What we never seem to learn is that we must get actual goods at some point to disaster victims. Various organizations will scream just send money we can't handle old t-shirts and bridal gowns etc. But this keeps help from getting to places. The victims themselves, not at the epicenter but at some safe distance away, can sort through the t-shirts and cooking pots etc. If Haiti had been sent tarps and clothing and material for bandages, diapers etc. ..if even it took a few weeks for container ships to get there..how much better off would they be. Organizations can still ask for money, and in the immediate days after a disaster I can understand why they want it, but we have tons and tons of plain old stuff that we need to figure out how to get to places rapidly, or even fairly slowly...big heavy things..tents..tools..and most of it will have to come by ship. Especially to Haiti..my goodness..it is so close to ports in America. It is surrounded by water. It is an ISLAND. They kept saying there are no airstrips. Well..use the sea. Oh the docks are broken. Park the ship away from the docks. People will make rafts or swim out or do what they have to do. We never take the strength and motivation of the victims into account and the more stuff that is gotten to people the fewer victims of riots over food etc. We need to do everything simultaneously..send money, send emergency rations via air and send at the same time more stuff..which can be easily acquired through church groups, etc. by sea. We are dumb dumb dumb in this area. mg