Earthquake In Haiti

[Bulldog1948]

This has to be the worse disater on the airwaves since 911. Katrina would now come in 3rd. The horiffic pictures that are coming out of there are just almost beyond comprehension. My soul cries out in anguish for them. We have missionary frinds that go down there. Please say special prayers for the Haitians and donate to a reputable organiztion, as they are in desperate need.

Mike

[Guest Jenifer Turner]

I know, its just breaking my heart watching the news. I feel soo bad!!

I did that Text haiti to Bill Clinton's speech, which donates $10, I know it seems like a low amount, but thankfully they said there are just tons of donations coming in by the hour.

My heart goes out to all the people there.

Jena

[Guest ChalenAustin]

All I can do is send my prayers and I pray everyone else here will as well.

[Guest Anna_Banana]

This has to be the worse disater on the airwaves since 911. Katrina would now come in 3rd. The horiffic pictures that are coming out of there are just almost beyond comprehension. My soul cries out in anguish for them. We have missionary frinds that go down there. Please say special prayers for the Haitians and donate to a reputable organiztion, as they are in desperate need.

Mike

I agree that this was an absolutely terrible event that happened, but I wouldn't hold 9/11 to such a high regard as some Americans do. There have been plenty of worse events that have happened since that would take the cake in my honest opinion. The first event that came to mind right away was the Second Lebanon War that occurred in 2006 in Israel. That's the one where both Lebanese and Israeli people had to suffer through daily missile barrages on their cities. Lebanon was left in ruins, killing over a thousand people. On the other side, over 300,000 Israelis were displaced.

I'm sorry to argue, I just get a little offended from hearing that 9/11 was the worst event in the history of humankind, as some people put it. While it was tragic, it is far from the worst.

.Anna

[Guest praisedbeherhooves]

This has to be the worse disater on the airwaves since 911. Katrina would now come in 3rd. The horiffic pictures that are coming out of there are just almost beyond comprehension. My soul cries out in anguish for them. We have missionary frinds that go down there. Please say special prayers for the Haitians and donate to a reputable organiztion, as they are in desperate need.

Mike

That is horrible. I'm praying and spelling for them. Though, as Anna said, there have been much worse disasters such as the Christmas Tsunami and definitely the Second Lebanon War.

[Guest Donna Jean]

That is horrible. I'm praying and spelling for them. Though, as Anna said, there have been much worse disasters such as the Christmas Tsunami and definitely the Second Lebanon War.

Thanks for bringing that up, Hon...I thought that I responded to this earlier today...but, obviously not...

The Tsunami of Dec 26, 2006 (I think) took more than 250,000 lives..that was horrific....

And it's starting to look like Haiti will top 100,000...

Truly awful.....

Donna Jean

[Guest Robin Winter]

Thanks for bringing that up, Hon...I thought that I responded to this earlier today...but, obviously not...

The Tsunami of Dec 26, 2006 (I think) took more than 250,000 lives..that was horrific....

And it's starting to look like Haiti will top 100,000...

Truly awful.....

Donna Jean

When I heard yesterday, they were saying 100,000 was a guarantee, but there was a possibility it would top half a million. I haven't heard anything since then. I know we're sending tons of relief support from Canada as well. There's a bunch of military people in our building (cuz we give them a discount ) and I think most of them are going.

[Guest Donna Jean]

In 1970 I was in the airlift to Nigeria to bring relief supplies to people at the end of the Nigerian-Biafra war...

In my airplane...I carried, foodstuffs, seeds, farming tools, blankets and other relief supplies....

The estimates of the dead for that war were 300,000...

Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and other acts of nature that kill people are truly awful.....

But, they can't compare to the savagery we (humankind) perpetrate on ourselves....

*sigh*

Donna Jean

[Guest julia_d]

I saw on the news.. I think certain help should be a little conditional.. Haiti is a hotbed for various forms of abuse.

