Right on cue, noted asshat Pat Robertson came out droppin' knowledge that God (also known as Yahweh, aka Jehovah, aka James Mason) was punishing Haiti with that earthquake because they'd made a pact with Satan in order to overthrow the French and free themselves from slavery. There really is no human tragedy, no amount of death, misery and human suffering that he won't turn into a chance to remind us what a small-minded hateful motherfucker he is and what a crabbed, twisted view of the divine, the world and religion he has. For those keeping score at home, I believe that adds the Haitian earthquake to God's already crowded kill sheet, which also includes the Asian tsunami, Katrina, and 9/11. It's like the Eddie Izzard bit about Pol Pot's day planner: death, death, death, death... tea... death, death, death.
Two other spot-on responses from John Cook and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
I'd like to be able to say that CBN (Robertson's charity) is a complete scam but in some brief looking around online this morning, they seem to be okay-ish, at least in terms of keeping their administrative costs down and using most of their donations for actual services. What they're doing with the money I don't know. And certainly, whatever good they might do, there are plenty of organizations doing as good work or better who are not headed by hateful morons. I'm sure y'all can figure out where you'd like to donate. if not, may I suggest Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders
I'm trying to be a good person and think good thoughts about everyone, no matter what, but I just can't repress the notion that Pat Robertson should get painful butt cancer or something.