13490: Seitz: The chilling words

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Suzanne Seitz <sseitz@warwick.net>

Like a lot of others, my tear-filled eyes watched the lovely, sweet, even
well-dressed young, old, Haitian people jump and swim to the Miami shore.
But my ears burned hearing the unbelievably chilling words the CNN lady
reporter on the same split screen shreiked:

"The focus is not on these people", she shouted.  "It is on the fact that
security on the seas is so fragile that anyone can sneak in."  She
repeated, angrily: "We are not concerned with these people.  But where are
we when we don't see and don't stop who is entering the U.S.?"

Could she phrased this differently?  Absolutely.  But then again, she was
voicing what the Americans want to hear.  Our self-absorption has little
room for the plight of others, especially when it dares to infringe on our
territory, or our ongoing process of set thoughts.  We cannot separate the
presence of danger when we analyze a situation that requires immediate
humanitarian attention.

One also wonders if those legally representing Haiti will also honestly
fight for these people, and finally admit the political situation in Haiti
is ultimately responsible in  forcing acts of life-threatening desperation
that will continue until some security for a decent quality of life is
finally established in a country that has suffered enough.

Sue Seitz.