#4784: Re: #4778: Re: #4771: Re: #4758 etc.: Grand Marnier workers - Bebe Pierre-Louis answers:Stockdale replies (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Clayton Stockdale <cdstockdale@home.com>

Yes, and once, the United States had similar conditions for factory workers.
What did we do about it?  This isn't heaven, so there are no perfect
answers, but there are answers.  And they need to come from Haitians.

I'm sorry you seem to feel that missionaries in any way support these
working conditions.  I fail to see a connection, except that you seem to
feel that we should "open their eyes" (your words) to their conditions.  I
have yet to meet a Haitian who doesn't know his/her condition.

I am disappointed that someone who obviously cares so much is wasting energy
in hatred, and is expecting outsiders to "wise up" the Haitian people.
Respect their knowledge of themselves.  We the world can and, I feel should,
only offer opportunity, experience, resource for Haitians (and then only if
they want it) to take care of themselves.  I don't know the answer to the
poverty, economics, politics, etc, and I don't pretend to know.  But I do
know that the answer can only come from Haiti herself.

Just for the record, I am a short term missionary to Haiti, but I speak only
for myself. Generalizations of any sort, about any group, which are often
made on the list, are just that--generalizations.  Broad, sweeping
statements, not true of every individual in that group--sometimes not true
of any individual in that group.  Please, please be careful when
generalizing.  Mutual respect is necessary for true "debate", which is what
you asked for.

Deb Stockdale