Lissa

Paul Knue writes...

In our great country, freedom of speech is one of our most cherished -- and most taken-for-granted -- rights. A corollary should be that you are required to actually know what you are talking about before you exercise that right. Unfortunately, there is no such requirement.

The unimaginable tragedy that has befallen Haiti -- one of the poorest and most desperate nations in the world -- is an unexpected opportunity for the right-wing crazies who delight in spewing their venom on a daily basis. So, of course, Pat Robertson, who portrays himself as a man of Christ, and Rush Limbaugh, mouthpiece of Republican nutcases everywhere, were first out of the block, spreading their hatred at every opportunity. Fortunately, there are still those in the media (think Edward R. Murrow) who are willing to take on bullies and political opportunists. Keith Olbermann had the courage to call out Robertson and Limbaugh in this broadcast.

If you really want to understand the horror of Haiti, read this (see below), the first (and only) news I have had from my wife, who has worked for years to help the Haitian people and who was in Haiti when the earthquake struck. She is a gracious and kind woman who has devoted her life to others -- she is also the anchor of our family and is responsible for every success I have ever achieved. We miss her terribly and hope she can get home soon.

And we hope there is a special place in hell for those who spew such hatred.

Lissa's letter...

This is unbelievable. i was in the library (a concrete building) when the quake hit practicing for a skit. We were all thrown about 3 feet and luckily no one was hurt. We all rushed out into the yard and sat down. It was terrifying. Soon the villagers started streaming in screaming and as frightened as we were. One of our ladies was hit by a stone wall and was seriously hurt. She is better, but we're trying to get her airlifted out. The aftershocks are awful. Last night we all slept outside because one of the aftershocks was so severe it ruptured the water line in our house. We spent the night on the ground. Everytime I started to sleep, another aftershock hit. today I worked 7 hours in the clinic. it's a little tough to treat fractures with tylenol and aspirin. Some people were not dug out until this morning. Several thousand Haitians are living on our grounds. They have moved what belongings they have left with them. We have a field of tents and mattresses in our front yard. Right now an evangelistic rock band is playing in the front yard. Last night a little boy was born and we used dental floss to clamp the cord. Tonight a little girl was born. Last night an 18 month old died after I held him for 4 hours. He bled out after a wall fell on his leg.

We are back in the house and I plan to sleep in my own bed. We have electricity and water and even had cheery cobbler for dinner. The aftershocks are lessening and we have stopped running for the door everytime one hits. We have heard that the runway at Port Au Prince is undamaged and that the road to there is passable we are about 40 miles from the epicenter so I can only imagine what the city looks like....

Pray for us.

ADD: Here's a list from HuffPo of ways you can donate financially to help people in Haiti.