Shirley asks whether what he is about to write makes him a monster. Well, damn! If you need to ask you stupid sumbitch, you probably are a freaking monster! As soon as I read that part, I knew that I was going to have to tune my brain to deal with undistilled fuckery. He did not disappoint, the little oaf.
If you want to read some straight up vitriol, then I suggest you read his ode to his white privilege (Mmmm!!! Privilege! You SUCK if you don't have it, People of Color! Shame on you!) and his inability to be a feeling, compassionate human. It's clear that the guy is a troglodyte when it comes to humanity, and I can't tolerate too much of it. Let me just highlight some of his most ignorant sentiments from his blog post:
I haven’t donated a cent to the Haitian relief effort. And I probably will not.
I haven’t donated to the Haitian relief effort for the same reason that I don’t give money to homeless men on the street. Based on past experiences, I don’t think the guy with the sign that reads “Need You’re Help” is going to do anything constructive with the dollar I might give him. If I use history as my guide, I don’t think the people of Haiti will do much with my money either.
However, it is not outside the realm of imagination to think that the citizens of a country might be able to: A) avoid putting themselves into a situation that might result in such catastrophic loss of life. And B) provide for their own aid, in the event of such a catastrophe.
And the piece de resistance comes in his sickening mock letter to the Haitian people:
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
Sincerely,
The Rest of the World
Like Pat Robertson, Shirley insists on speaking for everyone in an effort to validate his racism and classism. And like Pat Robertson, he's dumb as hell and speaking on a topic he has NO business writing about because of sheer ignorance. If he had an IOTA of a clue, he would be congratulating France and the United States for their instrumental assistance in developing the "poorest nation in the world" as well.
I have NO issues discussing Haiti's poor infrastructure and the fucked up way the citizens are treated by their damned near, if not completely, feudal government. Haiti is a perfect example of colorism and classism, a lethal combination, going awry. But guess who had a hand in that? Aside from the usual suspect, France, the United States has been using, then cheating, Haiti for its own means since the 18th century. But then again, Americans ain't ready to hear that. In all my history, not once have they covered Haiti's involvement and assistance to the United States.
A SIMPLE bit of research on Google into American history, could've benefited Shirley. No! That was too good. Unfortunately, like some white folks of the ignorant sort (see Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, David Duke, George W. Bush, Bill O' Reilly, et al), Shirley stroked his own white supremist ego and produced bile disguised as "journalism."
The sad thing is that Shirley is a voice representative of many people. He falls prey to notions and ideas that are hundreds of years old, and easily disproven with research. You can tell that Shirley is one of those closet bigots that blames society's ills on poor people of color, while conveniently negating the fact that the greatest damage is being done, and has been done, by rich men that look, and think, just like he does... I guess savagery doesn't come in white.
When Katrina hit the Gulf States in 2005, I had no money but I still donated. I didn't care that I had JUST been fired, and didn't have much money to contribute to our family. I still donated because I had a heart, and if I were in danger, I would want help too. It was the best feeling in the world to donate. I had something. Those people had nothing after Katrina. Many countries around the world volunteered to help us, but our government, helmed by George Bush, refused their assistance. Years later, parts of Louisiana are still devastated, and we are a "First World" country. Haiti is a "Third World" country.
He has obviously given in to the idea that black people--nay, people of color (as he mentioned the victims of the 2004 tsunami), just LOVE poverty. In Shirley's world, we LOVE being poor and living in filth. We are so animalistic and primitive, that we breed like rabbits because we are sexually and morally depraved. We don't want better homes for our families. We don't want an education for ourselves and our children. We don't require or even like indoor plumbing or birth control. We don't want a nation free from outdated and arcane Catholic principles that are anti-contraception and pro-ignorance. We just love living under BRUTAL and murderous regimes. We just LOVE being born into debt (much like MOST Americans will be these days, as our debt to China alone is astronomical), a debt that was imposed on us by the very people whose asses we kicked for OUR independence. God forgive us, we are too stupid to squeeze money from nowhere, like squeezing water out of rock, to build modern buildings. We love our shantytowns! Haitians just LOVE not eating nutritious food, and prefer dirt cookies. We don't like modernizing shit! We are too lazy, us coloreds... Or just mired in debt imposed by rich, usually white, and racist men. Whatever, right? Let the good times roll! Let's hear it for another bailout from whitey!!! Partay over here!
No, Mr. Shirley. Keep your money, you are one person the people of Haiti don't need money from. Why? Because you are a fool, with a dark heart, and a cruel disregard for human beings. You apparently clawed your way out of the same toxic, primordial ooze Pat Robertson came from (although I do believe that Robertson was literally birthed by Satan anally). People like you don't deserve charity, but you know what? I pray that God teaches you in His own way some compassion and empathy. And you know what? I wouldn't want to be you when that happens.
Rail against the Haitian government until you can't anymore. They are devils themselves, and just as responsible for the plight of the Haitian people. Blaming the people for circumstances they couldn't control? That makes you a monster, yes. It makes a you a beast. That's like blaming a woman for being raped because she wore a miniskirt.
Mark Twain said it best: "There are many humorous things in the world, among them the white man's notion that he is less savage than the other savages." ~Mark Twain, Following the Equator, 1897
*Click here to read this excellent comment by a Haitian to Shirley
