Help That Does Not Arrive

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NOTE: This article appeared on El Nuevo Día on January 20th. It was written by Silverio Perez, a local entertainer, musician, engineer, singer and motivational writer. He also supports the independence ideology in Puerto Rico.





Even if I do not agree with the writer's political ideals (I believe Puerto Rico should become a state of the nation), or the tone of his writing, I do agree with the essence of what he has written. It hurt, because what is being said is hard to admit. I love the U.S., consider it my homeland. It made me think about what the grandiosity of a nation should really be. Thank you, Silverio, for this article. I believe it is edifying.





Thanks to the Fathers of our Nation, who created a democratic system of government, in which we can all express our feelings, make public criticism or simply point out what is wrong. God Bless America and all the readers.





Spanish to English translation by: http://www.translate.google.com/ Final translation revised and edited by MOI...



Original Source El Nuevo Día: http://www.elnuevodia.com/columna/661586/





Title: The help does not arrive








No. It's not because of the violence of desperate Haitians that relief, antibiotics, doctors and food has not arrived where it is needed. It is simply because the "civilized" world, lead by the U.S., [just] doesn't know how to help.





[The US leaders] know how to invade, how to attack, how to control nations and peoples, but when it comes to helping and aiding the helpless, urgently moving [to a devastated area] they are illiterate.





They tangle in a sea of procedures and bureaucracies; people die while they are trying to figure out what to do [every time] military orders are not [specifically] given.





The shameful situation faced by George Bush with Katrina is now happening with [President] Obama. He has the best of intentions, but when trying to execute [anything] he is undermined by the permanent military government and bureaucrats who swallow [any intentions to help].





Despair has taken over the streets of Port au Prince. Anderson Cooper, who has become the conscience of the true American people, has been for days on CNN asking why help does not arrive. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, also of CNN, has transformed from a reporter to an emergency surgeon and the world can see on his face the outrage at the lack of doctors who are waiting on the border or at the airport for someone to give them orders to start doing something.





The inability of the United Nations and the United States in organizing aid to a country in which the physical and political structures have collapsed is shameful. Simply, they can't figure out how to rescue others on time.





How come we don't see in this [Haitian] scenario the magnificent helicopters we see every time we watch a movie, or the news about the Afghan or Iraq invasions, but this time bringing the needed help, medications, food, shelter and medical personnel? How is it possible that the armies have not been able, after a week of tragedy, to repair roads and airports to facilitate the arrival of help?





No. It is not the violence in Haiti which delays the help, as the press says today. It is the inability to function in times of peace, [since the American nation is] accustomed only to the war. Let's denounce this inability, with all the strength of our throat, so it does not happen again.

End of Article.