In Haiti Geography Is Destiny

Haiti is the poorest country in our hemisphere and it is a country that does not seem to get a break. "Geography" my eighth grade teacher Mr. Dress, said "is destiny."

Having seen first hand the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, in simple human terms as well as the time it has taken to rebuild buildings as well as lives, Haiti is a tragedy beyond human
comprehension.

It is also a time that America shows how compassionate and quick we are to respond to human suffering and needs. I had dinner on Wednesday night with a Pentagon official and our military is already engaged in sending help. President Obama and the White House staff mobilized the mobile phone world so that a simple text message 90999 with the words Haiti adds $10.00 to a phone bill.

Talk radio hosts around the country are helping people find charities where they can donate money. Wyclef Jean, the famous musician who is Haitian, also has a foundation and by texting 510501, $5.00 can be donated and will be added to your bill. Partners in Health, made famous by Dr. Paul Farmer already has people on the ground in Haiti and they were up and running by days end on Wednesday.

We saw amazing outpouring in our country after Hurricane Katrina and after the tsunami in Asia. Once again even though Americans are struggling to find work or to pay their mortgages we are quickly seeing great compassion. As the crisis in Haiti unfolds before us for the next days and weeks we will see an even greater response as Americans show they attend to human misery with lighting speed. It is a great capacity we have and it's a good thing because Haiti needs it.

Ellen Ratner is Washington bureau chief for Talk Radio News Service and a Fox News contributor.