research”, or “geology”.  People like 700 Club frontman Pat Robertson - a species I hope doesn’t exist - believe this earthquake was caused by a longstanding curse that is the result of a gentlemanly agreement the Haitian people once made with the supernatural Lord of the Netherworld.  That’s right.  According to Robertson, the Haitians continue to serve Satan because he was kind enough to rid their land of those dirty cheese eating surrender monkeys back in the 1800′s - crazy or not, it does sound like a pretty fair deal when you really think about it.. 

Note: I am in no way making light of the horrible situation in Haiti, but merely pointing out the tragedy of Pat Robertson having a media avenue to spread his insanity.  If you would like to help the relief efforts, take a look at the many organizations that are accepting assistance.