#4100: About Olivier Nadal and Mike Norton, comments by Bb Pierre Louis (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:Moibibi@aol.com

I do not like to comment about political matters but I dislike to read 
derogatory remarks made about people who are acting on the political scene.

Isn't that what democracy is all about?

Mike Norton belongs to the family of Toto Bissainthe who sang about the 
miseries of the Haitian people just like Miriam Makeba did when nobody else 
had the courage to do so. Up to today, he shares the life of the Haitian 
people.

Olivier Nadal also had the courage to break family ties when he decided to 
get into the Chamber of Commerce. No one in his family would have ever done 
so. Furthermore, he took the Chamber of Commerce that used to function as a 
private club for a certain class of rich entrepreneurs and vulgarized it to 
the point that it is represented in many small towns and villages such as 
Montrouis. He has his own political opinions, he was on the terrain. But once 
again, isn't that what democracy is about?

I believe that democracy will remain a vain word until the day we can accept 
divergent opinions without having to crush the individuals who have the 
courage to express them. From a Vodouist point of view, the past two hundred 
years of independance have clearly demonstrated that no single Haitian group 
will ever be able to bring the country forward. Germs of division may have 
many origins. They may come from outside but why from inside? Until we have a 
firm collective consciousness among ourselves and those who accept our living 
conditions we are bound to perish.

Bébé Pierre Louis