16131: Senou: What I see? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Senou <senou@yahoo.com>

What I see?

Before I start let me share this with you: I took the
oath to this great country last year and I’m dam proud
of it. I voted last year during the mid-term election
and I urge each and everyone to do his/her civic duty
next year. But don’t forget to vote during the
primary. Those of you who have been living here
legally for over 5 years, you need to apply now for
your citizenship and register to vote. The margin
victory in Florida was so close if the Haitian
immigrants had naturalized, they could have influenced
the outcome of the election. I’m not a new comer since
my ancestors had taken part in the independence battle
of this great country. Go to Savannah, visit the
museum you will know about our contributions and now
we have a place in Savannah that recognizes and honors
our effort, thanks to an outstanding and proud Haitian
who is living now in New Jersey but he expects to
relocate in metro Atlanta very soon. If you know how
to dig, you will see the bone of my grand grandparents
in the valley of Savannah. On September 24, 1779
without the intervention of my ancestors, the course
of the war could have changed.

The United States of America is a land of opportunity;
if you come down here, play by he rules, work hard, do
not follow folks who have nothing to do except
creating trouble to themselves, save, and stay away
from losers and those who know it all; You will
succeed.
The Lavalas, the Convergence and the Opposition had
kept the people of Haiti hostage for too long, a
solution must be found.

When we commemorate July 28; we shall make sure it
does not happen again but it did take place in 1994
when the legitimate Haitian president had given a
green light for foreign troop to occupy Haiti. We must
take everything into context.
Did I agree then with the U.S. led invasion to return
the legitimate Haitian President? Yes.  Today I can
tell you if I knew that my effort would be in vain, I
would have said No, and Listen to the elders. If I
knew, Oops, it’s too late my friends. Anytime, you use
“if I knew” I see regret in your eyes. Haiti my native
country does not have democracy and Haitians have a
long way to go to taste this idea that had swept the
world. (I do not believe a country with a high number
of illiteracy rate can have a truth democracy, much
need to be done. And Democracy is not just electing a
president but there must be democracy within the
institutions. To be fair to Haiti: in 1990, the
Haitian people had voted in a fair and free election,
the first in the world.

What is going on right now in Haiti is purely demagogy
and that’s hurt.
When Dessalines had given order to exterminate the
remaining French in Haiti, at that time, he might
think it was the right thing to do, today we can say
he was wrong. But assume the French were there and the
French army had wanted to comeback to repossess Haiti.
We could have said then Dessalines was right. It is
difficult to judge an action 50 or two hundred years
later.

Today who could have imagined seeing people held in
jail indefinitely pending investigation in the United
States?  Who could have thought seeing a congress
voting an anti immigrant bill and nobody complaint
about it.
This is history and 50 to 100 years from now when this
generation is no more, people could wonder what we
were doing?

Those of you who have been living legally in this
country and fail to become a citizen, you are making a
big mistake. One of you one day will be a victim of
the anti-immigrant bill and my friends when this
happen to you; You will swallow that pill alone since
you are not behaving responsibly. What happen if a
terrorist related act took place in your neighborhood,
the investigator may call all men and women for
question.  For whatever reason, somebody may try to
give you some hard time and check your status. Since
you are not a citizen, he/she can put away until the
investigation is over and this can take months. You
saw that happen in the Arabs community; I saw some of
you take part in some public demonstration, do you
know your legal right? How far can you go? Can you
call a city leader, a Congressman, a Senator?

Last year during the mid-Term election, a boat loaded
with Haitians found its way at key Biscayne, live on
Camera we saw children, adults, women and pregnant
women diving in the water; they were coached about the
wet and dry feet policy but that law was changed
before they reach the shore; all of them were
returned. If the politicians knew that Haitian
electorate in south Florida could have voted in block
to a certain candidate or a particular party, they
will come to assist you. The Democratic party as well
as the Republican Party did not do crap for us, so you
don’t have allegiance to anyone, vote your conscience.
Forgive but do not forget.  We saw the Saga of Elian
Gonzalez, it was not about that Cuban boy since the
law is crystal clear; in the absence of the mother the
Biological father has the right to claim his child,
and all this nonsense was about attracting the Cuban
vote and 99.9% of Cuban in South Florida had voted
Republican, it was a scenic way to win, but they won
anyway. My friends, numbers count and now we are
entering into an election season where every candidate
will seek your support and this is the only time you,
as an average citizen, have a chance to make a
statement.

Today what I see: I see sadness, I see people losing
hope, spirit shattered, I see children dying with
hunger, I see people using starvation for political
gain, I see the blaming game from both sides; What I
see? Haitian children born today may never go to
school if the situation has not changed, I see
children may not be able to reach their fifth birthday
if the situation has not improved. I see the
deterioration of the infrastructure of a country that
used to be “La Perle des Antilles”.

Again today what I see: I see many people come to the
rescue of the Haitian people, last week Noah under the
leadership of Dr. Baptiste took a team of medical
doctors, nurses and so on to provide free care in
Haiti at Dumas M. Siméus Foundation's, I encourage
more Haitian scientist and friends of Haiti to do the
same. What do I see: I see Haitian scientist putting
in place a solar internet site in Leogane, I see
positive minded Haitians and Haiti’s friends doing the
impossible to assist the country, I see many of you
exposing the beauty of Haiti to the outside.

Now what need to be done? The Diaspora must organize
itself; these folks can be the backbone support of
Haiti and do the same thing the Jews are doing for
Israel. Sending a few bucks only to assist your family
and friends is not enough. We need to buy Haitian
goods: shirts, Jean, Polo, Carabella, Rum Barbancourt,
Haitian fruit, Haitian art, artisanat and potteries,
Haitian made shoes or to say: Haitian product. And
what this is going to do? This is going to create more
jobs. Assume you order a large quantity that person in
Haiti has to hire more workers and “cheese” will start
flowing again back home.  But all these can be done
with more ease if the leaders reach a political
compromise.


Without a doubt there must be a compromise and the
protocol must be respected. Haitians have to learn to
respect each other and to negotiate with each other.
The idea of “ote-toi, j’y me met” is not going to fly.
There must be a consensus and there is no reason to
rush. Take your time, go to the root of the problem,
talk it out, start a national discussion and find a
compromise. You may need outside assistance and others
may be willing to assist you, to help you but at the
end you have to live with it. So, it has to come from
YOU.  The players need to return to the negotiation
table, it is imperative to get rid of the extremists
from both sides, stop using inflammatory languages,
and take a week to cool off, prepare an achievable
plan, and put everything on the table.

I strongly believe Haitians in Haiti can reach a
peaceful political compromise, organize a free and
fair election and move on to a national
reconciliation.

Again, I urge the players to give the negotiation one
more try; the country cannot survive without outside
assistance. For the past three years, Haiti has not
received a dime and the country needs these loans to
jump-start its economy. Folks, you have no choice but
to compromise; meet each other halfway and prepare to
do some sacrifices.

Flash!!!
Flash !!!  Those of you who are coming to the
Symposium, you will have an unique opportunity to
visit Bistro Creole http://www.bistrocreole.com  a
first class Haitian restaurant in Atlanta, MLK Center
and as well as the Carter Presidential Library and
discover Buckhead. You need to rent a car or have an
automobile at your disposition; you can receive a
discount with Alamo: by using HCR corporate number
Rate Code: BY; I.D. Number: 706768

Symposium in Atlanta
Saturday, October 4, 2003
Dress code: Professional Attire.
Need more info, just fire an Email to:
hcrinfor@hcronline.org



Joseph Alfred
P.O. BOX 334, Smyrna, GA 30081: Tuesday, July 15, 2003



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