An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile yesterday Feb 27. There have been over 700 deaths reported so far but, as we know from experience, there will be more as rescuers begin to sift through the rubble. This earthquake which was stronger than Haiti’s 7.0 earthquake last month couldn’t have come at a worse time if the Chilean people are expecting help from the rest of the world. So many actors, musicians, artists and businesspeople are so deeply committed to the cause of raising money and sending aid to Haiti in the wake of that tiny nation’s catastrophe. There was an ambitious remake of Michael Jackson & Lionel Ritchie’s “We are the World,” a massive telethon was aired with stars like George Clooney, Madonna, Beyonce and Brad Pitt, songs were written, Miley Cyrus even donated her red carpet dress to be auctioned! Will these stars now drop the Haitian cause and pick up the Chilean cause? Hopefully there are stars that did not participate in the Haiti aid activities and possibly felt guilty; now is their chance to redeem themselves and lend a voice. Maybe Shakira, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, and Pitbull can produce an inspiring, “Somos el Mundo” to bring the world’s attention and empathy to the victims of the earthquake in Chile. President Obama has already offered to send aid to Chile but fortunately Chile has had other earthquakes in the past so its building codes are stricter and the damage is expected to be far less than in Haiti.
