27154: Rossier (reply) Re: 27147: Morse (comment) Holmstead re Kathleen (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nicolas Rossier

Dear Mr. Morse,
that is the main reason of why you can't get it right and why violence
has plagued your city for a long time. You are throwing stones to anybody
based on rumors. How terrible!!! Haiti deserves the same type of justice than 
any other
place. Innocent until proven guilty should be the rule for anybody. Evidence is
not only nice as you mentoned it but also necessary in any legal system.
I can spread any rumor today about you and if I do it right people will
believe it within a year and you'll find yourself guilty of something you have 
never
done. I have been in your hotel a few times and I have seen how journalists 
work
in Haiti. It is very easy and tempting in Haiti for a blan to fall in the trap 
of the
rumor game. I almost fell in it myself. Journalists should be academic in their 
work.
Historians will base teir work partly on journalistic sources.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Corbett" <corbetre@webster.edu>
To: "Bob Corbett's Haiti list" <haiti@lists.webster.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 7:04 AM
Subject: 27147: Morse (comment) Holmstead re Kathleen (fwd)


> Dear Mr Holmstead,
>
> In Haiti we don't always have the luxury of waiting for tangible and
> corroborative evidence. Over time the truth comes out. At first its
> rumors,
> then
>  its
> people you know, telling you things they heard or saw, and sometimes you
> watch trends. Instinct is important. Eventually you get to the truth. Your
> senses become more sensitive when making a mistake can mean losing your
> life.
> Evidence is nice, especially when its beyond a reasonable doubt, but it is
> a
> luxury and we don't have too many luxuries down here in Haiti. I know who
> THE
> gang leader is, as do a lot of people in Haiti. If you don't know, you
> haven't
>
> been following the situation closely or you're in denial. An academic or
> historian may have to wait for corroborative evidence before writing a
> thesis
> or
>
> book or definitive history and that's good and correct but some of us
> can't
> wait  that long....unfortunately.