The Haiti Earthquake

The Haiti Earthquake

Media Reaction Paper
Trenton Thomas
Cultural Diversity
March 1st, 2010
Patrick Arnwine
Media Reaction Paper
The Haiti earthquake that took place this past January 2010 was one of the most destructive natural disasters in modern history. The 7.0 magnitude-quake destroyed parts of the Caribbean nation of nine million in Haiti, which is already known as the poorest country in the Western Hemispherebefore the disaster. The Haitian government reports between 217,000 and 230,000 deathsto date. The earthquake caused major damage in surrounding areas and settlements within the region, including Haiti’s capital and largest city, Port-Au Prince which was left largely in ruins and sustained massive damage. Many buildings were also destroyed, including the local jail, hospitals, the presidential palace, and National Assembly.
Rush Limbaugh, a Conservative and Fox New host also ridiculed the Haitidevastation stating “President Obama would use the Haitian tragedy to enhance his standing with the light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.” He also seemed to dissuade people from contributing to relief efforts, complaining, “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. Income Tax.” (Foser, Jamison, 2010)
In conclusion, the public and media reactions to the tragedy from around the nation were swift and in most cases admirable. From food distribution and supplies to rescue and medical attention, the nation has come together once again in another catastrophic event that has affected the lives of many. Social media networks as well as main stream media both attributed to the quick and powerful distribution of the news and photos of the devastation. Looking ahead, as Haiti now plans to reconstruct homes, schools, streets, and other infrastructure, it is estimated that rebuilding could cost up to $14 billion dollars. It will definitely take some time for the Haitian population to regain their standard of living it once had....

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