24379: Boswell (discussion) Ron Voss

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From:  Richard A. Boswell <boswellr@pacbell.net>

I am new to this listserve and would offer my own
opinion on a story that I have seen posted to this
internet outlet.  Let me say first that I have been to
Haiti on a number of occasions and have stayed at the
Visitation House directed by Ron Voss and have found
him to be a wonderful person.  I believe that he is
committed to Haiti and he does a great deal of good
through his work at the Visitation House.  Before
joining this listserve I received an email from
someone who sent me a copy of a purported story making
allegations against Ron Voss from more than 16 years
ago.  The email included a side comment from someone
else that perhaps the reason that the Haitian police
wanted Mr. Voss was because of the alleged incidents
of 1988.  I found the statements made against Mr. Voss
troubling for many reasons, one of which was that they
bore no relevancy to his arrest by the Haitian police.

The posting strikes me as similar to the kind of ad
hominem attacks that were common during the McCarthy
era.  In those days if you wanted to challenge
someone, you would accuse them of being a communist or
possibly a homosexual and then watch try to defend
themself.  Such attacks leave the accused with little
to say and are designed to have them effectively
dissapear.

I have actually done some research on this story
because I questioned whether the news story was even
what it purported to be.  I did so because I have met
Ron Voss and I could not believe the allegations.
What I have learned is that recently several
individuals in Indiana have been on a crusade to
attack and hound Ron Voss.  It does not appear from
any of the news stories that Ron has ever been charged
with any crime, and there is no indication that he is
under investigation or sought after for questioning by
authorities in the U.S.

It is my hope that this listserve can be a place for
information on Haiti and not a forum for vicious
attacks against a person based on allegations of
events which occurred more than 16 years ago and never
resulted in charges.  One should not  have to be a
friend of the person who is accused to expect that
this listserve should be a place for more meaningful
dialogue.

Richard A. Boswell
Professor of Law
Univ. of Calif., Hastings
200 McAllister St.
San Francisco, CA  94102

voice: 415 565-4633
fax: 415 565-4865
boswellr@pacbell.net or boswellr@uchastings.edu