OF PAIN AND DESPAIR

Seven days after the earthquake in Haiti, aid workers are still struggling deliver the food to those who need it.'No one can blame people who are starving and without water or shelter taking things into their own hands but does it always have to be by violent means? writes Barbara from the United Kingdom.'

I, like millions of people around the world, have been watching closely the news that is unfolding about the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake. Day by day there are stories of horror but also awe inspiring feats of hope and courage. What is so depressing to watch however, are the awful images of the looting and lawlessness. Why is it that disasters like this bring out the best and worst in humankind? This is not just something that is only happening in Haiti. Even in other more developed, and therefore less poverty stricken countries, when a catastrophe occurs there are always those that seek to take advantage of the situation by fair means or foul. No one can blame people who are starving and without water or shelter taking things into their own hands but does it always have to be by violent means? What also strikes me is that it often seems to be the young, healthy men who are seen to be weilding knives and other weapons. The women, who afterall may have children to fend for and no man to help them, are the ones waiting patiently for the supplies to arrive. It was so poignant to see the very young children accepting the aid, which amounted to little more than a bottle of water in some cases, with such gratitude and politeness.

I have seen this, to a lesser extent, in my own country, England. During the past few weeks as I have written about recently, we have been suffering extreme weather conditions. This also brought out the good and bad in people. There were lots of stories of courage and fortitude but also dispiriting stories of people having to abandon their cars only to return later to find that they had been broken into and radios, stereos, anything removable, had been stolen. Or cases of elderly people being left to die in their homes through lack of care. We are on the whole a selfish society so we can't sit back and watch the TV coverage of Haiti and condemn the people for their behaviour when, should the same thing happen here, we could also be witnessing such scenes. Once again, the perpetrators would more than likely be young men who our Government do-gooders call 'disaffected youths'. This is psycho speak for lawless yobs! 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone' is as relevant today as it was when it was written thousands of years ago.