Who Cares About Haiti Anyway? (Essay Sample)

Who Cares About Haiti Anyway?
Name
Institution
Date
Q1: What are the key elements in the case that you wish to address and using the supplemental reading by the Bishops of Brazil (2002)?
Principally, it is the moral obligation of every person to ensure that no one goes hungry or is in dire need of help that the individual can provide and fails to lend a hand. Significantly, the case of who cares about Haiti shows how people who are in critical need of help have been neglected and forgotten. According to the Bishops of Brazil (2002), food is God’s gift to all of creation without any discrimination (DeBerri, Hug, et al., 2003). Therefore, no one should go hungry or fall into poverty that he/she has to adopt such circumstances as a typical culture. Concurrently, today’s society should reject the case of market sovereignty which propels the profitability principle but instead, a man should be compassionate and show solidarity with the affected individuals in times of crisis.
Q2: How do you think the U.S.A should have responded?
In essence, it took two months for the wealthiest nations in the world to meet and discuss the way forward. Significantly, United States, a country regarded as the richest in the world only sent half of what it pledged seven months after the quake (Stivers, Gudorf, & Martin-Schramm, 2012). In principle, his is an insult to the people of Haiti who is just a neighbor to the US. Concurrently, it would have been wise for the US to be at the forefront in the movement to help Haiti people from the aftermath of the earthquake. Moreover, being a neighbor, the US shouldn’t have waited until the wealthy nations conveyed in January to start thinking of ways to help but instead should have sent help the first day the quake struck Haiti. On a similar note, being a superpower, the US should have represented Haitians and held all countries and NGOs who made a pledge into honoring that and even led by example.
Q3: Based on the section in this reading (including "Roots of Haitian Cynicism, "Ethics of Promising," "Christian Views on Giving to the Needy”)-as opposed to other religions-and "Haitian Ethics of Self Help," do the major themes of each article play a role in how this disaster ‘panned out?’
First and foremost, Haiti’s misfortune and nations’ disregards to come through on their pledges is a definite result of the ideologies postulated by the major themes in each of the articles. For instance, Haitian Cynicism’s roots give the idea that Haiti is a country where all bad things happen, and it is the curse that most people opt to run from by ensuring no association exists with Haiti (Stivers, Gudorf, & Martin-Schramm, 2012). Moreover, many of the nations that did not honor the pledges they made will if not definite refer to the Ethics of Promising. Concurrently, this is because it subscribes to the philosophy of making a promise that depends on an unknown future and if variables turn not to favor the promise maker then he/she can default and such was the case with the 2010 economic recession that countries blamed as to why they did not honor the pledges. In essence, due to the widespread belief on Haiti, a culture of Haitian Ethic of Self Help has taken root and because of its ideologies, after the disaster Haitians were not aggressive on requesting for outside help. Significantly, Christianity views on helping the needy were the core drive to nations moving to try and offer help. However, observation shows that they were not enough to push countries into honoring the pledges made. Principally, with regards to other religions mainly indigenous such as Haiti’s Vodou, Christian churches such as the Catholic Church has been seen to have some prejudice against Haiti people and one can imagine this to be a reason as to why the church did not fight for the Haitians.
Q4: How should Dr. Mensah answer the ‘questions in his mind regarding his response to Pierre’s note on the professor’s door (pp. 113-114)?
In essence, Professor Mensah should try and guide Pierre in making an informed decision on what can be beneficial to Haitian and Haiti in general. Moreover, he should state clearly in his response that it is not only Pierre’s responsibility to think and help Haiti but the responsibility of every individual including himself. Furthermore, sending water and food, and a mere survey wasn’t enough a job but there is an urgency to invest in the longterm, for example, offering the futuristic investments such as education and self-reliance programs that help grow the Haitians into depending on themselves.
Q5: How might his university have responded-does it have a responsibility (p. 113)?
Principally, the University should have done more and not only sent water and food, and surveyors to assess the level of damage in Haiti. In essence, the school could have tried and mobilized the surrounding community to donate to the program it had already established so as to ensure it was able to sustain the project for longer than two weeks. Significantly, it could also have set up a Haiti’s Aid fund in which students would have contributed towards to help make a difference. Moreover, as an institution of learning, the university should have tried to enlighten the community that it was their moral duty to help the starving Haitians and ethics of any religion postulated that anyone in need deserved to lend a hand.
Q6: Do you think Dr. Mensah was an example of the ‘Good Samaritan’ parable (p. 114)?
Significantly, if Dr. Mensah chose to do more than write to the Red Cross an occasional check and encourage Haitians students then, he was in line to be compared to the Good Samaritan in the parable. In essence, this is because he is willing to go out of his way to do more than society expects of him. Furthermore, by giving more of his time, resources, and care to Haitians he is by far showcasing an example of selflessness and critical review of one’s self to do right to the highest pedigree without expecting returns or recognition. Similarly, Dr. Mensah’s questions on what is needed of him and whether such expectations are by any chance enough accounts to his level of care thus, qualifying him as a Good Samaritan (Stivers, Gudorf, & Martin-Schramm, 2012).
Q7: How would you expect the Catholic Church to respond based on the reading of the Bishops Conference in Brazil?
According to Bishops Conference in Brazil, the Catholic Church should be in the forefront giving help to the needy in Haiti and not sending funds ...