BETTER DAYS

I don't like public restrooms... (shakes and grimaces in disgust) I cringe at the thought. But, after a long trip from NY to Boston yesterday, mastering my bladder control for course, I had no choice but to stop into the South Station bathroom and release myself.

I shut the stall's door, only to be greeted by this message:

"The primary and ultimate goal of any living thing is the reproduction and continuation of its species into the future. The only thing that saves US, humans, from the feeling that our lives are ultimately meaningless is the hope that something we do will out last us, will exist for our descendants. In the modern age, we are witnessing the destruction of just that, and thus, destroyed any meaning our human lives may have once held. This is because we have utterly destroyed the earth for our children and all to come, in our own selfish greed. DO SOMETHING because its nearly TOO LATE."

I pondered at this thought all night... Is it nearly too late?

In these last couple of weeks, we've observed a strange global phenomenon unfolding:

Dead organisms all over the world.

5,000 Blackbirds plummeted to their death in Arkansas

100,000 dead Drum Fish were also found along the Arkansas River

500 or more dead/wounded birds in Kentucky and Sweden

Two million dead Spot Croakers in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay

100 tons of Sardines, Catfish and other species floated dead on the shores of New Zealand and Brasil

40-45,000 Velvet Crabs dead along the sea coasts of Kent, England

Are we nearly too late?

Sounds like someone without FAITH/ without HOPE.

I am a Haitian woman; a portrait of resiliency, a descendent of royalty, honor, strength, glory.
I walk with my head high and my mind fixated on tomorrow.
I fight for my children. I work hard for their future.
And when injustice is done, I strap on my boots, grab my armor and prepare for battle.
I am the strongest woman in the world because MY FAITH IS UNYEILDING.

Today, January 12th, 2011, marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people in Haiti and shook the world. A year later, not much has changed; temporary tent shelters have become permanent residences, food and water are still being distributed by aid, infrastructure remains buried under the rubble, governmental order is non-existent, combined with a ridiculous political election and a preventable Cholera outbreak... 

There are currently over 3,000 NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) operating in Haiti. They were all lining up for a piece of the pie, literally overnight, following the earthquake. I'm not against the help, but at what cost? And what the hell are they doing? Forgive me if I sound a bit off kilter, but I'm not one for being "Politically Correct". This earthquake was an open invitation for every greedy, well-dressed, articulate, blood-sucking pig out there- both internationals and Haitians. It ends up giving a bad rep to the organizations that are truly making a difference in the nation. But, with all the money and resources currently in hand, there was no reason why preventive measures were not taken to eliminate the outbreak of diseases, after the unsanitary disposal of all the desceased. The Cholera outbreak was avoidable if the proper steps were taken... I guess it's hard though. I mean how do you take the necessary actions when you're in meetings all day (talking instead of moving), stuck in traffic in your Range Rover, or eating the succulent meal your servant prepared... It’s hard out here for a PIMP.



US ARMY occupying a school in Damien (a structure that was not heavily impacted). While the students remained out of school two months after the earthquake, the soldiers played cards and frisbie. When asked why are they on Haitian soil, the answer was "they don't need us. The UN is fully capable of handling this disaster w/out us. We are not equiped to build and assist w/ relief efforts. The US Army is strictly a security measure. We only know how to blow shit up."



What is the answer? For this little girl who was dropped off to the neighborhood elders, by her dad, after her mother passed in the quake, what assurance can we offer her, and others like her, of better days ahead?

I can't promise her a better tomorrow. I'm not God. But, like the message on the bathroom stall confirmed, the ultimate goal in this life is to create a legacy that transcends generations, that out lives us. I'm going to change the world. I don't know how, that's unimportant at this time. But, I'm going to continue to dress for battle every day of my life and show up pour Ayiti.

DIASPORA.

YOU & I...WE OWE HER A BETTER TODAY!

I AM KREYOL...