Disappearing Haitians

All right, this week World magazine advocates massive aid and reconstruction for Haiti while Sojourners says not a peep. Like I thought that would ever happen.

The news from Spain, and gay marriage has overshadowed news from Haiti, especially this report about a "floating Berlin Wall" of Coast Guard ships, which has picked up more than 700 Haitians at sea this month, and deposited them back in that war torn country.

The United States immigration policy towards Haiti -- send them back while we welcome Cubans with open arms has been criticized for decades. But sending people back to the chaos in Haiti is cruel hearted and unChristian.

I say that because President Bush spoke via satellite to meeting of the National Association of Evangelicals

Now I'm a card carrying Evangelical, but I'm no fan of President Bush.

Now he's done some things well that he gets little credit for. Regardless of what you think of the war in Iraq--whether you'll be attending the upcoming anti war vigils organized by Sojourners or support the President's decision to invade Iraq--there'd be no potential peace deal in Sudan, without the support of Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell

The deal may still fall apart because a new Muslim versus Muslim conflict in Western Sudan--but it would not have gotten this far without them.

And while some have criticized the amount of funding for AIDS in the new budget, the 2.8 billion in the 2005 budget is more than Clinton or any US president proposed for fighting AIDS.
Here's what the President told the NEA

I'm fortunate enough to be President during a time in which our country holds great influence in the world, and I feel that we must use that influence for great purpose. When we see disease, and starvation, and hopeless poverty, we must not turn away.

Sounds great. But no where in his speech did he mention Haiti, nor his kind hearted policy of repatriating Haitians. It's commendable to send aid and relief supplies overseas--but that's clean and easy. When a desperate refugee knocks on your door and asks to be let in to your house, that's when the real test of Christianity comes.