Eight years ago today disaster struck Haiti. The earthquake lasted
for less than a minute, but its impacts reach to today and likely far
into the future. No one in Haiti was untouched. Everyone has friends or
family who were lost or injured. Everyone hurts
in remembering that day. Every year, January 12th is a difficult and
somber day in Haiti.
Today, on the anniversary of so much suffering, I am saddened and
horrified at President Trump's comments yesterday regarding Haiti and
Haitian immigrants. They are demeaning to the Haitian people and their
contributions to Haiti and the United States.
They are wrong.
The thousands of Haitians I have had the honor of meeting in nearly
15 years of working there are the most hardworking, dedicated people I
have ever known. Haitian immigrants in the United States contribute this
same spirit of hard work and determination
to their lives in this country as our colleagues do in Haiti. To
denigrate their characters and deny them the respect they deserve,
particularly on the eve of such a difficult day in Haitian memory, is
abhorrent.
These comments hit close to home for me, quite literally, as my
wife and children are immigrants from Haiti. Two of the boys are in
college now, and I am so proud of all that they have accomplished, and
all that they will contribute to the world.
We do not normally wade into politics and political speech at SBHF,
preferring to focus on the work at hand and ensuring that our Haitian
colleagues have the resources they need to provide lifesaving care to
our patients every day. But the President's
comments yesterday were too horrible for me to stay silent. As Martin
Luther King Jr., who we celebrate on Monday, said, "Our lives begin to
end the day we become silent about the things that matter."
I know you stand with me today in remembering those who were lost,
honoring those who survived horrible ordeals during and after the
disaster, and celebrating the resilient and optimistic sprit of the
Haitian people who said "we can recover, we can move
forward, we will survive and thrive again."
So today, let's lift up that truth about the Haiti we know, and the
incredible Haitian people we are so honored to work with, side by side.
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