15552: (Hermantin) Miami-Herald-Letters to the Editor-immigration and Voudou (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Mon, May. 12, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Crackdown overdue

If I understand the May 7 editorial Protect asylum seekers, people who sneak
into this country at Miami International Airport with false documents should
be allowed to stay. If these same people get caught with the false
documents, they should be allowed to stay if they claim asylum. Finally, the
U.S. government has a secret policy against Haitians.

The crackdown on illegal immigrants and phony documentation is overdue, and
is still far too little. MIA has long been known as one of the easiest and
most convenient ports of entry for smugglers of people and contraband as
well as solo attempts by immigrants who have no intentions of returning
home. It wasn't unusual that accused sniper John Allen Muhammad was detained
briefly and released at MIA while smuggling aliens in April 2001. Had he
been arrested and prosecuted for his smuggling and false documentation then,
there would not have been 10 dead sniper victims in the Washington, D.C.-
Maryland area.

STEVE WRIGHT

Naples



Vodou's dark side

In your May 3 article Vodou's veil, Marie Joseph stated that, ''Every
Haitian has a vodou spirit.'' That is her opinion, not a fact. That is like
what happened in the late 1980s when the Centers for Disease Control labeled
Haitians as AIDS carriers.

Not all Haitians dabble in the cult. There are God-believing, God-fearing
Haitians who know that vodou and any form of satanism is wrong, no matter
how you try to sugar-coat it. Worshiping and sacrificing animals to other
gods and casting spells to hurt or kill people are evil.

It took the CDC almost 10 years to drop Haitians from the list as AIDS
carriers. This accusation caused a lot of pain to Haitians. They do not need
another stigma. Vodou might be part of Haitian culture, but that does not
make it right.

EVELYN CLEARE

_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963