Tragedy in Every Way: Haiti

It seems like the small piece of isle that can be considered Haiti just can’t get anything good going for it. Even today after decades of U.S. aid and U.N. guidance and money, they can’t seem to catch a break. Haiti is one of those small yet completely dysfunctional places on the planet and also curriculum I studied my first semester in grad school in Belfast. Note: You know your country’s not doing so well if the “Comparative Ethnic Conflict” department at the lead University in Northern Ireland deems your country as one of the worst governed places on earth, especially when the very soil on which that university is located has a less than functioning government to speak of and British troops on the ground.

The first thing I thought of when I heard of the earthquake was violence and looting. NPR gave me the news around this around 6pm or so and reported that the main event hit just before 5pm. Such a horrible time—just before the sun goes down and people can’t be found. I honestly worried that the entire country’s safety was at risk and I’m not alone—the U.S. government mobilized quickly to take action and send help in a variety of ways and so have some others.

The day after the quake I had to pick up report materials across town at the Thai Embassy in Georgetown. Since I had a round trip, there to pick up and leave, I asked my cab driver if he wouldn’t mind staying to return me back to the office. He said yes, and was terse, the quiet driver, until half way there he turns up the radio and starts talking about Haiti. He was of Northern African descent and asked me “What is France doing to help?”

It’s an interesting question because as the dominant nation in the Americas (Monroe Doctrine, anyone?), the United States has been considered the first responders anywhere within our hemisphere for quite some time, and way beyond our borders as we’ve proven in the last few years. As colonizers, France seems to have been given a pass when it comes to the damage it did to their part of Hispaniola.

The implosion of Haiti rests on the shoulders of lack of leadership and governance and France could have helped with that. But they are not to blame for all of the problems, neither is the U.S. The problems with poverty and violence are ultimately Haiti’s own problem these days. They fought for their sovereignty and they need to govern themselves. But one thing Haitians are NOT responsible for is the earthquake that has killed what could be 100,000 of their own citizens.

According to a leading American Idiot, Pat Robertson believes that in order for the people of Haiti to gain independence, they made a pact with the devil and that basically, they deserve everything they are getting according to God’s plan.

I wish I were making this up, but now you can see it on video thanks to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TE99sAbwM

Here is the transcription:

Robertson: “They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know Napoleon the 3rd and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil.
“They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.'
“True story.
“And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.’
“And, uh, they kicked the French out, you know, with Haitians revolted and got themselves free.
“But ever since they have been cursed by, by one thing after another, desperately poor.
…“They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God and out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.”

WOW. Seems to me what ails Haiti is poor governance and really bad luck. And when they need us most, now is not the time to lay blame to either.

Today’s post celebrates one of the few Haitian writers I know—at least those who have not migrated to greener pastures. His name is Leon Laleau and I only read about him after he was compared to Vaclev Havel. He was a writer and politician and served in a variety of diplomatic roles, perhaps hoping to help is country’s position in the world.

Here is a poem written by Laleau in the original French and in English sometime in the late 19th century. Not a lot has changed, nor does the level of compassion should change when bad things happen to innocent people. We take care of each other.

Betrayal

This unrelenting heart, whose rhythm suits
Neither my language nor my clothing

And into which bite, like jaws of a trap,

Borrowed sentiments and European

Customs—Do you feel this suffering

This despair unlike any other

Of domesticating, with words from France,

This heart that came to me from Senegal?

Trahison

Ce coeur obsédant, qui ne correspond

Pas à mon langage ou à mes costumes

Et sur lequel mordent, comme un crampon,

Des sentiments d’emprunt et des coutumes

D’Europe, sentez-vous cette souffrance

Et ce désespoir à nul autre égal

D’apprivoiser, avec des mots de France,

Ce coeur qui m’est venu du Sénégal