13675: Kathy Grey Re: 13601: Bellegarde-Smith: Outrageous hypocrisy --Haitians Refugees(fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

Where is the "outrageous hypocrisy" in this?  I've snipped a few pertinent passages from the article forwarded by Bellegarde-Smith:

>Cuban migrants who arrive in South Florida are typically
>detained for a few days while the INS conducts an
>interview process. They are then generally released to
>family members within the Miami community where
>they stay until their scheduled asylum trials

>Haitians arriving since December, however, are kept
>in custody until they receive asylum or, more likely,
>deported.

>A magistrate judge Wednesday denied bail for six
>men charged with alien smuggling in the Oct. 29 boat
>incident. Judge Stephen Brown said all the men
>posed a flight risk since they lacked strong ties
>to the United States.

(and:)
>``The problem is that the clients were not prepared
>with family members present as an affidavit of
>support for release, and that can be held against
>them,'' Mondesir said.

 It seems pretty reasonable to me to deny bail for people you don't really
 think are going to show up for their trials!  I would like to know, of
 Haitians bailed out and Cubans bailed out, what percentage of each group
 actually returns for their hearing, and what percentage goes into hiding?

 I think it is "outrageous hypocrisy" for a Haitian to come to the USA
 claiming "political asylum" when not a goddam thing has happened to him
 or her, promise to respect the conditions of their bail or parole or
 whatever, and then go running off into hiding, blithely flouting the laws
 of the very same USA that they have asked for protection!

 I think it is "outrageous hypocrisy" for anyone to start screaming
 "racism" when the simple facts of life regarding Haitian illegal
 immigrants to the USA are stated in plain terms.  The judge doesn't think
 those Haitians are going to run away because they are black!  He thinks
 they are going to run away based on the behavior of previous Haitian
 illegal immigrants.  Duh.

 Furthermore, it's natural and normal that Cubans would have an easier
 time of making a political asylum claim, they live in a dictatorship!  No
 matter how much I respect Castro's undeniable achievements, he is a
 dictator, he stifles dissent and represses every freedom we Americans
 have guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights.

 Aristide is not a dictator.  Haiti is not Cuba.  There are several
 political coalitions in Haiti,  Lavalas and Convergence and so on, and
 they are not killing each other in the streets like in 1991, at least not
 here in Jacmel as far as I have seen!

 This evening I heard Pierre Esperance of the NCHR on the radio, saying
 that the asylum seekers should not be classified as economic refugees
 because "the economic problems are caused by political problems."  Gee,
 no kidding.  An ineffective and corruption-ridden government generally
 runs a country broke, big surprise.  That is NOT grounds for political
 asylum!  If it were, I bet ol' Dubya's policies would qualify some
 Americans for asylum too.

 It's my duty as an American to keep myself informed, to vote, to do
 everything I can to assure democracy and good government in my country.
 Why is it not the duty of Haitians to work for the evolution of democracy
 in Haiti?  Americans have confronted corrupt political machines,
 repressive agricultural production giants, social turmoil of every sort,
 and we didn't have to go flee to Yugoslavia or Bora Bora or some place
 and cry for asylum - we confronted our problems and resolved them to the
 benefit of society, with labor unions, the civil rights movement... are
 Haitians unable to do the same?  I don't think so!  So then why does
 rotten government or mean orange growers or just about any excuse under
 the sun make Haitians eligible for *political* asylum?

 Let Haitians clean up their own house!  It's about goddam time, frankly

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
     Haitian proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

(Posting from Jacmel, Haiti)