The New York Times briefs more news about the struggling populace of Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, where the vast majority of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Haitians have faced a largely unstable government, with little support from governments like the United States, a nation which has played a large role in shaping the political structure of the country. Given such hardship it is largely understandable that a mass influx of Haitians with little to lose are setting sail for the United States. These asylum seekers mostly travel on dangerously unstable boats with little food and other supplies to seek a better life. Yet for those who do not perish along the way, they are mostly met with resistance from the United States government and are soon sent back to their environment of extreme poverty. Given the immense plight of these individuals so close to our borders, it makes little sense to do nothing in face of such hardship. Sending individuals back to an unstable and impoverished nation does no good to either party involved. Furthermore, asylum seekers who do make it to the United States legally or without being caught are the ones who make enough income to send back to their home countries, an indirect form of philanthropy that the United States can sponsor. It’s been long overdue that Haitian asylum seekers be granted Temporary Protected Status, until things in Haiti start looking a bit brighter. At the very least, they deserve an explanation from the Bush Administration as to why they have not been considered worthy of this status.

Image used created by Flickr user Guille. under a Creative Commons License