a126: Re: a120: Haitian journalists: Chamberlain replies to Smith (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: R obert Smith <lakay200@yahoo.com>
> 
> From: Greg Chamberlain
> <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>
> 
> Robert Smith <lakay200@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> > one cannot also ignore the fact that some of the
> > "attacked" journalists are opportunists that are
> > taking full advantage of the chaos to get out of
> the
> > country legal.  
> 
> So THIS is why the Lavalas mobs attacked them...
> Because they were jealous that they could get
> out of the country this way...  An extraordinary 
> revelation...  So they obviously deserve everything 
> they get.
> 

No, I don't think they (Haitian Journalists) deserve
everything they get. However, those who are taking
advantage of the current politcal situation in Haiti
in order to get out of the country should be
denounced, and I have every right to question their
integrity.  Journalists are not perfect, they make
certaing choices.  Some decide to tell the truth, and
there are some who choose not.  Some are even as
corrupt as the people they are criticizing.  By the
way, this goes for those who choose not to criticize
Lavallas as well.

> 
> > I personally know two of them who managed to get
> out
> 
> There are hundreds of dedicated journalists who 
> have to, and also choose to, stay in Haiti at great 
> personal risk.  They too are obviously in it for 
> Personal Gain.  What you mean is that someone 
> who managed to run out of the WTC just before it 
> collapsed was a traitor because (s)he didn't stay 
> in there and be a martyr and so provide moral 
> backing for the US war in Afghanistan... 
> Or in Haiti, did not stay behind so that the regime
> (any regime) could have a handy target of violence
> to divert attention from government incompetence
> and corruption.

Absolutely, there are hundreds of dedicated
journalists in Haiti, who risked their lives everyday
to tell the truth the best way they know how to.  I
respect them for that.  Your WTC anology is a poor one
and it does not deserve a response.

> 
> > Let's be clear about the situation and stop
> claiming
> > that ALL journalists in Haiti deserves to be
> respected
> > under the banner of "freedom of speech."  
> 
> So let's tell the mobs this.  You think they would
> make 
> this fine distiction?  

My people are not mobs! They may not be educated but
they have proven that they have more integrity and
dignity than the bourgeiois MOBS who have oppressed
them for years.  They've proven that the opposition
are a whole bunch of house niggers who are looking out
for their own interests.  Those house niggers fail to
realize that when the master no longer needs their
service, they will be discarded.  They've proven that
the international community and those who claim to be
friends of Haiti" to be nothing but blood suckers
through their whole history. 

 
> > Some of them who work for private radio stations 
> > have been accused of taking money from the elite 
> > to spread propagandas on their talk shows.  
> > No, I don't have any proof, but it's not something
> that 
> > I think is impossible.
> 
> Well, that's a relief !  America killed a lot of
> people
> by mistake in Afghanistan, so obviously all
> Americans
> must be exterminated !  Millions of Haitians did not
> leave Haiti during the coup years or under the 
> Duvaliers.  They too are clearly torturers and 
> murderers.  Some Haitians have AIDS = All Haitians
> Have AIDS.  And so on.

One thing for sure, we need to pay close attention to
the journalists who claimed that they are being
attacked.  Who are they?  How do they present thier
stories?  Who do they work for?  Journalism is not a
lucartive profession, not even in this society.  Just
like some government officials who become rich after a
few months in office, a small number are doing very
well financially so much that it is obvious that they
have another source of income.  I don't think that it
is coincidence that it is those journalists that are
being ivestigated. 


> > If we are going to be honest about the siituation,
> 
> > we must admit that journalists in Haiti have never
> > enjoyed such freedom of speech in Haitian history.
>  
> 
> Indeed.  The fact is that since 1986 (the fall of
> the
> Duvaliers), the media is perhaps the only
> important social institution that has managed to 
> establish itself and grow in Haiti.  Let's reflect
> on
> how each political situation since then would've
> been different had there not been a local media 
> fighting to be free during all those years.
> However, it's clear they wouldn't've had much of
> a chance if you'd had anything to do with it,
> Robert. 

Because the media has establish itself as a functional
institution does not mean we should not question the
behavior and motive of certain journalists.  Let me be
claer to you, NO JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE PERSECUTED BUT
THEY SHOUL BE DENOUNCED WHEN THEY ARE SPREADING
PROPAGANDA ON BEHALF OF CERTAIN SECTORS--BE IT
LAVALLAS, THE ELITE OR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

 
> > the people are too broken, and healing will be a 
> > very slow process. 
> 
> A _very_ slow process, if the "breaking" of the
> people
> is encouraged by this familar habit of denying and
> decrying how essential to democracy-building 
> the media is, for all its occasional errors.

As a previleged white man I can see how you can think
that the healing process is a very slow process if...
The Haitian people need food, education, health before
you can talk about "democracy" which so far has been
nothing but a pretext to continue to undermine thei
self-determination. 
 
KKK validated their heinous crime against black people
in this country under the pretext of free speech and
democracy.  While white folks my intellectualized
their behavior by saying it is their democratic right
to say and do whatever they want, us Blackk people are
outaraged and want to use Malcom X approach to fight
rather than Marting Luther King Jr's.  

The Haitian people need to resist and will resist.  I
wish it was in a more peaceful way.  White man like
you have no place in judging my people, judge your own
because there's plenty to judge.


>         Greg Chamberlain
> 



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