If you were watching the Hope for Haiti Now telethon (and if you were watching television Friday night, you didn’t have much choice) you had to be impressed with the professionalism, the classiness and the passion with which the fund raiser was carried off.

The stated goal was the raise $1 billion. I’ll be surprised if they don’t achieve that milestone. The stars assembled alone would be capable of donating that much without so much as causing a ripple in their collective bank account statements. From multigazillionaire organizer George Clooney, to Leonardo DiCaprio, Julie Roberts, Mel Gibson, Robin Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Beyonce, John Legend, Madonna and on and on, the list of performers and celebrity telephone operators read like a who’s who list of mega stars and moneyed personas.

I hesitated over the idea of watching it because I wasn’t in the mood for some maudlin tear-fest with the goal of tearing your heart out and taking the money out of your pocket. But it wasn’t like that. It was subdued, straight forward, exceedingly well done and heart-rending. We have seen a lot of the images already on television and the simple faith and dignity that most of the Haitian people have shown in this latest of tragedies to befall the tragedy-ridden country is enough to make you wonder, why God? But ours is not to wonder why, but to to say why not now in our effort to salvage some of the decency of those who are on the brink of death and total destruction.
Sure, there has been looting and people crying into the television that they need help now, but you really couldn’t expect anything else, could you? I mean after hurricanes in the United States knocks out power and disrupts essential services, we become outraged when our questions remain unanswered within a few days.

BY LAMAR THAMES

Les and his wife, Susan Dick, live in a comfortable home near Orange Park, Fla., a far cry from the modest accommodations they experienced during a lengthy service as missionaries to Haiti.

“We had no telephone and unscheduled mail service most of the time we were there,” said Susan Dick, “and never any air conditioning.”

The Dicks and their seven children lived off and on in Haiti as missionaries from 1954 to 1984, returning to the United States for a year every four or five years. Three of the their children were born in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Jonathan Dick, center, looks at some of his parents' photos taken in Haiti. At left is son-in-law Mason Miekley, son Forrest, daughter Shauna Miekley and wife Susan. (Photo by Lamar Thames)

“For mom and dad, coming back to the United States was coming home,” their son Jonathan Dick, 56, said during a four-day visit to see his folks and help celebrate Les’ 90^th birthday. “For me, coming back to the U.S. was leaving my home. I had never known anything else.”

Jonathan, who lives with his wife Susan, in Lake Forest, Ill., was a year old when the Dicks moved to Haiti, along with three older siblings.

“We were called by the Lord to come do his work in Haiti,” said his mother, Susan Dick, who like her husband holds deep religious convictions. The Dicks’ other children are Joann Lintini of Brunswick, Ga,; Phyllis Vancas of Orange Park; Peggy Harder of Laramie, Wy.; Kathy Epp of York, Neb.; Peter Dick of Orange Park and Curtis Dick of Jacksonville. The latter three were all born in Haiti.

Now the Dicks shake their heads in dismay over destruction wrought by the recent earthquake to a country they grew to love.

Read the rest of this entry »

BY LAMAR THAMES

What to do about Hait? The real question is what CAN we do about Haiti?

Of course, immediate aid in the form of food, water, medicine and shelter is the primary concern. The United States and the rest of the  nations of the world are already seeing to that. The Red Cross and Salvation Army, among others, are gearing up phone banks, emails, Twitter accounts and what have you to ensure a continuous flow of cash to help with the recovery as soon as immediate needs are satisfied.

Churches, too — Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh notwithstanding — already have or will soon gear up their massive humanitarian efforts to assist the starving and needy. Missionaries will continue their treks to the destitute nation in hopes of making a difference in some small way.

Of course, major obstacles stand in the way of some of the more immediate needs of water, food and medicine. The Jan. 12 7.0 earthquake that hit 10 miles southwest of

Read the rest of this entry »

Lamar Thames

With the Westminster Dog Show just around the corner starting Feb. 15, I am reminded of Uno, the most famous beagle in the world after his improbable victory as best of show winner in the 2008.

For my money, Rusty the Wonder Dog is every bit his equal. Wonder Dog, as in “I wonder what he does all day?”

Rusty is the other man in my wife’s life. But I am OK with that. He’s a 10-year-old beagle who came to us with remarkable coincidence from a teacher who once taught at the same school as my wife.

I say coincidence, because in May 2007, my wife quit teaching at Paterson Elementary

Rusty the Wonder Dog

School with every intention to begin a life of leisure in retirement after 36 years in the classroom. Since she was going to be staying at home for the foreseeable future, she said she would like to have a dog to keep her company. OK, I said. Let’s start looking.

A few trips to Safe Animal Shelter, some pet stores and Clay County Animal Control, plus a couple of referrals from some friends, produced nothing as far as an acceptable pet for us. That’s when my wife saw a notice on the Paterson bulletin board that Alice Snyder had a dog for whom she wanted to find a good home.

We made an appointment to see Rusty on a Tuesday night. He was cute and loveable, as most beagles are, and completely acceptable to me as a new member of our household. My wife said that we would talk it over and get back to them about Rusty, but I knew differently. This dog wasn’t going to be going to any home but ours. As soon as Rusty licked my wife’s hand and rolled over for her to rub his belly, I knew the decision had been made.

I made it easy for her when I told her we should get him, but I really did want him. I had not had a dog in my household for more than 20 years and I thought it was about time. I am just glad she didn’t want a cat. I am not a cat person, for reasons that I could never be described in a family newspaper.

In another turn of events, my wife went back to work that fall as a curriculum specialist with the county school district and then the next year I “retired” from The Florida Times-Union and I am not Rusty’s daytime caretaker.

Read the rest of this entry »