19299: loveayiti responds to esser: (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: love haiti <loveayiti@hotmail.com>


Esser Writes:

"Solidarity is the key word here "love haiti", do you have to be
Haitian to care about the rule of law, constitutions and the legal
process?"

Of course one does not have to be Haitian. But you should care what
Haitian-Americans think or feel. Why is it that Aristide most vocal supporter
in the Black Caucus (Maxine Waters)  also happens to have almost no
Haitian constituents? Over the past severals months thousands of Haitians in
South Florida have prostested against Aristide's brutal regime. They came for
all
walks of life, rich and poor. Many were ,at one time ,his active supporters.
These
protest were not organized by "Opposition". They were organized by students,
professionals, taxi drivers and housewives. The only thing they had in common
was concern for their family
and friends in Haiti. These people were not asked their in opinion in the Ira
Kurzban sponsored poll.

"Apaid, by all accounts, himself is no citizen of the country he
graces with his sweatshops - are you equally dismayed by that?"

Apaid was born of Haitian parents and has lived in Haiti his entire life.
His wife and children are Haitian. I will not get into the legalities of dual
nationalities ,citizenship and the Haitian passport he was issued by the
Lavalas government. He's more Haitian than many who have abandoned their
country decades ago and simply have not filled
out the paperwork for US Citizenship.


"Does the "opposition" care about the outcome of using the likes of
Chamblain to effect their profoundly undemocratic means? I guess it
is O.K. to fan the flames if you're aren't likely to perish in them."


Sometimes I think of Chamblain had not joined the fight against Aristide you
guys would
have nothing to talk about. It also convenient how you guys always forget the
Guy Phillipe was named a high ranking officer in the National Police by
Aristide or How you ignore the
fact that the rebellion started when Aristide's armed supporters (who say they
were given guns to terrorize the population) turned against him. Chamblain is
but one among millions who have
risen up against Aristide. The reason they have been so successful is because
Haitians are sick of Lavalas street gangs or chimere terroirzing the
population.

I saw an interesting picture on yahoo.com/news/pictures. It show a convoy of
rebels (which has been reported to be between 50 and 200) parading through Cap
Haitian. Thousand of people stand beside their pickup cheering them on. How do
you explain 50 to 200 people taking a city of 700,000 people? This has happened
in every town they enter. One way, Aristide has lost the support of the
population.

"It will not be Floridians or Haitian-american factory owners that
will die from the neo-Fraph and duvalierist elements trying to shoot
the country back into pre-democratic times."

Calling names will get no where. Screaming Fraph and Duvalier is just a method
being used
by Aristide and his lobbyist to try to stir emotions.  The same way every word
out of Arsitide mouth is "Terrorist" "Drug Dealer" or "Refugees".  This is
about real change for Haiti. The ,majority of the democratic platform fought
against the dictatorship before Arsitide even thought he would become
president. They have taken exile for him. They have been arrested and beaten
for their ideals. They turned against him because he became what he always
claimed he detested, A Dictator, using brutal and unethical means to remain in
power and enrich himself and his cronies.

It's also insulting and manipulative to use the word "terrorist" so freely;
Particularly with countries who have suffered from "true" terrorism like the
United States on 9/11 and the Middle East today.

Aristide has already chased 3/4 of the factories out of Haiti into Dominican
Republic and Central America. What to do say to the hundreds of thousands of
Haitians who are starving with this lost business?

Trust me on this one. No one will invest in Haiti with Aristide as President.
He's viewed as aa president of one of the most corrupt and disfuntional
governments in the Western Hemisphere. Despite our "sweatshops" many would
rather pay higher wages in another country. Try explaining that to the people
who watch their children go hunger. Haiti without foreign investment or foreign
partners will never move forward.

Regards

I think you should concentrate more on democratic ideals and principals. Think
about what is best of Haiti as a whole, not just one man. One man or one
election does not make a democracy.


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