#2933: Re: Chirac claims Haiti was not a french colony (Reply to Saint-Vil) (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: A. =?iso-8859-1?Q?M=E9dard?= <amedard@gte.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I shared Saint-Vil's email with a non-list member concerning Chirac's
comments on Haiti and was asked to share the reply below.  If there are
any comments, I can either serve as go-between (so that everyone can
participate ... which might prove interesting) or you can, as indicated
in the message, write directly to the author.

> None of what Chirac said in his statement should be offensive. On the
> contrary, what he was saying is that Haiti was not a colony (in the way
> Martinique and parts of Canada and the US were). We were colonized by
the
> french for only a few years (I'm not 100% sure how long) and Chirac's
> point is that theirs, unlike the Spanish, was not a lasting legacy in
> Haiti (or Hispanola for that matter) even though we did adopt their
> language and some of their practices (political and others).
D-e-s-p-i-t-e
> this failure to have control and power over us (which is what colonizers

> seek to possess,) the french have continued their unnecessary but
> (thankfully) v-o-l-u-n-t-a-r-y support of our Caribbean Island, and
> plans to reinforce and strengthen this undying support as we enter the
new
> millenium. This is my interpretation of Chirac's address. If anyone has
a
> differing opinion, please share).  Make sure you don't bring baggage to
> the table though

<snip>

>...Don't r-e-a-d  i-n-t-o anything (i.e.,
> nowhere did Chirac imply what the writer cliamed he did about,
"relations
> with zenglendo as friendly"; please, no personal attacks (unless
> warranted) on Chirac or anyone else - if you do attack, explain
> yourself...you may be enlightened about something while others are still

> in the dark about the topic).
> Unless you know something I don't know, I don't think out of all the
> countries in the world, France, should be the one the writer attacks. Go

> for the U.S. instead.

<snip>

> There, will you find an adversary worthy of carrying the title of bully
and
> hypocrite as far as Haiti is concerned. (now baby, if you don't know why
I
> say this, you ain't no Haitian).
> Yes, I realize that my comments may come off as offensive or attacking,
> but that is not my intent. My goal is to educate others. One cannot
> throw out such statements

<snip>

> without backing up their comments with facts.

<snip>

> I'm going off like this because I'm tired of us Haitians blaming
everyone
> else for our mistakes.  The same "wine and cheese seeking sorry
Africans"
> the writer spoke of are the same that are in power right now and are
> causing o-u-r country to be in ruins.  We must accept what we do to
> ourselves. As much as you may not like it, you must be able to open your

> eyes and see what we Haitians have done to our country - you can't force
a
> dog to take a bone, the dog must t-a-k-e it himself. And that's what
we've
> been doing for over 200 years. It's finally up to us to stop taking all
> the "bones" the U.S. (and everybody else) throws at us. WE have to be
> mature enough to stand on our own two feet, and come together as a
> classless society for the greater good of e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e. Now I know
this
> last statement will offend many people, it took me (one who's profited
> from my privledged upbringing) a while to realize that what we have is a

> morally repugnant elite (which is in truth what most of us have become-I

> say "most" because there are those who are doing something constructive
> for the country. Look at the way we still think of and treat the poor
> which comprise 90+% of the country, and I dare you tell me that we
aren't
> a morally repugnant elite). We have to take the necessary measures to
> ensure a positive future for our wonderful contry, not through
> absent-minded attacks at Chirac, or others who are trying to sincerely
> help us out. This diffusion of energy contributes to our country's
> lack of focus, which in turn rouses up emotions in all of us, causing us

> to be angry over Haiti's situation and blame France, Spain, the U.S.,
and
> even the Dominicain Republic...anyone who at one point or another hasn't

> been on "our side" or who's given us problems.
> We should realize that others have indeed taken advantage of us (because

> they have,) but it's up to us to stop it. This is a dog eat dog world
baby
> (c'est chien contre chien!) so it's up to us to come together and truely

> live up to our country's motto "L'union fait la force." When we are man
> enough to do this, Haiti will be a great country.
>
> Please feel free to reply to me at amah@gwu.edu