Devastation in Haiti and Nicaragua

Change begins with the individual himself. Lets say that Charlie has a problem with stealing. In order for him to stop stealing, he has to first acknowledge that he has a problem and realize the fact that his actions are negative and understand the direct and indirect results of his behavior. The next step is for Charlie to have the will and the determination to quit stealing and to overcome his temptation to steal. In simple terms, Charlie has to want to quit stealing in order to even begin to make steps toward cutting out such negative behavior. On the other hand, there are some cases where an individual wants change, but cannot help it because of the circumstances surrounding his situation, such as a child with negligent parents, or a nation with a selfish government. Additionally, there are those rare cases when the individual simply wants to leave things the way they are, despite any adverse consequences or negative effects.

From my own observation and research, and my unique intuition, Haiti is in the state its in because of selfishness. According to the Bible, "The love of money is the root of all evil". This is evident, because in Haiti, you have the extremely rich and the dirt poor. There is no middle- class. Those who are rich and have, refuse to share with those who are less fortunate and do not have. Therefore the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. Moreover, there is no efficient governing body and the country is in a state of anarchy. According to my suite-mate who is from Haiti, there is no even distribution of wealth throughout the country, and because of this, many suffer and perish. Making a sloop from wood and setting sail into the open sea, seems to be the only source of hope for many Haitians. Greed and power are the two main factors that has Haiti the way it is. So it is safe to say that the turmoil in Haiti is because persons who have the power to influence change would rather just leave things the way they are, despite any adverse consequences. This is due in part to fear; fear that poor Haitians may eventually become as powerful as those who are wealthy. Therefore, we understand why the wealthy Haitians prefer to leave the less-fortunate Haitians poor and uneducated, in order to keep them down and ensure that they maintain their power and monetary status. One word comes to mind when you digest all this: Selfishness! Yet instead of making efforts to change the situation and make it better for all, they turn their backs on the situation and are just concerned about making things better for themselves.

As I look at the images that show the devastation in Haiti, I feel compassion and melancholy. I sometimes wish that there was something I could do to change it in an instant. However, this is not possible. Change can only come about if those persons in high places realized the negative effects of their selfishness and made efforts to establish a government and evenly distribute the wealthy throughout the country. It would be a dream come true for many Haitians if they can live comfortably and in harmony. As it relates to the situation in Nicaragua, I feel that the government needs to do everything in its power to ensure that its citizens are educated and that they can find food and fresh water. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "give a man a fish, and tomorrow he returns hungry; teach a man to fish and he hungers no more." So the government needs to do everything possible to ensure that it educates and takes care of its people. The United Nations and other charitable organizations have made tremendous efforts to help out with the turmoil in poor countries such as Haiti and Nicaragua. But they can only do so much. Those who have the power to make significant changes, such as the government and certain wealthy individuals, need to step up and take responsibility for the country.

Its not true or fair to say that things will never change. Every effort counts and a little goes a long way. However, we must remember this quote by Mahatma Gandhi, "You must be the change that you want to see in the world."