The UK government has given 10 million in aid.. errr.. nobody asked me if that would be ok!

don't they have a "poundland" in haiti?

[Sally]

I am saddened to hear of a disaster of this nature but I am also saddened by the loss of a single life.

We tend to grief for large numbers of people or only the ones that we know - someone dies in an unspectacular way and no report is made outside of the obituary and yet they deserve the same sympathy, respect and compassion that we save for the victims of large scale disasters and wars - they are still gone and their families must still carry on and yet no one knows and no one sends any aid - they have left this world without any of us even knowing that they were here and to me that is the saddest epitaph of all.

Yes, help these survivors but remember there are always tragedies of smaller proportions that we will never even know about and when you pray include a prayer for the survivors of all who have passed from this world today, whether in war, natural disaster, car wreck or simply natural causes for they all have felt a loss of tremendous magnitude on a personal level.

Sorry, I can be a bit deep sometimes.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Ivan Le Renard]

It's sad that such a catastrophic event happened in Haiti. They have so many problems they're trying fix and then this earthquake kicks them while they're down. ;__;

One of my teachers at school is asking students for donations of clothes and food. I have eight bags full of clothes my family doesn't wear that I'll be donating! I need to get rid of all my feminine clothes anyways. I'm sure some girls in Haiti will appreciate it and every little bit helps, right? :3

[Guest Javey]

Yup, been seeing this on the news. Someone said that if u pack up a box that weighs less then 50 pounds (I think it was ups... Might have been fedex) full of food and supplys, they will ship it to the people there for free. I'm gonna do it when I get out of the hospital. Yay UPS!!

[Guest sarah f]

The local newspaper today estimates 45 to 50 thousand now. I know this is a better number than previously mentioned but it is still a tragedy.

Sarah F

[Guest viv]

Mike,

I agree with you hun, frightening for those poor folk and yes ,

I will contribute. viv

[Guest Charlene_Leona]

The other day when this occurred Larry & I were out shopping and I started to get sick for no reason whatsoever only to find out the Earthquake had hit when we got home. I've been glued to CNN for day's watching this and Larry is getting mad at me for doing this to myself. I got terribly sick when the Christmas Tsunami hit as well, I've always been an empath but my track record so far is starting to freak me out a bit.

This disaster has saddened me so much but I can't stop watching if it were possible I would be there helping if I could.

Things like this just remind you how fragile life really is and how quickly it can be taken so please enjoy every day as if it were your last because it could be!!!

Love

Charlene Leona

[Bulldog1948]

I've been watching CNN and some Fox reports. Actually CNN has done a tremendous job of covering this horrible story.

I watched AC 360 follow the burial dump truck tonight. And, it was quite grusome. But, it's a job that has to be done. You can tell very quickly, by watching the various reports, that the govt in Haiti exists in name only. Even what's left of the UN isn't effectivve.

The UN told the one bunch of drs to leave tonight. So, they packed up and left DR Sanjay Gupta [ CNN] to care for the critically ill paitients. Security reasons they said. What? People are dying "stupid deaths" as AC 360 stated tonight. I keep waiting for the Marines to drop down from helis and take charge. Somebody has to take charge and help these people.

One sure doesn't need to watch a horror movie at the theater, just turn on CNN and watch the real deal of " life & death" . Please continue to pray for the people in Haiti, as they need all of them and also donate whatever you can.

MIke

[Bulldog1948]

A couple of news updates.

Read on AOL tonight that the USS Carl VIncent- sitting out in the harbour- isn't allowed to take any non-American personell aboard. As of right now, they are only to care for the 3500 military folks; not the Haitians !!! The drs aboard want to treat the Haitians but Southern Command rules the roost. Oh yeah, one other important point, no Navy choppers can be called in to evacuate anyone unless the US AirForce calls them in. So, that big glimmer of hope sitting out there in the harbour is useless as teats on a boar hog to any injured or dying Haitians. And, that is pure BS, there are severly wounded folks who need amputations now- not next friggen week. Yeah! as an old Army man, I'm mad as heck. Stupidity rules supreme again.

