destruction caused by the 7.0 Earthquake in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. It is of great importance that we give what ever support we can to help the Haitian people. Living in S. Florida, this disaster has a real impact as I see and interact with Haitian people on a daily basis. Haiti is one of those places in the world that seems to be a disaster magnet. However, If Haiti could ever "get on it's feet" so to speak, the Haitian people could become self supportive. The island nation has undergone almost continual natural or social disasters and horrible exploitation of the people by corrupt tinhorn dictators rising and falling since Hurricane David in 1979 totally decimated the island. The current government has been teetering on the brink of anarchy since Hurricane Jeanne lashed the island for 12 days straight killing 2500 confirmed, but possibly in the 10's of thousands. Jeanne also destroyed the island's infrastructure, which depended on mountainous roads that were totally wiped out by flooding. As if that weren't enough, in 2008, 3 hurricanes destroyed all the rebuilding that had taken place. There have been multiple government coups as on corrupt dictator wrestled power from another.
Recently there were glimmers of hope in Haiti as a stable government has been in place several years (a lifetime by Haitian standards). Rebuilding of the infrastructure was beginning and the island was starting to recover. Beyond the moral and ethical reasons for helping the Haitian people, there are many other reasons to support them as well. If Haiti descends into anarchy again, there will be another wave of refugees flooding into Florida. There are not enough jobs for the people here now, and it is doubtful that our infrastructure could support a "Mariel" type of event now. 
If Haiti becomes a "failed state", ocean piracy just like what is so rampant in Somalia would be
one result as much of the shipping that goes through the Caribbean is close to or goes through the ports of Haiti. A far more frightening outcome could be the spread of Jihadist Islam into the Caribbean. This is already happening in Venezuela and an abandoned Haiti could very easily become the next Yemen or Afganistan, and once that genie is out of the bottle, we'd never be able to undo the damage. So pray for our Haitian neighbors, that the continual natural disasters can come to an end, and from the rubble, a new and prosperous Haiti can emerge in it's place. Pray for our brothers and sisters that this disaster is not as bad as I fear as the death toll could very easily rise into the millions.
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