7920: 7892 defending morse against cooke (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JHUDICOURTB@aol.com

The phrase in Mr. Cooke's note to Mr. Morse:  "What have you done today to 
help? " is very offensive from someone sitting in the pristine environment of 
Amherst Massachusetts to someone living at the edge of Kafou-Fey.  I have 
been to both places and I assure you that even though I'd rather be in Haiti 
life in Amherst is care-free compared to life anywhere in Haiti.
People in Haiti are under a lot of stress.  A man like Richard Morse must be 
doing a lot to help, he gives jobs to a lot of people.  He manages a hotel 
and a band.  In addition he provides music and dance which are 2 of the most 
important aspects of Haitian life.  He could choose to live in the US but he 
stays.  Life in Haiti is a struggle.  It is a big struggle for employers to 
figure out how many people you will help by providing jobs and what the 
limits of your help will be.  There is no social security no affordable 
health insurance, no affordable credit.  Every employer and every person in a 
position of "comfort" in Haiti must deal with the poverty of every day life.  
One must make difficult decision about what support one can afford and which 
emergency deserve a gift or an advance:  Death of a relative? A child being 
out of school because of money?  Ilness of a wife?  Hunger today?  Birth of a 
baby?
It is not fair to question people in that way.  People who deal with Haiti 
and live in Haiti must make personal decisions about who to help and how to 
help.  Some will work through an organization and some will rely on personal 
contacts.  I don't know Mr. Cooke and I don't know what he does.  I don't 
really know Mr. Morse but I have seen him and I know  some of what he does.  
There are very difficult choices to be made when one lives in Haiti and each 
person deals with charity, compassion, and duty in a different way.