a511: RE: 469/408/379 (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Father Michael Graves <harchim@hotmail.com>


Dear Readers and List Members,
   Greetings from Haiti. I am sorry that I do not have the time to spend on
answering all those points made by Dr. Stephen Brown of Fayetteville, NC
(Jesse Helms' former territory!), but we do need to set a few things
straight...and not with half-truths, such as he accuses Kathy Dorce of
using.
   The US Army *was*  given orders not to interfere in Haitian vs Haitian
confrontations, and although those orders were later "modified", they were
neither changed not rescinded. (Read Stan Goff's book, "Hideous Dream" if
you can take the naughty words.)
   I was there (at the port entrance) and I was menaced by the Haitian
police and the FRAPH people, as were several others in my car. Some FRAPH
members ordered us out of the car, but I defied them and drove away, almost
running over several. The basics of the rules were not changed by the US
military; just re-numbered! That is why the people of Haiti lost faith in
those whom they thought were their saviors.
   Dr. Brown's sweeeping statement regarding the number of Haitians who have
lost faith in  Lavalas is just not correct. It *is* what the opposition
groups wish others to think/believe, but it simply is not so. I live here
and I know. The opposition groups are so miniscule that most persons pay
them no heed.
   All of those persons out there in "never,never land", please hear me:
       The Haitian people *want* Aristide.
       We who live here in Haiti *want* Aristide.
       The people voted for Aristide and they will fight to keep him.
       We do not want any more coups.
       We will not permit anymore coups.
   Kathy's comments regarding the only merits on the side of the US military
being that of having restored the rightful president to his office are right
on the mark. They *did*, however, make it possible for lots of restaurant
owners and other businessmen to "make a killing" while they were here, and
they *did* leave us with lots of Haitian/American babies(as did the UN and
the OAS). We are now trying to feed those babies whose fathers left them
when they pulled-out, yet the US government, the OAS and the UN appear to be
doing everything in their power to keep them and everyone else here hungry.
   Dr. Brown's concluding statement regarding what he calls Haiti's current
state of "dystopia" (I think he meant "dystrophia" since there is no such
word as "dystopia" in my several dictionaries), is in itself somewhat
delusional. The highjackers, zenglendos, thugs, gangs, et. al. are not only
the result of the military and police not being fully disarmed before, but
the result of arms  being brought into Haiti by those who wish to see the
suffering and dystrophia continue. Those groups are not Lavalas-related,
believe me.

       Regards to Kathy Dorce

       archim


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