HAITI IS HELL - WHAT ABOUT IT'S NEIGHBOR, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

HAITI IS A HORROR MADE WORSE BY THE HORRIFIC TOLL OF THE EARTHQUAKE.

HAITI SHARES AN ISLAND WITH ANOTHER NATION - THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, WHICH ISN'T DOING ANY WORSE AS A RESULT OF THE QUAKE AND IS AIDING HAITI:

Haiti, a former French colony, and the Dominican Republic, with roots as a Spanish colony, have tensions that go back to those days, Sagas said.

The Dominican Republic gained its independence from Haiti in 1844, after Haiti had occupied it. The Dominicans spent the next 20 years fighting off Haitian invasion attempts.

By the early 20th century, Haitians had become a source of cheap labor in the neighboring country. Racism and security concerns resulted in a massacre in 1937. Dominican leader Rafael Trujillo ordered the execution of Haitians living near the border between the countries, resulting in the killings of 20,000 to 30,000 Haitians, historians say.

The current tragedy appears to push those tensions further into the past.

"This is the worst disaster in Haiti's recorded history," Sagas said. "The best role the DR can play is to open its border for other nations to funnel all the aid to Haiti."

The Dominican Republic appears to be following that path.

The government on Wednesday started sending food, medicine and rescue crews to Haiti, the El Nacional newspaper reported. Top Dominican leaders amassed at the border as a staging ground to begin transporting aid into the country.

I HOPE THAT HAITI GETS THE AIDS IT NEED IN TIME TO MAKE THE SUFFERING AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE.

THE SITUATION SEEMS TO ME TO BE A LITTLE LIKE NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA.

FOR HAITI TO RECOVER - AND THRIVE, THEY WILL ALSO NEED TO ABANDON THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL VALUES AND INSTITUTIONS WHICH MADE THEM THE POOREST NATION IN THE CARIBBEAN, AND THEY NEED TO BECOME MORE LIKE THE DR.

I'M PRAYING THEY DO.