9395: Re: 9348: Questions for the list, Dorce answers (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: LAKAT47@aol.com

In a message dated 10/25/2001 11:47:20 PM Pacific Standard Time,  Pierre Jean 
<pierrejean01@yahoo.comwrites:

<< Questions:
 1. When reading about everyday news on Haiti, what
 sources of information do you trust or not trust? Why?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Hardly none.......I read, evaluate the tone and message and either believe it 
or discard it as either sloppy reporting or outright manipulation.  Most 
mainstream media are out of touch with what is happening in Haiti, and they 
report what is fed to them.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 2. When reading books on specific Haitian issues,
 would you say that you instinctively trust the
 non-Haitian authors more than the Haitian ones? If
 yes, why?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
No, I don't instinctively trust or distrust either one.  Again I evaluate the 
tone and message.....I trust my own observations and if the writer is at odds 
with what my reality is, I discard their writings.  It is not that they must 
agree with my beliefs but if they take a certain tack that I know to be 
false, the rest of their message is tainted for me, whether it is true or 
not.  For instance, if a Haitian or non-Haitian author disregards the 
intelligence and worth of the majority class Haitian outright, the rest of 
his/her message is not to be trusted by me.  That is the measure.  If the 
tone is respectful and the message is difficult for me to hear, I will still 
get the message because the author's tone gives a certain credence to it for 
me.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 3. Do you believe that there is simply not enough
 intellectual output from Haitians? Or that Haitian
 authors are too biased?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Heaven's no!  (on the intellectual output) And anyway, all writers are 
biased.....it's humanly impossible to be completely non-biased in any 
writing, no matter how diligent the writer is.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 4. Do you think that non-Haitian authors are on the
 whole more likely to be impartial (non-biased) when
 writing about Haiti? Why? >>
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Not at all.  Non-Haitian authors are capable of writing gross inaccuracies 
and misinformation as well as downright lies for many different reasons, 
sometimes just to make a story sound better.  There is a tendency for some 
American authors to be superior and arrogant when writing about the Third 
World.  If I detect such a tone, I disregard the entire book.  Haitian 
writers can also display a remarkable blindness about Haiti, and therefore, 
are not exempt from being scrutinized for tonal quality.  

Kathy Dorce~