Let me tell you my Haiti story.
 

My teacher is a beautiful man originally from Trinidad.  He's the type of teacher that not just imparts information, but one of those who is on your side, who enjoys teaching and who inspires.  He speaks in such precise tones, necessary because we are transcribing dictation.
 

Sometime during the week after the Haiti earthquake he tells us a story.
 

Aboot when he met one of his old classmates, lets call him Al.  Al is originally from Libya, from a well-to-do family (they have maids).  Al's sister and him and my teacher and their friends were having a lunch.   Al's sister was explaining how worried she and her parents are because Al was living in a 1-bedroom apartment (in one of those expensive loft areas of the city), isn't married or with someone, and who doesn't have a car.  Everyone laughed but the sister.
 

Then my teacher started talking aboot Haiti.
 

He said that he has family there.  Families are big in Haiti (compared to what I'm used to).  He said that he had heard from only 1 of the families.  At that point, he stopped and put his finger to his lips and said excuse me, looking down.  Then he continued.  Since he hadn't heard at all from the other family, he assumed that means they are all gone.  Some 40 people.  Gone.
 

Now, these 2 familes are upper middle class.  What that means is that they get to eat 1 meal a day, of the staple diet of rice and beans and they earn some $1/day.  Everyone else eats once every other day, they don't have money.  Those are the two main social classes in Haiti.  These families typically live in 3-4 room apartments.  ALL OF THEM.
 

Then my teacher pointed out that we didn't laugh at that bit and that we laughed at Al's sister being anxious that Al only lived in a 1-bedroom apartment.
 

He said that, at the meeting with Al, that caused him to consider being more empathetic.  It is all a matter of one's point of view of what one thinks of as normal.
 

He said that the one positive thing he sees coming out of Haiti right now is that it is in the Public's eye.
 

So, I think this is an opportunity for people to be more empathetic.
 

We're all in this human condition together.  To blame something like Haiti on demons or devils or angels...I find that to be rather cold and inhuman.  It turns something complex and fixable into...something rather simple and easy to deal with.

Sometimes the best thing one can do in these situations is just to be present and listen...