#3328: The Return of the Dark Days : Paryski comments

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:PPARYSKI@aol.com

Perhaps it would be useful to note that an estimated 20-30 people are being 
murdered in Haiti each week.  Most of these people are poor and black and as 
such their deaths, horrible as they are, are hardly ever mentioned in the 
media.  Most people now accept such deaths as normal; a form of short-term 
survival strategy and hardly blink an eye when they see a corpse in the 
street.  Jean Dominique's death was notable because he was such a legendary, 
engagé and public person of remarkable intelligence.

The reasons for the continuing murder include some or even all of the 
following; the mixture probably varies from case to case:
1. Political 
2. Drug related
3. Theft
4. Personal revenge

There seems to be a tinge of class conflict in some of the murders which is 
normal in a country of such poverty, frustration and a semi caste social 
structure in which very few have almost all of the country's wealth.  The 
extremely high rate of crime and simple seizure of property is perhaps 
related.

It seems to me that the death of Jean Dominique should inspire people to 
search for the root causes of Haiti's present tragic situation, causes that 
can be found in its history and family, political and social patterns.  More 
importantly, his death should motivate people to search for real and 
practical solutions, ways to help Haiti become once again La Perle des 
Antilles.  One way to do this might be to try to imagine what one would like 
Haiti to be: its institutions, its social fabric, its economy, its judicial 
system, its environment, its cities and its people.  Then suggest how to best 
achieve this.  Necessarily this will require commitment and sacrifices. 

Henry Christophe's coat of arms was a phoenix; his motto: je renais de mes 
cendres.  I am sure Jean would have agreed.

Paul Paryski