6505: Médard replies to Father Graves (re: #6488) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "A. [iso-8859-1] Médard" <amedard@gte.net>

[keywords:  contrast; differing reports/observations; broad
perspective]


Glad to hear from you, Father Mike.  I know that media reports
often tend to be misleading, to say the least, so I have found
the balancing task to be particularly problematic when one does
not live in the country.  As you know, after a ~27* year
relationship with Haiti I have been absent from Haiti for 4-1/2+
years.   With Haiti being a land of contrast, the problem for me
has been how to balance differing reports and translate them into
a reliable broad perspective.


> Since my initial report regarding the voting percentages in the
> Nov. 26 Haitian election, there have been numerable other responses
> which pretty-much support that initial report.
>



Yes, I read these reports, too.  As previously mentioned, having
known my other sources for >20 years, I am sure that they would
give accurate reports of their observations.  However, having
also known you for ~12 years, I believe that you would also give
an accurate report of what you (and others associated with the
Orthodox Church) witnessed in your vicinity (the Morne
Calvaire-Pelerin 2-Tet Dlo area near Petionville).  I am thankful
to you, to Guy and to others for posting valuable personal
observations.  These observations also add great, balancing
perspective.  The more input, the better the global analysis.

It would be wonderful if more people _in Haiti_ (particularly
Haitians living in Haiti) would be more active in these
discussions.  In post #6479, FAedouard noted:


> something which has caught my curiosity for some time is that
> the discussions appear to be dominated (or more active) by
> non-Haitians or people with non-Haitian names. Of the Haitians
> that post, the majority appear to be living outside of Haiti.
> The exception appears to be Richard Morse, who is not only in
> Haiti but a very popular musician.
>
> Can this be a symptom of something else? Does this not slant
> the discussion? Is the Haitian in Haiti viewpoints represented
> on the list? Are we still afraid or have we forgotten?  If you
> are an American or Haitian posting from Nebraska "Haitian"
> standards your postings are anonymous.

I find FAedouard's observations to be quite important and
certainly valid.  Viewpoints and (hopefully) reliable
observations of Haitians living in Haiti would add greatly to
list group discussion.  This could - or at least should -
facilitate the balancing of differing reports (no matter what the
subject matter - be it politics, education, language, music or
even the latest weather crisis!) and allow for a more accurate
translation into broad perspective ... even though it would still
be necessary to consider that the lives and opinions of those
with internet access might or might not necessarily represent the
lives and opinions of those without.


~~~~~~~~~


*6 years visiting for several weeks at least once/year + 16 years
during which I lived in the Haitian (vs. foreign) community of
Haiti + a little over 4-1/2 years close contact with friends and
family in Haiti, & the Corbett list = ~27 yrs.