For those of you who do not know, a massive 8.8 mag earthquake struck right off the coast of Chile during the early hours of the morning today. This earthquake has created a tsunami which has just now reached Tahiti, bringing 6 foot waves to the island. Hawaii is expecting the tsunami around 11am local time (around 4…pm EST). Please keep everyone in Chile and in the path of the tsunami in your thoughts and prayers today.

As we know with the recent Haiti earthquake, these massive quakes are usually followed by large aftershocks.  One look at the map below shows the swarm of quakes of 5.0 or more in both Chile and Argentina.

If you are interested in watching the live news coverage of the tsunami, KITV in Hawaii is streaming live news coverage from their site.  Simply click on this link to watch the reporting in a new window.  In the mean time, regardless of your religious (or non-religious) affiliation, please keep all of those impacted by these quakes and tsunami in your thoughts and prayers.

In some ways, the Republicans had both the easier and harder task in their response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Easier in the sense that they didn’t have to go into specific on the various issues, but harder because they had only a limited amount of time to respond and that they were following the President himself. Taking a look at Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell’s speech, I come away with the following thoughts.

McDonnell opens his response by addressing the history of Virginia and his political lineage to Thomas Jefferson (the second Governor of Virginia). Speaking from the Congressional Hall designed by Jefferson, McDonnell quotes Jefferson from his first Inaugural address, saying “a wise and frugal Government … shall leave [men] free to regulate their own pursuits of industry … and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” The purpose of these constant references to Jefferson, other than to highlight the position Jefferson had about a limited Federal government as well as his history to Virginia, is because Jefferson remains one of the Democratic Party’s icons. By linking himself to Jefferson and to small government, he is creating an image of how the Democrats have drifted away from their historical positions.

The first main topic McDonnell discusses is the current unemployment rate in the country. Chastising the currently Democratic-led Congress and the President over their economic proposals, he stresses that the best way for the economy to recover and for jobs to be created is by easing the burden on US companies. With proposals such as the $1 Trillion Health Care Reform proposals in Congress and the economic stimulus packages that will increase our national debt, McDonnell stresses how the economic burden will become too great for the nation. He highlights the Republican proposals on Health Care Reform that achieves similar goals as the Democrats without the large cost or complex legislation.

Switching the topic to energy, McDonnell references Obama’s comment on domestic energy production and Obama’s obstruction for nuclear power and oil exploration expansions. This expansion will lead to more jobs, meaning the need for a new educated workforce. He segways into discussing the need for student choice in schools and the need to award teachers for their “excellent performance.”

He concludes by addressing national security last. There were concerns about the President being too soft on national security when he entered office. McDonnell applauds Obama’s decision to provide additional support to the troops in Afghanistan as well as the successes of our troops in Iraq. Some recent events however, such as the Detroit plane bomber and the decision to try terrorists in the shadow of the World Trade Center, have justified some of their doubts about his ability to protect the nation.

It was a brief speech, but I think it was the best State of the Union response we’ve seen in quite some time. Bobby Jindal’s comedic response last year, as well as Tim Kaine’s head-scratching “there is a better way” mystery from four years ago have taken the credibility of the response away until the other night. The decision to hold the response in front of a live audience (even though they were all McDonnell supporters) was a good choice, especially since it gave the impression of a similar forum that the President enjoyed. However, as with all responses, the speech was light on details and over-generalized.

One of the best aspects of covering these speeches is to hear the give-and-take between the various parties. While debating political issues with people of all stripes, we can identify when someone is trying to spin an issue and when someone is being serious trying to resolve the issue. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of spinning, as Obama did with discussing the debt and McDonnell with national security. However, both are also serious about seeing the nation improve. While political ideologies are hard to work with, there is enough common ground on issues where I think the politicians can work together to leave our nation in a better condition than they found it. Small, targetted reforms will achieve this goal, but only if the politicians are willing.

As our long-time readers know, the U.S. Common Sense has a history of donating our ad revenue to specific causes.  I am happy to announce that we are donating our ad revenue from December to go to the Haiti relief fund.  I say “we” because this is all possibly by your support.  Thank you for making this possible.

From the Red Cross donation website:

Thank you for your generous gift to the American Red Cross in response to the earthquakes that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010. Your gift makes it possible for the Red Cross to provide comfort and hope to disaster victims across the affected region, helping to meet critical needs such as for shelter, food, relief supplies and other emergency assistance.

