I am sure that like me, you have been horrified by the pictures coming out of Haiti following the earthquake on January 12th. We are only beginning to find out about the human tragedy and circumstances that are difficult for us to imagine. The vivid photography and descriptions are extremely painful to see and hear, let alone directly experience. This earthquake marks a heart-wrenching pinnacle of devastation to a people ravaged by multiple man-made and natural disasters that has witnessed Haiti becoming the poorest country in the western hemisphere...

...The people, the land and its produce have been ruthlessly abused...“Ever since the US invaded and occupied the country in 1915, every serious political attempt to allow Haiti's people to move "from absolute misery to a dignified poverty" has been violently and deliberately blocked by the US government and some of its allies.”

To give them their due, President Obama and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, began their terms in office with visionary statements about taking a moral lead in the world. We blame them for lack of results and perhaps at times they have deserved it. But let us look to ourselves as citizens of this country. It is only when we will give up one or two of our own ‘priorities’ to release monies up-front, that we will not have to rush into our pockets in emergency relief as I do urge you to do now through World Jewish Relief. Just think of the demands to change our infrastructure for more snowy weather. Would we still vote for a government that chooses to redirect additional monies for gritting to long-term, foreign development aid?

See full article at http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/Va-era%205770.html