7507: Re: Re: 7438: Haiti violence spreads to provinces (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Jocelyn McCalla <makala99@yahoo.com>

Reply to Amy Willentz.

I am not sure that Gore would have been arrested had he set up in the US a
"government" comparable to the one "established" by some of the political
leaders in haiti. The media, in particular late night show hosts, would have
have a field day with this new phenomenon as long as Gore continued to claim
popular legitimiacy. Pundits would have argued both sides of the issues on
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, WB, HBO at least 23 hours a day. Specials would have
pushed "Temptation Island" off the ratings charts. Dozens of psychiatrists
would have offered their opinions and their services free to the
Vice-President. Any attempt to arrest Gore would have provoked the rise of a
legion of civil rights lawyers, and international human rights advocates --
including yours truly -- and unrepentant activists, all of us ready and
willing to protest loudly the suppression of freedom of expression, assembly
and opinion. What Haiti needs is a little more political maturity and an
abiding devotion to respecting human rights, including the right to express
an opinion contrary to that held by those in power and to communicate that
opinion to the public.

Jocelyn McCalla


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