Letters: Too much attitude in Haiti relief effort

THE NEWS coming out of Haiti reminds me of Katrina, but so much worse. Maybe more than 200,000 dead.

But don't the survivors deserve some humane treatment?

The U.S. has chosen to occupy the airport, hoard supplies and turn away planes carrying lifesaving cargo from reputable organizations. Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross had to land in the Dominican Republic, and are losing precious time crossing overland.

The Marines will begin a military occupation as the media pump up propaganda that Haiti's people are turning violent in their desperation. But people being helped don't react violently, and Haitians have more patience with adversity than any of us can imagine.

Potential survival-related violence is no excuse to withhold supplies, with the excuse that there may be grabbing or rioting. Once the Marines arrive, turning guns on the population is not acceptable, no matter how desperate, thirsty, wounded, hungry and grieving these human beings have become due to the inadequate response to the disaster.

The U.S. has to stop blocking relief supply planes from landing at the Port-au-Prince airport. To allow relief materials to leave the airport and be delivered. To allow Haitians into their own airport.

Once the Marines arrive, the U.S. should evacuate those in totally destroyed zones to a safe, clean environment outside the city, instead of leaving victims to languish and die from lack of attention. These camps should be decent and temporary, with adequate shelter, food, water, medical care and education for children.

The U.S. should not criminalize Haitian refugees fleeing this disaster in hastily built little boats. The U.S. should not throw these survivors into jails and detention centers in Miami and Guantanamo, and traumatize them further.

The U.S. should allow these shaken civilians to land in peace, give them shelter, medical attention and grief counseling! Haitians are human beings, but so far, the U.S. is treating them as expendable farm stock, inhumanely.

Is this war on Haiti or relief?

Lynn Robinson, Philadelphia

Dafney Tales wrote an excellent article about her family connection to this tragic situation. I hope the Daily News will continue to cover this story. If the public has information, children can be protected.

J. Tomlinson, Doylestown