Guest guest Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 CATASTROPHE! Tuesday, 19 January 2010 As you all know, I was raised in the South in the great city of New Orleans. And as you also know, New Orleans has experienced many hurricanes. (Katrina, just a few years ago being the worse and most devastating.) Back when I was a kid, I can remember my parents, my brother Lenny and I taking shelter in the house as a hurricane struck the city. It was always so scary! When I moved to Los Angeles, I experienced three major earthquakes here, one of which caused considerable damage to my home. If you've never been through a natural catastrophe, let me tell you, it's a very frightening experience. Here in southern California, you never know when an earthquake might strike. It's not like with a hurricane where you actually get warnings days in advance. An earthquake just comes from out of nowhere with no warning. For me, an earthquake is like being in one of those little snow globes and some giant is shaking it...with you inside! When I first heard about the earthquake in Haiti, my heart just sank. No one knew it was coming. The ground Haiti was built on just began to tremble and shake and...shake! Buildings were falling to the ground and people were screaming thinking it must have been the end of the world. I relived my own earthquake experiences here in Los Angeles as I watched the trauma Haiti was going through.I sat there and cried as I watched the nightly news. I kept looking in the eyes of all those adults and, oh dear Lord, the children who'd lost everything in the quake, including members of their own families and friends they held so dear. I must say though, how proud I am of the way the whole world is stepping up to aid the people suffering through the crisis in Haiti. The United States and Canada, along with many European and Asian countries are responding to the need for help in a big way. They're helping to provide food, water and the medical attention the Haitian people now so desperately need. And even today, thousands of people are still digging through the rubble hoping to find a miracle...a person still alive!I've watched the news everyday as they've continued to find those miracles among the ruins. And I've screamed and clapped with joy for every living person they've pulled from what looks like mountains of crushed concrete. With the world's continued help, I just know Haiti will be rebuilt. And I mean rebuilt with the kinds of building codes that will help make the country safer from any future earthquakes.Now it's truly sad to say that there're a lot of conartists out there who get your E-mail address or phone number and ask you to donate money to help the people of Haiti. You're lead to think that all of the money they raise is going to to help relieve this suffering nation. But, in fact, much of the money they raise will go into their pockets. I simply cannot believe how evil...how low some people can go! So please, if you're wanting to help by sending money to help Haiti, do some research and pick those organizations, like the Red Cross, that have been around for a long time and you know you can trust. Because every dollar given to help Haiti counts. And you want to be sure that your own dollars are going to really help relieve the suffering of our neighbors to the South.I know we all wish the best for Haiti and its people. And I know that you, along with me, will keep all of Haiti in your prayers.Love, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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