17164: Saint-Vil Re: 17148: Linda, Visit to Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jean Saint-Vil <jafrikayiti@hotmail.com>

Hello Linda,

I am not disputing what your eyes saw. But, there are serious factual errors
in your text that require correction and,in as much as I would accept words
of caution before writing an analytic piece about Australian "realities" on
account of the 5 weeks I spent in Sydney in 1993, I would encourage you to
recognize that your few days in Haiti may have left you with only
superficial knowledge about the realities of the Haitian People.


Now mind you, we all accustomed to seing all kinds of errors in articles
writeen about Haiti in english (Jean-Baptiste Aristide, Toussaint Louverture
declaring Haiti’s independence in 1804, a full two years after he’s been
murdered by the French etc…)… however your piece may just have too many
mistakes per square inch.

Here are a few examples:

1)(Haiti) “Discovered by Columbus on his second voyage”. No! Columbus and
his crew landed in Haiti during his first voyage, December 5, 1492. BTW, it
is a historical non-sense to speak of “discovery” when all kinds of people,
including Africans and the Tainos themselves arrived there before the dude (
http://www.jafrikayiti.com/Lafimenjof.htm )

2) “When the Americans came in and restored President Aristide to power in
1998” – No!!! in 1998 Aristide was already celebrating the 4th anniversary
of his return from exile, following the CIA-FRAPH coup-d’état of September
1991. He returned to Haiti October 15, 1994 in a U.S. Airplane – after the
hunger strike by Randall Ronbinson and all kinds of worldwide pressure,
including that of thousands of Haitians fleeing the FRAPH-CIA-FAdH terror,
who were landing on and blackening the Florida shores.

3) “Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is a former Salesian priest who translated the
Bible into Creole.” – No !!! that’s not one of Aristide’s accomplishments,
as far as anyone knows.


4) “When Haitian slaves were denied "liberte, egalite, fraternite," they
followed the example of French patriots and took it for themselves in the
bloody revolt of 1804”.  NO!!!! The revolt did not occur in 1804. The
official declaration of independence took place on January 1 1804. The
revolt itself began on the shores of Africa as early as the late 1400s,
continued on the slave ships and intensified on the American continent,
Haiti included. Makandal, Boukman, Plymout, Kebbinda, Marijann, Cecile
Fatiman…all these freedom fighters never required anyone to whisper into
their ears that what was going on was barbaric and deserving of their
revolt. In any case, those who still entertain this “fantasy” of French
inspiration to the anti-slavery revolution in Haiti refer to uprising of
1791, not 1804.

5)Re: Reality #6: “For better or for worse, Haiti will never again have a
government without the consent of the majority”. This is not reality, it’s
merely a speculation. All over the world people are living with governments
who take power without the consent of the majority. The reign of Baby Bush
is only one of many examples. Haitians would be wise to not fall asleep and
let their efforts to reclaim the right to vote go down the drain. Granmèt la
only knows how many of our friends are ready and willing to help implement a
“handsome people only can vote” demokkkrasi in Haiti, like we now have in
Florida.

6) “(Aristide) has turned out to be a poor administrator and is now popular
only with his uneducated constituency”. Not substantiated! There are plenty
of “educated” folks who still consider Aristide the most popular Haitian
politician for whom they would cast their vote in an election. Sad fact is,
there is not even one or two clear alternatives that can be identified as
“next runner up” – neither among the so-called “educated” constitueny, nor
among the so-called “uneducated constituency”. If such a person existed, his
or her name would have been mentioned in your report.

This being said, I hope you can make the necesary corrections and find a
publisher for your article. And, more importantly, I hope you will go to
Haiti again and again, until you discover what many other Americans have had
the privilege of discoring...an African people who have been shedding their
sweat and blood for freedom and justice on this continent even when most
others were uninterested. Even when Thomas Jefferson, George Washinton and
Napoleon Bonaparte were ordering the murder of millions of their fellow men
and women...strangely in the name of freedom and the pursuit of hapiness!

Happy January 1 !




Jafrikayiti
«Mèsi Papa Dessalines !»
http://www.jafrikayiti.com