23674: (reply) Hyppolite Pierre on Lyall and Du Tuyau (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Hyppolite Pierre <hpierre@irsp.org>

Although David Lyall did not attribute the quote to Du Tuyau when he
discussed the issue of Haiti as member of CARICOM, the quote he was
referring to was his. I am virtually certain that Du Tuyau will reply if he
hasn't yet but, I wanted to write this.

Haiti is a poor but incredibly important country not just for Haiti herself
but for the rest of humanity. Haiti shall be the right example, the Phoenix
as I like to call it. Otherwise, why would Lyall and so many others,
Americans and other foreigners, seem so focused on my homeland? That makes
me even prouder of the country where I was born.

It's funny in a sense. This very week, a really good friend of mine who
works for the World Bank sent me and others an email regarding Johanesburg,
South Africa where she now works. She used to live near me, but was
relocated by her employer. She is Haitian. But based on personal
experience, she has come to understandably despise today's Haiti, and
especially Aristide. (He betrayed us all, she likes to say). Yet, she could
not contain herself from writing in between the lines, that she finds South
Africa as attractive as a developed Haiti. Therefore, she will do just about
anything to stay there. (Which brings me to this.)

There are times in a country's life when leaders have to compare. Africa as
a whole finds pride in Haiti. So does CARICOM.

We are all an African-based culture, whether we like it or not. Period. Yet,
we are a multicultural society, just like great nations like the US, or
Canada, or France for that matter. But we have to respect ourselves.

The most shameful thing, that the Haitian Right and Latortue had done, is to
attack so relentlessly South Africa. Yet, they were so very careful about
Chile when the government there was considering exile for Aristide. So whhy?
What's the difference? Why disrespect South Africa which arguably has much
more to offer Haiti than Chile ever will, or would?

(Please do remember that I want to see Latortue succeed and make the
transition to democracy again. I don't have the Convergence/fake
revolutionary mentality. I believe in process as "substance", not just as
"form").

Attacking people who can genuinely help us is, like we say in Haitian,
cutting off the very fingers that feed you (se móde dwèt kap ba-w manje). It
is like an American president attacking "old" Europe, when we had a policy
in this country whereby we favored for a very long time and to this day,
immigration from Europe over every other continent. Why did we in the US,
favor European immigration although we are geographically, physically so far
apart? Because we in the US, chose for practical, ethnic, and philosophical
reasons to be part of Europe. That is also incidentally, why when I was
growing up in Haiti, although the US is in the American Continent, we used
to call the US of "A" the US of "E", the United States of Europe. Perhaps
the current leader does not understand this simple fact but may learn his
final lesson on November 2nd by 9 p.m., Eatern time. Only the American
electorate has the ultimate power to decide, which is something that I hope
for in my country some day. Some day. Please God help us!!

In any case, the greatest administrative genius of Haiti despite his abject
cruelty, Henri Christophe, preferred, preferred English as Haiti's first
official language over French. He therefore encouraged everything British in
the region he ruled over and considered French as a secondary language.
Today, today, this very day, those who care enough about Haiti and focus on
issues like human rights and all, are Caribbean nations, English-speaking
CARICOM members. Why then, should we not befriend our Caribbean brothers who
are proud to be with us despite our stupidities? Why shouldn't we
emotionally, culturally, intellectually, logically be part of CARICOM? Why
should we keep on fooling ourselves by trying to be loved and respected by
those who have very little respect for us if any?

Lyall, was Haiti invited to the Pan American Conference for instance, after
"quarteron" Alexandre Pétion helped Bolivar win independence for Latin
American countries? NO!!!

Did Seaga (JLP), or the late Manley or now Patterson (PNP) of Jamaica
threaten or manage to kill Haitians using linguistic subterguges? No!!!

Did our Spanish-speaking neighbor the DR do exactly that with Trujillo?
YES!!! Did Latin American countries ever help us Haitians, or ever say
thanks to us for having helped them gain independence? No!! (In fact they
deny it or don't even know about it. I speak fluent Spanish and have asked
many of them, intellectuals, about that. Very few among them even know of
our contribution to their independence).

Do CARICOM leaders and Africans feel proud about us, Haitians? Yes!!! Yes!!!
Yes!! (Please believe me that I am far, FAR from being ethnocentric.  I used
to date all kinds of women and absolutely despise it when people speak or
write in ethnocentric terms. They sound very boring and irrelevant to me).

Did Henri Christophe prove his point by associating Haiti with the
English-speaking world? Yes!! In fact, by the time Christophe died, he left
150 million francs in the coffers, which Aristide was asking for with his
reparations demand "joke". (Read Michel Rolph Trouillot's "Haiti, State
Against Nation" if you haven't).

Why then should we want to be part of a world that is not and had never been
culturally accepting of us, Haitians? What is there about the French culture
that we should try to be so close to for economic benefit? Martinique?
Guadeloupe? Pleaaaaaase, Lyall, please spare me!!! Please spare us that
logic!!!

Haiti's future belongs to the region and the people that loves and respects
her. Haiti needs to stop being Masochistic. We need to learn to be fully
aware of who we are so we can grow and develop.

May God be with you,
Hyppolite Pierre
IRSP
http://www.irsp.org