…

Your generous support means the most to the people who rely on the Red Cross to help them through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Our work can only be accomplished because of compassionate donors like you.

Once again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
American Red Cross

Due to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters, we are experiencing a lag time in donation processing. Email receipts may take up to 24 hours to be delivered to your inbox. Thank you for your patience.

As the sun rose over the island nation today, the scale of devastation became all too real.  Wherever you looked, buildings were leveled, people were trapped, and people cried out in despair.  There is no better symbol for the toll Haiti took yesterday when a 7.0 Mag earthquake tossed the nation about than the governments seat of power itself.  Below you will find the before and after photos of the Haitian Palace, often referred to as the White House.

As you can clearly see, the roof collapsed the second level onto the first, leaving the building a total loss.  In a nation that was already struggling to govern itself and provide basic services to her residents, this symbol shows the dire need the Haitians are in and asking for international aid.  The Red Cross, who were already in the country, have stated that they have run out of supplies and are sending more to meet the demand.  Nations from around the globe, including China, Canada, and the US are already dispatching search and rescue teams, and the US Navy in on the way with ships filled with relief supplies as well as doctors.

With this sign of international outpouring of support and concern, you think that no one would have any discouraging words for those who are suffering.  I guess Pat Robertson did not get that message.  In less than 24 hours from the time the earthquake began, Robertson had the following to say on his Christian Broadcasting Network:

Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and the people might not want to talk about it.  They were under the heel of the French … Napoleon III or whatever … and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil.  They said ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French.’  True story.  And so the Devil said ‘Ok, it’s a deal,’ and they kicked the French out.  The Haitians revolted and got themselves free.  But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another.

Now, I will admit that I was not the best student in history class, but I am sure I would have remembers nations making agreements with Satan (like the one Robertson states above).  Doing a little research, I find where the French had one of the most brutal slave policies in Haiti (known as “Saint-Domingue” at the time).  The slaves revolted and defeated the French, paving the way for their independence.  However, I couldn’t find anything about the Devil.  Maybe Robertson would like to cite a source.

There is no arguing that Haiti has suffered over the past century, between brutal regimes and various coups and plots (including ones backed by the United States, Syria, Germany, and the British).  Those are aspects to be discussed at another time though, since the issue at hand is the suffering of thousands in Haiti.  Robertson was well out of line in his comment, even though he goes on to ask for prayers for the Haitians.  This irresponsible comment is more serious than the off-hand “Negro” comment made by Harry Reid in 2008.

Once aid has reached the island, and the last remaining survivor is recovered, I think Haitians, Christians, and all other good people should demand that Robertson issue an apology and commit to service to the Haitian people.  If he is so hopeful for “something good” to come, he should either donate a large sum of money or go on a mission to Haiti, establish a new church, and bring back hope to these poor victims.  It’s the least he can do.

In the mean time, if you wish to make a donation to the Haitian relief effort, the Red Cross has a few ways for you to contribute. 

- The first option is through your cell phone.  Simply text “Haiti” to 90999.  This will send a $10 donation to the cause and the charge will show up on your phone bill. 
- The second option is by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767), where you can donate as much or as little as you like.
- The third option is by visiting their website and clicking on the red “DONATE NOW” button at the top of the page.

Related articles:
Donald Miller – “A Response to Pat Robertson’s Comments about Haiti”

Just some quick thoughts for this evening.

Please keep the people in Haiti in your thoughts tonight.  Reports indicate that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck just outside of the nations capital.  As you know, the country has been suffering for years due to a poor economy, high unemployment, and needing constant international aid.  I haven’t heard any reports on injuries and deaths, but you can imagine the numbers are high.  After all, the quake that created so much damage in California in 1989 was also a 7.0 Mag and killed over 60 people.  When you consider that California code requires earthquake-resistant construction, that 60+ death figure could have been much higher … which I fear for Haiti.  I’m certain that the Red Cross will have a special donation link on their website soon if you wish to donate.

On a semi-lighter note, I decided to tune in to the O’Reilly Factor on FOX News to see how Sarah Palin did on her first night as a political commentator.  She spoke in a manner as if she was still campaigning rather than discussing issues, but since much of the questions were about her, it made sense.  I don’t think I learned a lot from her 10 minutes on the program, but she didn’t do too bad on her first night.  If anyone else saw it, let me know what you thought.  I’m still standing by my thought that she’s going to settle in at the network and not run for office in 2012.