22212: White: Birth of a Nation - Has the bloody 200-year history of Haiti doomed it to more violence? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Randall White <raw@haitiaction.org>

Once again, the editors decide to illustrate a feature article with
current photos that have nothing to do with the content of the
writing. Even going so far, this time, of using the treasured front
page on Memorial Day Weekend for a misleading photo. Just as in Herb
Gold's "Nightmare..." the photographic misdirection has a design.

Even though the history of Haiti is relevant to the current crisis,
this poorly written, academically flawed and provocatively named
piece, never makes the connection. As another writer of revisionist
history, Adam Hochschild  plays with the title of last century's
racist epic-derived from "The Klansman"-to spin the intentions of all
this latent duplicity. The SF Chronicle cojoins the NY Times in
promulgating "the pattern of misinformation" for U.S. foreign policy.
(I'm surprised that you didn't use the AP photos of post-coup looting
to complete the pattern.)

While the photos do nothing to illustrate the content of this
colorless essay, they do fit in with the intent. The underlying
message of this nightmare is to convince the reader that Haiti is
"doomed" and hopeless. "Forget about Haiti..." anything that the
dominant culture would do, would be an improvement on this "hopeless"
situation.

Just as in 1804, the hope for Haitians are its own people, this is
the message that remains hidden. The difference, is that, in 2004 the
People of Haiti have chosen nonviolence to overcome their oppressors.
Today, the U.S. Marines have targeted nonviolent political activists
for annihilation and repression to frustrate their hopes. Even though
Adam's big moment deserves "the Sleeping Man" my hope is that the
readers will wake up and take a closer look at the record.

Randall White

www.HaitiAction.net

Oakland, CA

original article and photos can be found at:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/05/30/CMGKG6F3UV1.DTL