16197: Barthelemy: Re: 16183: Moibibi on Haitian Flay (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: rudy barthelemy <kreyolconnection@yahoo.com>

What makes Bb's point very interesting is that it
represents indeed a very fundamental part of Haiti's
history and its creation as an indeependent country.
Usually, responsible patriotism often urges constant
inspiration from history. Furthermore in the
particular case of Haiti. It is difficult in this
sense to dissociate any form of responsible patriotic
sentiment from the historical aspect of the creation
of Haiti's flag.

Bb Pierre-Louis brings here an important point of
Haitian history that makes many Haiti's historians
very unconfortable to approach.  Although I respect
Bb's opinion to feel "not so much patriotism about
that", I want to remark that one cannot dissociate the
story of our flag colours and birth circumstances from
the innermost beliefs and convictions (spiritual,
metaphysical, elatriye) that have motivated the
founding fathers of the nation of Haiti...among others
intolerable situations.

Not too many historians have yet addressed in its
accuracy this elevated chapter of the birth of the
Haitian Flag, its colours, and their complete and
symbolic meanings and association, in relation to the
very actors/leaders who have made and lived this
chapter of the nation's history.  Max Beauvoir is one
of the few writers who have addressed this chapter in
its depth.  Ironically, he does not pause officially
yet as a historian (not that I am aware of). But his
article: "The colors of the flag of Haiti" is very
revealing in the historical reminder mentioned by
Beauvoir.  In short, as Beauvoir demonstrated it in
that article, the colours of the flag of Haiti are not
a mere coincidence with those of the republican
revolutionaires of Paris, or a coleric gesture to the
simplistic tearing up of the French tricolore; or
again, a romantic interpretation of our ever-blue sky
looming passively over the red-blooded sacrifice of
the slaves.  It goes much deeper.  It's more serious
than all that.  And when we get to know who exactly
was a Dessalines, a grann Guiton, a A. Petion, a
Catherine Flon (among many others), there is no doubt
left that Ogou and Erzili also participated in the
agreement that led to creating an ID, a symbol of
common cause to provide a flag for the country that
was being born through the independence war.

An interesting mixture of beliefs and politics; an
irreplicable combination of Vodou and survival.

Ayibobo!

Roody Barthelemy




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