One other note. We have missionary friends that go to Haiti. He was skyped Fri morn and told that the missionary school; he helped to build had collasped. They'd been able to dig the preacher and some of the kids out, but others were still trapped underneath. He's on the waiting list to fly back down to Haiti. He's a retired fire captain and his wife is a nurse. I'll keep ya'll updtated.

Please keep praying and giving, it's all that we can do.

Mike

[Bulldog1948]

I've been watching CNN and some Fox reports. Actually CNN has done a tremendous job of covering this horrible story.

I watched AC 360 follow the burial dump truck tonight. And, it was quite grusome. But, it's a job that has to be done. You can tell very quickly, by watching the various reports, that the govt in Haiti exists in name only. Even what's left of the UN isn't effectivve.

The UN told the one bunch of drs to leave tonight. So, they packed up and left DR Sanjay Gupta [ CNN] to care for the critically ill paitients. Security reasons they said. What? People are dying "stupid deaths" as AC 360 stated tonight. I keep waiting for the Marines to drop down from helis and take charge. Somebody has to take charge and help these people.

One sure doesn't need to watch a horror movie at the theater, just turn on CNN and watch the real deal of " life & death" . Please continue to pray for the people in Haiti, as they need all of them and also donate whatever you can.

MIke

This is the article about the Navy ship that's just sitting in the harbor Emily Schmall

Sphere ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON (Jan. 16) -- The operating room is prepped with oxygen tanks, ventilators and a roster of blood donors for earthquake victims from Port-au-Prince. But while the medical facilities on this air carrier vessel perhaps exceed those of any other triage center nearby, nearly all of the ship's 50 patient beds are empty.

Late Saturday, seven injured people, at least some of whom were Haitian, were flown in from Port-au-Prince to the ship. But before then, its vitally needed hospital facilities had remained essentially unused since it arrived off the city's coast early Friday.

"At this point, I have no criteria for anything. I don't care who it is or what it is, we'll take it," said Commander Alfred Shwayhat, the ship's senior medical officer, earlier Saturday. Shwayhat, an endocrinologist, internist and aerospace anesthesiologist, said he is equipped to handle virtually any malady.

Adrian White, U.S. Navy / Getty Images

Sailors deliver an injured American citizen to the USS Carl Vinson for medical attention Friday. The patient was one of two treated on the air vessel in Haiti that day.

He's hatched a plan for filling the ship's enormous hanger bay with as many as 1,000 Haitian refugees. But his mission, as part of the recently dubbed Operation Unified Response, is to treat anyone sent to him by military commanders in Port-au-Prince, and so far that has only amounted to nine patients, including two Americans treated Friday.

One reason beds are empty is that the ship doesn't have the authority to pick up victims; it has to wait for the Air Force to call and request a Medevac.

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"Our policy is to treat first, ask questions later, but it's up to those on the ground," said the ship's public affairs officer, Commander James Krohne. The U.S. 4th Fleet, which is responsible for ground operations in Port-au-Prince, could not be reached for comment.

The vessel boasts 52 doctors, nurses, technicians and staff. In addition to Shwayhat, there is a critical care nurse; a general surgeon; a family practitioner; a radiologist; lab technicians; a pharmacy stocked with anti-malaria medication; and an independent corpsman deployed with the fleet marine force to diagnose injuries on the ground.

The hospital's present mission, as Shwayhat understands it, is limited to treating the approximately 3,500 military on board and any American civilian injured in Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

The clinic stabilized two patients Friday before sending them by Medevac to the naval hospital at Guantanamo Bay. The first patient, a presumed American citizen in his fifties, arrived to the Vinson's hospital around noon after both his legs were amputated to free him from the rubble of the Hotel Montana, where he was trapped for 70 hours without food or water.

"To this day, I do not know his name," Shwayhat said.

Earthquake in Haiti