Decades of Deprivation

Haiti is the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere and although we've all known this a small amount of us has actually ever done anything to help them until now. Why do we always have to wait for something horrible and worse than what we're already seeing to happen before we take action? While we take everything from the clothes we wear to the food we waste, these people have been suffering for decades without proper shelter, food, clothing, education, etc. Who decided that these people should live this horrible fate?

I am from a neighboring island of Haiti, Puerto Rico, and it is so weird to think that a population so close can be so much worse than what I grew up in. I feel like Haiti has always been forgotten by all the other countries and no one has ever dedicated the right amount of effort and compassion to our neighbors. We are blinded by what we have and forget to look to the people next to us because we automatically think they should have it too, but that is certainly not the reality. Haiti shares island with the Dominican Republic, a country that is pretty well off compared to Haiti, but they might as well by alone because the Dominicans don't help Haitians at all.

Haitians who cross the border in search of a better life-style and work are followed by prejudice and are denied jobs. Haitian babies born in the Dominican Republic are denied citizenship so they grow up without belonging to any country. This is horrible and greedy because if anyone should be concerned and willing to lend a helping hand to the Haitians it should be the Dominicans, but they choose to worsen the situation.

An earthquake of a 7.0 magnitude hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. This was exactly what this country didn't need. Now we not only see a population living in imaginably horrible conditions of poverty, but the little they had has become ruble. Thousands of Haitians were imprisoned, wounded and killed by the ruble of the collapsing buildings during the massive earthquake. These people are desperately seeking any kind of help from whoever offers it and all of us fortunate enough to be able to watch this instead of having to live through it should do something about it.

Hundreds of artists were gathered by George Clooney for a fundraiser. They all performed and received calls from members f the public all around the world who were willing to donate. Artists are one of the most important advocates of our time and I hope that many people were moved by Clooney's fundraiser, "Hope for Haiti Now", and are taking part in some way or another in helping.

Earthquake in Haiti

Haitians desperately seek what seems to be their only way of survival and progress at the moment. They stand in line for days with hopes of being able to flee the land that has been their home for years and has all of a sudden turned against them. Demoralized Haitians desperately seek help and a safe place to be able to continue their lives.

Hey!

I'm Frances and I'm a psychology major at Loyola University New Orleans. Through this blog I hope to show how through the lyrics of mainstream music artist have expressed their thoughts and feelings about certain situations around the world. It is interesting how sometimes artists sing about controversial or unspeakable topics and these songs are accepted worldwide. Most people tend to keep their opinions to themselves because they may think that they won't be able to solve anything and they'd rather stay out of trouble.

To some people songs aren't just irrelevant words because they actually analyze and find the message the artist is trying to spread. It is because of these people who care, that music ceases to be just a form of entertainment, but a way to educate and make the public aware of what is happening around them. People sometimes need to have their blindfolds removed, look at the real world and realize that everything isn't just perfect and who better for this job than the most looked upon and idolized people in our society. Horrible things that are sometimes hard to even imagine are happening around the world every day and believe it or not there is always something we can do to make to make it better.

Among these artists who sing about real situations and not just about irrelevant and unimportant topics, Bob Marley is definitely one of my favorites. He composed many eye opening songs about what his race went through in past generations. The persecution and the horrible things they were succumbed to by other races who thought themselves superior. There is no such thing as a better race or culture because in the end we are all people and nothing should impede us from being all equal.