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Mark Goulston M.D., F.A.P.A.
Mark Goulston M.D., F.A.P.A.
Philosophy

If JFK went to Haiti

If JFK went to Haiti.

On January 22 Los Angles Times writer Joe Mozingo wrote: "In Haiti, some see the spirit world behind the quake". That caused me to think of another spirit.

If JFK went to Haiti, he might say:

"I know that Al Queda/Taliban and Americans/the West think of each other as evil, let them come to Haiti; I know that Wall Street thinks they deserve their bonuses and that Main Street thinks of Wall Street as greedy, let them come to Haiti; I know that blacks and whites and Arabs and Jews don't trust each other, let them come to Haiti; I know more than 10% of Americans out of work, let them come to Haiti; The measure of a civilization is not just how it treats those who have hurt it, but how it treats those who are hurting in it. Let everyone come to Haiti to see and participate in mankind's humanity to man, instead of its inhumanity. All human beings, wherever they may live, can choose to help or choose to hurt each other, that is why I am heartened by the outpouring of help we see here and that I take pride in the words 'Je suis haïtien, en fait nous sommes tous haïtien'."

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About the Author
Mark Goulston M.D., F.A.P.A.

Mark Goulston, M.D., the author of the book Just Listen, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute.

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