Since we've talked about Condi and Colon, what about their role in Haiti?

[TroubleMan]

http://www.blackcommentator.com/117/117_cover_haiti.html

I often try to give Colon the benefit of the doubt sometimes, but then I think of Mai Lai, Iran Contra, and the last four years, and there's no way I can reconcile my hope that he'll turn good with his actions...Not his words, his actions - don't listen to what any politician says - see what they do.

Also, is it scary that I agree with The Black Commentator 99% of the time? Often it's like they read my mind.

[msgadget]

1. Troubleman,

I have more history to review but my mom recently took up a collection and sold baked goods for Haiti and was shocked at how unconcerned or aware people in the Black community (who were not Haitian) were.

I was stunned when he was taken from power, then confused reading the conflicting news stories. Even on the day he was escorted from his office, while the world was being assured of his voluntarily vacating his country, there was an undercurrent that suggested the precipitating revolt and subsequent removal were all fore-planned by the US. The only voices I heard at that time were from the CBC and, to this day, Haiti remains a background tragedy, occasionally remembered in news reports but never highlighted as significant to us. The Sudan is treated similarly.

But, I can't understand WHY (because I'm a stupid liberal). I read passages like the one clipped below and think, no way, not in 2004:

>"The symbolism of having a populist government in Haiti, that represents the interests of the poor black majority, is intolerable to US foreign policy, especially as all the parallels with the history of US slavery are sure to be drawn," said a well-placed observer who must remain nameless due to the atmosphere of terror in the country. "They want a subservient client in power when the bicentennial comes down. They cannot control Aristide, therefore they must do as they always have in these situations, destroy him and his government by any means necessary."<

http://www.blackcommentator.com/42/42_issues.html

I'm wordless.

[TroubleMan]

2. Wow....it took me a few days to respond....I've been busy

It saddens me how Haitians here in South Florida (I'm in West Palm Beach) are looked down upon by African-Americans, Jamaicans, other Caribbeans, and Latinos. They think of them as stupid, voodoo-worshiping, ugly, immoral, ect....you name the pejorative and I've heard it used to describe Haitians. It's funny how people always try to find someone to look down upon, especially when they're having hard times. Instead of looking at greedy rich people as the problem (which is true 99% of the time), they blame those they perceive to be below them. They want to be like the people that are to blame for their bad situation. They idolized their suppressors, and hate those that are suffering with them.

I try to explain this to a Jamaican friend of mine that him "not trusting" Haitians is the same as white people being prejudice of him, but he won't see it that way. He complains that it's hard for him to find a job with his accent and his hair, but then I tell him I can't have any pity of him until he stops thinking of Haitian people as someone he can't trust.

It's the same with my wife. Her son (my stepson) is named Pierre, and both he and her are very thin and dark-skinned. She got mad at somebody for thinking her son was Haitian (with a French name, thin, and dark-skinned). She told me about this, and I asked her what the problem was...why would being Haitian be an insult? ...And she gets mad at me for asking that, like I'm joking or something.

It just makes me so mad when people do that shit....you can't overcome people being prejudice until you overcome your own prejudice.

[Swamp Rat]

3. I guess folks in South Florida hate us here in New Orleans too?

Because that's where a lot of the Haitian immigrants went in the early 19th Century after the first successful revolt against the European slave masters. My guess is the bigotry toward Haitians likely comes from this event.

We practice vodou here in New Orleans. Maybe Floridians are mad at us because our hurricane ceremony worked by turning Ivan away from us?

[msgadget]

4. Bigotry

isn't exclusive to the majority, unfortunately, and it is as you say, "people always try to find someone to look down upon, especially when they're having hard times."

When the first Haitians hit my hometown they might as well have dropped from another planet. Not only were they incredibly poor but they couldn't speak the language. Possibly because of the immense language and cultural barriers they showed no desire to assimilate, join our churches or attend our social events and eventually they came to be viewed as haughty. Nothing in my recollection, however, justifies the lack of compassion for Haiti or Haitians.

[propagandafreegal]

5. Condi and Colin are out for SELF I see them for what they are nm