17883: Saint-Vil: RE: 17801Saint-Vil answers Kathleen: white supremacist ideolgy affecting Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

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

Dear Katleen,

I thank you for this opportunity to once again clarify something that is in
fact very simple.

The fact that the European Community and the current U.S. government policies
towards Haiti are racist and undeniably inspired by white supremacist ideology
does not in any way condenm all people of the world who happen to be born
"white", as ennemies of Haitians.

While i am writing this to you, I can personally identify at least two douzen
"white" people with whom I spent the last day in a remote place in southern
Haiti providing health care to folks who have no health card, no hospital card,
no nothing to care for their own self. These kind hearted human beings are NOT
responsible for the racist actions of their government. In fact they are in
their own small way fighting white supremacist ideology. However, if we
continue to sugar-coat everything we say or write, people of good  will shalll
continue to spend great energies dropping rocks in the sea. For, all our
personal contributions shall never replace a nation s health care system (see
the numerous writings of Dr. Paul Farmer). And to establish such, we must have
political stability. A commodity Haiti cannot seem enjoy because of foreign
meddling. And we must also admit that such foreign meddling does not come from
the republic of Botswana, Ethiopia, china or Japan. It comes from  European
nations and the U.S. establishment. So, if I were to use the words
"international community" to describe these powerful agents of destabilization
in Haiti, it would make my white readers feel better but it would be neither
accurate or fair. Yes, there is racial solidarity being expressed between the
white diplomats in Port-au-Prince and the few white families that lead this G
184 masquerade. You know it, I know it, the people of Haiti have now realised
it. So, why can t we keep it real ?

Being an intelligent people, Haitians also recognise the genuine sense of human
solidarity which inspires these douzens of "white" people who come here and do
what they can to help. That is why in all the "violence" the so-called
international media has been reporting, you have never heard of any person
being victimized because, he or she is "white". Haitians were never xenophobes
and shall never become so. However, we will always stand against white
supremacist tyrany on this earth. That s our collective destiny and we have
espoused it with courage and passion.

So, please try to read my messages without preconcieved notions. I try to tell
it like I see it. And no, I do not believe the little bit of mental discomfort
my white friends feel when I tell them the truth abouth my hatred of white
supremacist ideology (NOT of white PEOPLE), is anything to be compared with the
immense suffering I see this evil causing among my people. And, while there are
still too many "African" brothers and sisters who are too zombified to
challenge white supremacy as they ought to, I am glad to see more and more
white progressives standing up along side Africans to fight it.

Haiti has benefited from fake compassion for over 200 years now. Today she
expects real friendship. And no true friend pours vinegar on one s wounds only
to feign surprise at one s grimacing face in pain.

Happy Martin Luther King holiday !

Jafrikayiti









Jafrikayiti
«Depi nan Ginen bon nèg ap ede nèg!»
http://www.jafrikayiti.com
----Original Message Follows----
From: Bob Corbett
To: Haiti mailing list
Subject: 17801:  Kathleen:  Re: 17795:  Saint-Vil:  Haiti Solidarite 2004 (fwd)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:19:26 -0600 (CST)
From: Kathleen
Dear Saint Vil:
     It's really hard for those of us who are white - and brown, and Asian -
and love Haiti to read your post without feeling bad.  Really, this is just
as rascist - lumping all white people together- as those who are anti-black,
asian, indian.  Did you read Marvel's post from the Bahamas?  He expressed
very well his indignation, as a black man in the Caribbean, to wholesale
demands for support of all black leaders, despite their deeds.  Do you
really mean what you said?  Perhaps if you reread your post you would see
that your position is unfair to a lot of individuals, regardless of race.
If I remember correctly, you are the person who shared those marvelous
photos and commentary of backpacking Americans in Haiti with the list.
Wasn't one of those travelers white?  Are we going to institute a Traveling
While White ban to match the unjust Driving While Black?  Two wrongs, etc.
Sincerely, Kathleen Burke

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