Paul Shirley Does Not Know What He’s Talking About; Or, Why Haiti Matters
You may know Paul Shirley. Journeyman NBA player. Wrote a book about his playing days. Probably a nice guy. But, he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. You see, Shirley wrote an article about why he's not donating money to the Haiti relief efforts.
Shouldn’t much of the responsibility for the disaster lie with the victims of that disaster?
Before the reader reaches for his or her blood pressure medication, he should allow me to explain. I don’t mean in any way that the Haitians deserved their collective fate. And I understand that it is difficult to plan for the aftermath of an earthquake. However, it is not outside the realm of imagination to think that the citizens of a country might be able to: A) avoid putting themselves into a situation that might result in such catastrophic loss of life. And B) provide for their own aid, in the event of such a catastrophe.
So, if Shirley's argument is correct, than we would've built better levees for New Orleans. We would have fixed the San Andreas Fault line. We would've stopped the tsunami. Natural disasters are unavoidable. You can't control weather. You can't control when disaster strikes.
Dear Haitians –
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
Sincerely,
The Rest of the World
Yes, Shirley is right when he says that Haiti needs to be rebuilt correctly. That's why we're donating the money. For infrastructure. But, we're donating the money to save lives. We're donating the money for food. For water. For medicine. For clothing. For shelter. Things that we take for granted on a daily basis are so hard to come by for Haitians. So, we're supposed to sit back while they struggle? We're supposed to watch them struggle? And we're supposed to ensure this happens again? No, Mr. Shirley. You couldn't be more wrong. Your moral compass seems to be pointing due-asshole.
And, Mr. Shirley, here's why Haiti matters: They are suffering. They are struggling for things we take for granted. They need money. They need our support. And they are right in our backyard! They are our neighbors. Helping Haiti become a viable economic partner is crucial for our national interests. A viable economic partner in our backyard is something we want.
So, Mr. Shirley, I hope you go to bed at night knowing what an asshole you are. I hope you go to bed at night with the images of people in Haiti burned in your mind. I hope you never forget the images. Because one day, Mr. Shirley, karma will find you. And, from what I hear, karma is a bitch.
(P.S. As commenter Mike said on the site where the article appeared: "Too bad Mr. Shirley’s dad didn’t use a condom." Ah, karma really is a bitch. )
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