#1289: On Antoine's backing up Josian: Comments by Poincy

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Jean Poincy <caineve@idt.net>

Antoine, you could have fooled me. Your profundity in your posts is
that of a PHD holder and a wise man. Should I say that's the voice of a
master? Agree with you or not, I value a great deal what you always have
to say on Corbettland. For you always find a way to bring matters to the
essence of THINGS. Well, titles or affiliation to organization or
universities do not give credence to one's argument, but the profundity
of it regardless the author is plain or not. How profound does one seeks
to make his/her post is what draw most people to appreciate it. I've
come across plenty and plenty of posts by PHD holders, professors and
others that are very hollow, and nothing to draw from.  

	I need to comment on your backing of Josiane's comment:

	"I will start by fully backing something else that Josiane said: 'I
would even propose that if something cannot be expressed in Creole, it
has no real meaning, it should be stricken from the laws.  The first
version of every important document for Haiti should be in Creole.' Can
we inscribe that principle in stone somewhere? "

	It is a noble way of seeing matters pertaining to Ayiti. However, I am
asking the question again, at what time that is necessary and how
expedient would it be in resolving THE ONE basic problem Ayiti faces,
HUNGER. 

	I understand the literacy problem is crucial to resolve, however, are
we to do things in a revolutionary or evolutionary form? In making
decisions in society, one must ask three questions: 

	1) For what purpose?
	2) When to make use of it?
	3) How to proceed? 

	The immediacy of a situation is the sole determining factor in
answering the first two. For the third one, the way to do it is learning
by doing. It will automatically follow, as the society will face blocks,
inconvenience, or obstacles in the process. No doubt this approach is an
evolutionary one and is necessary, if Ayiti ought to build its stock of
knowledge. We need not to forget that Ayiti is still after almost two
centuries, at its infancy and has things to learn about building a
society and caring for its people.

	 Let's agree that the principle is to be in stone somewhere, would it
really serve its purpose? The people for whom it would be provided for
can not read it.  Let's assume that they are able to read, the
difficulty to interpret and make it work at their advantage (talking of
the present time) would remain. It would take quite a bit of time in the
education process to bring the people's ability to comprehend certain
abstract matters that some documents would deal with in regards to them.
By that time, circumstances would change and matters would be different. 

We need not to forget that society is a dynamic machine, it evolves from
day to day. What was a principle yesterday is no longer today, and what
was not yesterday is today. Every principle or law is a direct product
of the way a society is living at the particular time it is erected (of
course to iron out the difficulties of living together). In other words,
principle or law becomes obsolete while society is in constant motion. A
principle or law enacted to frame a circumstance in the evolutionary
process of society is static. Failing to understand these realities tend
to do more harms than intended.

	I bet you if that becomes a principle in stone today, it will be erased
so that to engrave a different principle suiting the society of
tomorrow. Considering the nature of things in Ayiti, it would not even
fulfill its purpose before it even becomes obsolete. For there is no
need to rush to do things; one step at a time is a much wiser way to go.
The motto is: FIRST THING FIRST.

	Ayiti has two great needs today: 1) find a means to survive 2) find a
medium for pride. As I previously stated in earlier posts, without the
first, every other desire the people might have will be far to be
satisfied. If satisfaction there is, it will be that of a few which is
not that of the whole. This logic tells us that, the second is
impossible without the first. People must be able to greatly satisfy
their need to survive in other for them to think of anything else. When
hungry, all their thoughts or dreams are made of situations where food
play a role and every other urgent need that can't fall under the
umbrella of food is considered a secondary need.  

	Once this matter is taken care of, the medium for pride will be created
automatically along the way. Since the eradication of slavery, Ayiti
ceased to contribute in mankind progress. It is falling in the bottom of
the pit by maintaining itself as a dysfunctional system, a defective
society in mankind civilization, and a beggar that just sits around
doing nothing for himself despite his/her physical ability while waiting
for a kind hand to help out. 

In Ayiti everybody, the very same people in misery, embraces the "I
don't give a damn...I don't care…I just don't give a damn" attitude to
echo the tune of Michel Marteley (SweetMickey, a pop singer that has
been eroding Ayitian musical values).  Yes, in a society such as Ayiti
where with such an attitude in full force, the quest for pride can be
fruitless, as the primary needs of the people is totally ignored.

	Suppose now that hunger, THE MAIN PROBLEM in Ayiti, is resolved it will
be much easier and without much debate whether to do education in
Ayitian or French. The people themselves would find joy in learning both
languages and put them on the same pedestal, then the principle to be in
stone would be in favor of both languages with not much quarrels. The
circumstance during this evolutionary process would require Ayiti to do
so.

	Because French is no dead language, quite alive and Ayitians from all
sides regard it as a beautiful and valuable language, Ayitians would
want to still have it in their baggage as an asset (for whatever
reason). They would believe so rightly, like they would possess English,
Spanish and any other language. Probably, the same illiterate people
whom to become well fed and educated will probably engage in the
language issue debate, for it would no longer be the realm of "EXPERTS".
They will be wise enough to know they can not hate each other over a
language, but rather come down to a consensus of having both and being
able to speak both as all will have access to education.
	
	Maybe the principle of this dream day will be that knowing one language
or another will be a matter of individual choice while both are
mandatory for an well-educated Ayitian in Ayiti. Ayitians then will know
that they have to know both, advocate for both and not for one. I have
met Canadians who know both English and French well as if both were
their mother tongue. 

	It is important to underline that what is at stake right now in Ayiti
is not the language issue. They just want to eat and live somewhere.
Again, I am stating what is the point of spending resources on things
that are not urgent. If doing so, according to the evolutionary
principle of society, they will become obsolete and things will be done
over. That would be a waste and Ayiti can not afford such a waste right
now.

	Yes linguists can find funding, definitely not from the Ayitian
government, to pursue their research to perfect the language; but don't
make it such a pressing issue to the point of saying that great
resources must be devoted to it. It is a crucial matter, of course and
no one is denying it, but it is a matter that can wait due to financial
constraints, and different more urgent needs of the people that are at
bay. This plain logic if understood will gear one to consider the hunger
aspect of Ayiti first.



Ayiti has lived, lives and will live
Mozeb