Paul Shirley is not giving Haiti a dime
Paul Shirley has written a long piece explaining why he has refused to contribute money to help Haiti rebuild.
Shirley is smart enough to explain his position clearly and clearly smart enough to realize that his position makes him look, to some, like an unfeeling clod.
Some excerpts:
I haven’t donated to the Haitian relief effort for the same reason that I don’t give money to homeless men on the street. Based on past experiences, I don’t think the guy with the sign that reads “Need You’re Help” is going to do anything constructive with the dollar I might give him. If I use history as my guide, I don’t think the people of Haiti will do much with my money either.
...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.
If it were apparent that Haiti would likely rebuild in an earthquake-resistant way, and if a cure could be found for hurricane abuse of island nations, then maybe one could imagine putting a sustained effort into rebuilding the place. But that would only be feasible if the country had shown any ability to manage its affairs in the past, which it has not done.
Posted by Reid Cherner at 06:29 AM/ET, January 27, 2010 in Basketball, NBA | Permalink
Paul Shirley is not giving Haiti a dime - Game on - USATODAY.com.
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