By RaptorTalk


Shirley he’s joking. Sadly he’s not – Paul Shirley that is.

This former NBA scrub with the Hawks, Suns and Bulls who today is a professional basketball player in Spain made some very controversial and insensitive comments regarding the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti. He defended his decision to not make a personal donation to Haitian relief and to urge others to not donate.


        

Paul Shirley, the now ex-ESPN contributor suggests that money donated to help Haitians rebuild their shattered lives will be wasted because Haiti itself is a mess, in large part caused by the Haitians themselves. To make matters worse, he penned a letter mocking the Haitian people in addition to his lengthy blog comments.

Shirley wrote:

Dear Haitians –

First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.

As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?

Sincerely,
The Rest of the World


I wonder if Paul Shirley would hold the same point of view if he had the misfortune of being born in Haiti instead of America? It is easy to be smug and pass judgement when you are born and live in one of the world's most prosperous nations. Shirley's cold Darwinian view of the world and its people, where only a strong few survive is appalling in its ignorance.

Shirley also needs a history lesson. Haiti’s African slaves (who were brought to Haiti against their will) were the first in the Western Hemisphere to negotiate their freedom some 200 years ago – but with a huge price.

They were forced to pay a form of reparations to France which were not repaid until 1947. So while other countries like Canada and the USA were well established and prosperous – Haiti was stuck in the third world having repaid a massive unfair debt that sucked valuable cash out of the country that should have been used to make Haiti stronger.

While North American settlers were blessed with a land full of natural resources upon which to build a sound economy, Haiti is a small country with few marketable natural resources. Paul, remind me again how that’s the fault of the Haitian people?

Shirley argues that Haitians should not be living in an earthquake zone either. Honest question, Paul? What choice do they have?

Paul, do you know the average Haitian ekes out a meagre existence on $2 per day, including food, shelter, medicine and transportation? Their average life expectancy is only 60 years of age (Canada is 81 and the US is 78).

There are 9 million people in Haiti, almost all who would love to move – but only a small percentage of Haitian immigrants are allowed to leave. Where does Shirley expect they go and who covers the costs for them to leave? Haitians routinely risk their lives navigating the Caribbean on makeshift boats headed for Florida - only to be turned back upon arrival or to lose their lives before getting there.

For the record, Canada has one of the largest Haitian communities with 100,000 Haitians living here, primarily in Montreal. But that’s only a small percentage of those who want to leave.


Should California, Florida, Oklahoma and Alaska be evacuated now?

If we take Shirley’s misguided argument one step further regarding the alleged stupidity of settling in an area prone to natural disasters - is he prepared to take the same stance with Floridians living in a hurricane zone or Californians and Alaskans living in earthquake zones or Oklahomans living in Tornando Alley? Should he ask that the tens of millions of residents in these states resettle elsewhere on their own personal dimes?

No doubt, there are some things that Haitians can do better. Yes, the Haitian government is riddled with corruption. But in the time of a major catastrophe that has killed over 100,000 and left millions homeless, I am stunned by the lack of caring and compassion shown by Shirley and his (few) supporters.

His arrogance says a lot about the person - none of it good.

At a time when men, women and children are left with nothing – no food, no homes, no jobs and no future – Paul Shirley is rejecting their pleas for humanitarian aid on the grounds they bear a large part of the responsibility for the dire situation they find themselves in. It’s a view that is stunningly reprehensible in so many ways.

Fortunately, most Canadians reject this ridiculous point of view and we are leading the world in cash donations to Haiti on a per capita basis. And Americans are equally as generous.


Paul Shirley unwittingly raises awareness of Haiti's plight

If something good comes out of the nonsense spewed by Paul Shirley, it’s that he’s inadvertently raised awareness about the tragedy in Haiti which I’m sure has caused many decent-minded folks to reach into their pockets and donate to Haitian Relief Efforts.

By the way, I’m kind of hoping that reincarnation is a reality because it would be sweet justice to see what Paul Shirley’s take on the situation would be, if in his next life, he was reborn as a poor black Haitian living in ramshackle hut in Port-au-Prince instead of being a well-off white Californian earning hundreds of thousands of dollars using his god-given skills to play professional basketball in Europe.

I think he’d have a whole different perspective.

That said, I am blown away that someone can be so cold and insulated from the struggles of his fellow man. That a natural disaster that has killed over 100,000 innocent people and has left millions of lives in a state of despair and turmoil is not enough to evoke any compassion.

Soulless and heartless are words that come to mind.

So let's all of us thank Paul Shirley for keeping the Haitian tragedy in the forefront by reaching into our pockets and making a donation to help the good people of Haiti make it through another day.

Oh yes. Thanks to the NBA, the Toronto Raptors and our very own Haitian Canadian, Samuel Dalembaert for their fund-raising efforts in support of Haiti, too. 

The NBA does care! Paul Shirley? Does not.