Thursday, January 14, 2010

Adding Insult to Injury

Poor Haiti. Could this possibly have happened to a nation less equipped to deal with it and with not that much to lose to start with? It seems patently unfair to me.

Watching the coverage was both heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. I felt guilty as I sat there with my dinner. I wished with all my heart that I could have passed my water and food through the screen to those survivors. And then kept passing things from medical supplies to clothing to bedding.

I know they are asking for cash donations because of the logistical nightmare it will be to get goods to the victims. I’ve answered that call. In the wake of such devastation though, it just doesn’t seem nearly enough.

Even worse are some of the incredibly insensitive interjections from the indescribably insane faction. I thought I was beyond being affected by the likes of these shameless overzealots. (Yes, Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh, I mean YOU!) I wanted to break my television but that would have been as stupid a response as theirs. But I still wanted to do it.

As someone who lives and dies by words (and tries to back them up with actions), I find it seriously appalling for someone to abuse this privileged communication in such a way at a time when this is the last thing anyone wants or needs to hear.

Instead of relying on this whole mythical pact with the devil (centuries old lore that may or may not have happened with a people who were desperately fighting for independence), maybe Mr. Robertson should resort to something he should be infinitely more familiar with: his Bible. OK, smart guy, take a little stroll through the book of Matthew. Try this one on:

“Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.” That's attributed to Jesus himself. Guess whose words I'm paying attention to.

I obviously don’t pray to the same God as Mr. Robertson claims to represent. If I did, you could cancel my membership five minutes ago! Christian? Seriously? May God help you, sir, because at this point, I believe he may be the only one who can.

8 comments:

cd said...

Amen - well said.

karen said...

Double Amen. You go girl.

Kristy said...

Well stated.

Vicki said...

I agree he has nothing to back up his pact with the devil claim. But he was raising money for them in that television segment. There was a number for people to call in and donate specifically to the Haiti crisis. Now, what his organization does with the money, I don't know (Ministry Watch is a good organization that would know), but don't throw out the baby with the bath water. His words were lacking factual accuracy, and compassion; his actions are as noble as the rest of ours. His brain may not be fully screwed in, but his heart is in the right place, no?

sewwhat? said...

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard their messages. What is wrong with them? Rush Limbaugh will demonize Barack Obama no matter what he does! For crying out loud, there is no need for their kind of hate-speak. Go visit that demon yourselves, Pat and Rush!

Why S? said...

The unfairness of this tragedy has been plaguing me since I first heard the news. But make no mistake of their motivations. Both Mr. Robertson and Mr. Limbaugh are careerists. They've made their reputations by speaking the outrageous. Mr. Robertson is no more Christian than my neighbor's basset hound and Mr. Limbaugh is a pathetic, substance-abusing, unfunny clown. They can both be stricken by lightning for all I care.

Karen Anne said...

I hear what those guys say and I wonder what Bible they're reading.

Rush is sitting on $500 million to a billion in personal wealth, so this stuff pays well. Rolls eyes.

NV said...

CD, Karen, Kristy -- Thanks!

Vicki -- I’m going to have to respectfully disagree on this. I’ll credit him for raising money for them but no, I don’t think his heart is in the right place. If it was, he would be incapable of seeing all of that suffering and just pouring salt in the wounds by essentially saying, “You brought this on yourselves.” And further, I’m not sure who made him the authority on where Haitians stand with God. His assertion that “Haiti needs to turn to God” is both arrogant and off-base. Haiti is, after all, largely a CHRISTIAN nation, though because it’s roughly 80 percent Catholic, that may not count in Mr. Robertson’s eyes. Perhaps that is the source of his comment. In any case, still not a good GPS for his heart. This is the kind of tripe one might expect from Limbaugh but not from a man of God.

sewwhat -- Absolutely. Which is why I thought I was beyond being affected by anything stupid they might say. Stupid me!

Why -- I'm not sure how someone learns to hate that much. I guess it must be the equivalent of being raised in a KKK or Nazi environment as a child where you just don't know any different.

Karen Anne -- Amen. Someone told me that Robertson is "strictly Old Testament" which supposedly explains his fire and brimstone, over the top assertions. Even so, the Bible has two parts and if you're supposed to be all about Jesus as much as he claims to be, you'd think he'd pay more attention to the other half of the book.