Reposted from my Facebook profile.
A few people have asked if I'm really not donating to Haiti just because a few Haitians stole my AT&T account and used it to run up crazy bills phoning home. Well, no, the crimes of a few bad apples would not stop me from offering a helping hand to people in need. But if you REALLY want to help Haiti, instead of texting your $10 to nowhere or faxing your credit card number to George Clooney, try writing your elected representatives in Congress and the White House, and implore them to do the following:
1) Send more of our troops. Not to attack anyone -- as a peacekeeping force, to preserve law & order and prevent Haiti's currently anarchic state from further devolving into a hotbed of terrorism and gang violence.
2) Open up American immigration to allow more Haitian refugees to legally come to the United States to work and acquire a quality education.
3) End the centuries of discriminatory foreign trade policy that sped Haiti's decline into being the poorest country in the Americas.
Most foreign aid is wasted to corruption. It's not only conceivable but inevitable that a large portion of the money donated to disaster relief funds will never make it to the mouths of all those starving orphans. But with some sensible policies and the security of a peaceful state, Haiti might have the chance of a better future. Just don't deceive yourself: throwing money at a telethon is not the answer. It makes you and Alec Baldwin feel better more than it actually helps anyone. Real change takes REAL action--something we all need to remember next time we wonder why America's own problems haven't been solved yet.
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