Beatin a Dead Horse? Could be...but I'mma Beat it Anyway

I’m SoapBoxin today, ‘cause my stomach hurts. I cannot believe how much time and energy is being wasted with people trying to dig up dirt on Wyclef & Yele Haiti. This conversation is so counterproductive, especially because so many of those hatin’ on Clef are black.

Lets think for a second about where we live. Our memories need only travel back 5 short years to Hurricane Katrina and the FEMA debacle. Government red tape has still got those monies tied up. Tourism dollars are putting money directly back into the city of New Orleans where funds given directly to the government haven’t flowed through the necessary channels, let officials tell it, to get to the people who’ve desperately needed it for ½ a decade. My how time does fly…

We live in the “Make it Rain” era where we can all throw money at causes from our phones or our living rooms without actually having to engage the people in need. From your sofa you can rescue a child in Guatemala, a mistreated dog, a child at St. Jude’s, get DNA testing for Maury’s kids, feed a village in the Amazon, and get meds to elderly shut-ins. At no point do you have to touch or see any of those unfortunate souls but you get the benefit of feeling charitable. This way, you don’t have to wonder whether the person you’ve given your money to is going to take it and change into his suit after a hard day’s work or whether s/he’s going to use it to buy a bottle with a proof number instead of a sandwich. And now, we want to waste time being distrustful of Wyclef.

I can’t and won’t speak for anyone but myself, but fundraising by U.S. government entities immediately makes me weary. I don’t trust them to disperse the funds properly because their track records show that collecting isn’t the problem, it’s passing it out. So, as an admitted skeptic myself, I decided giving money to a Haitian who I KNOW does a lot on the ground for his people, even without personally investigating his tax records, couldn’t be any more risky than buying a drink at a bar or hanging out with some of my wilder girlfriends. Where the money ends up in those instances can be just as much a mystery. I chose to ride on faith that Wyclef’s Haitian self might actually give the money to Haitians. I didn’t qualify which Haitians I wanted my donation to go to so even if it only assists folks he knows personally, I have contributed something. Because that didn’t make me all the way comfortable, I found out what else I could do, how else I could give.

It is impossible for me to speak to the moral fiber of the next wo/man. I can’t guarantee that ANYone who says they’re going to do something is actually going to do it. I can only control my will and my faith. I’ve opted to step out on faith here, because to do nothing at all would cut me to my core. Instead of wasting precious time hatin’ on the efforts of 1 man that you can’t speak to, give to whomever makes you comfortable. Just effin give: time, money, supplies, love…just give.

Look back up at that child’s face and imagine the child is yours. Imagine that others look at that face with the same negativity you’re trading, and question how long it’ll take to impact that [your] child’s life. Now. What you gon’ do?

Watchin to see if you’ll move.

Text YELE to 501501
& if Wyclef ain't good enough for you, do the research & give how you can.
& thanks for the picture Zalika!!