The one where I alienate all of my readers

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Pat Robertson’s recent comments regarding the earthquake in Haiti.  If not, catch up with this clip:

With me now?  Great.

So not surprisingly, there has been a huge backlash.  The airwaves and Internet are abuzz with talk of how Robertson is crazy, stupid, senile – some have even called him Satan himself.  And don’t forget he’s evangelical.  ‘Evangelical Christian’ is the ultimate insult, isn’t it?  As soon as a member of the media uses the phrase ‘Evangelical Christian’, you know they’re gearing up to talk about a serious nutcase.  One of ‘those’ people.

I don’t know the history of Haiti and how the country was founded.  Quite honestly, this controversy has not really sparked my interest enough to research and study the foundations of the nation.  I have a lot on my plate already, and I just can’t squeeze that project in.  I’m not here to comment on whether he is right or wrong in his belief about the pact with the devil.

Certainly I hope that isn’t the case, but his observation about the island of Hispanola is not without merit.  Haiti and the Dominican Republic are night and day in terms of prosperity.  Again, not being an expert here, I did some cursory research and found this excellent article about the disaster history of Haiti.  (Worth noting is that the article comes from New Zealand – I’ve found NZ and Australia both to be better sources for actual news and unbiased information than we can find in the US)   So bad things happen in Haiti.  A lot.  Do they happen there more than in the Dominican Republic, or are they more devastating there because the country is so poor to begin with?  Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  I can’t answer that question. 

What I can say is that Robertson’s comment was probably poorly timed.  I’m an optimist to the enth degree, but even I find it hard to imagine saying that this was somehow a ‘blessing in disguise’.  Perhaps better to say that if anything good could come of this tragedy, hopefully better construction practices would be one of them.  So worded badly?  Sure, I’ll give you that.

Inaccurate assertion about the founding of the country?  Possibly.  Again, not my area of expertise.  I will say, though, that Robertson is far from the first person to believe or state something similar.  In fact, here is an article, written in 2005, that addresses that very issue.  The author is a native Haitian who attempts to dispel that rumor and acknowledges that the belief is widely held.  So again, right or wrong, I’d say Pat Robertson’s timing wasn’t the most sensitive.

What troubles me the most about all of this, though, is that there is such harsh condemnation for a man who has spent the last 54 years trying to do God’s work.  Has he made mistakes along the way?  Without a doubt.  Haven’t you?  Haven’t we all?  Everyone has a foot-in-mouth moment, and these are especially likely when you are in a high-profile position.  Apparently they are even more likely if you are a religious leader or a member of the Republican party.

When President Obama mocked his own bowling ability and said that he was suited for the Special Olympics, his apology was immediately accepted.  In fact, even those renouncing his statement felt compelled to soften their criticism.  Maria Shriver began with “While I am confident that President Obama never intended to offend anyone…” 

When Harry Reid made his remarks about black skin color and used the term ‘Negroes’  [cringe!] CNN was tripping all over themselves to say that he wasn’t racist, just socially awkward.  His apology was welcomed with open arms, and Democrats hit the airwaves telling us there was nothing to see here, case closed.

But when you are Pat Robertson, ‘Evangelical Christian’ and ‘Republican’ (because let’s face it, ‘Republican’ is uttered with the same disdain as ‘Evangelical’, isn’t it?), the only understanding you’ll find is from Eric Metaxas at Fox News.

Despite how this sounds, I don’t want it to be a political issue.  It’s a fairness issue, and fairness is hard to find these days.  If you  want fair, balanced, unbiased reporting, good luck finding it.  Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, NPR…nope.  Heck, even the major networks are clearly biased.  My little small town newspaper leans so far to one side it’s amazing it can still be called a ‘news’ paper without a snicker.  Objective reporting seems to be a thing of the past, and we’re left with choosing a trough that suits you and feeding directly from it.  (This has proven extremely profitable for Fox News, since they pretty much stand alone on the conservative front)

My point here is that somewhere in the middle, the possibility lies that Pat Robertson is neither Satan nor Saint, but a regular man who said something stupid.  Pretty much just like President Obama, Harry Reid, and a million other people.  His big sin here is being from the wrong side of the tracks.  The ‘right’ side.

And because of that, the fact that his Operation Blessing has spent millions of dollars on worldwide charitable projects, and has been in Haiti for years (many disasters prior to this week’s earthquake) will mean nothing.  No one will be reporting on the good he’s done, only his mistakes.  That’s just sad.

Instead of looking at him with animosity, I suggest that our energies would be better directed toward how we can help Haiti right now.  I’m not a fan or a follower of Pat Robertson.  I’ve never seen the 700 Club, I don’t buy his books, and I probably wouldn’t vote for him for President.  What I am is a fan of fairness, forgiveness, and understanding – none of which he is being shown this week. 

I hope I haven’t lost you, dear readers, but if that’s the case then so be it.  I can’t always bite my tongue, and I feel strongly about compassion and second chances.  I think Haiti and Mr. Robertson both deserve them right now.