[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
#3269: Letter to the editor: A response (fwd)
From:Jepiem@aol.com
I believe the word foreigner in the Haitian context is pretty self
explanatory or is it? Haitians outside of the political spectrum, those that
work outside of government would consider any Haitian who has been out of the
country as a Haitian regardless whether he has adopted another nationality or
not. Haitians in politics would use different standards. Basically if you are
not coming in to compete with them in anything, you are a Haitian whether or
not you carry a "foreign" passport. There is a proverb that goes like this "
When the through starts to dry, the horses begin to bite" Haiti as you well
know has been living for years under conditions akin to that of a drying
trough. You might disagree, but the Haiti of today, without changing anything
in the system can hardly survive in the absence of some kind of "foreign"
source bringing water to that through in order to keep it from drying
completely, in other words some kind of "foreign" assistance, whether you
define the word foreign as foreign born or foreign with another adopted or
original nationality. I don't understand what your quarrel is with, whether
it's the word itself or the concept. If it's just the word, then you can
change it to whatever you want and move on. If you are of the true belief
that only Haitians by nationality, and strictly those that have never
renounced their Haitian nationality will and can get Haiti out of this
marasm, then I beg to differ. Everyday experience teaches us otherwise. If
you believe that only people that are Haitians by birth can save Haiti, then
we have a strong departure in thinking and I would like to know what it is in
the accident of birth that gives someone the good will and the skills to do
something positive and good for a country. Some of the fiercest defenders of
Nationality often don't hesitate to sell their country to the highest bidder.
In Haiti, they don't seem to even wait for the highest bidder. On that note
it might be appropriate to recall that the 1987 Constitution negates
recognizes as Haitians only those that have Haitian nationality, excluding
those born in Haiti who have adopted another nationality for whatever reason.
Che Guevara was born in Argentina, yet he is now revered as a Cuban
National. Georges 'Washington was a British subject till the birth of the
United States. I will grant you however that Haiti has been victimized
throughout its history by supposedly well meaning "foreigners" who came to
"help" under all kinds of pretenses, including the now infamous occupation of
1914, but those are instances where Haitians simply crossed their arms and
prayed for the "foreigner" to come and do the job for them or even invited
them in with the prospect of self benefit or gratification. We need a new
collaborative approach, and we can not afford to be blinded by narrow
nationalism in a strugle of such urgency. For the Revolution that Haiti
needs, we need revolutionary thinking. My post was really intended to be a
call for action to those that feel they have the talent, the enthusiasm, the
resources to engage in such a struggle or even take the ideas and give them
shape. If you disagree that "foreigners" could participate, but still agree
with the premises, then some common grounds can be found, I don't think I
have made allusion to giving in to anything or to "compromise" as you put it.