[Truth and Reconciliation in Haiti?

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

This is in response to the question of the week posted by Kwasi Akeampong of the Black List. It had to do with whether or not it was time to bring Baby Doc Duvalier to Justice.

The following is my response:

Look you guys, don't you recognize a diversionary tactic when you see one? The country is in turmoil due to a devastating natural disaster. Millions of dollars have been poured in or, more likely misappropriated, since none of the rebuilding that needs to take place has even begun.

The people are still living in tents, and are suffering from the ravages of cholera and a sense of despair. So what do they do? They play bread and circuses - let's bring Baby Doc into the mix, and be the scapegoat, while we continue to do nothing.

They'll set up a bogus trial of crimes against the country, and while the people are focused on that, continue to pocket the money that should be going to heal the country.

The problems with Haiti may have begun with Baby Doc's overly priced wedding, and his inability to lead -- due to the fact that he was born with learning disabilities and should never have been president in the first place, I don't know what they expected. They would have done better letting his older sister, Jeanne, be president. However, over the past 30 years he's not necessarily been in hiding. They could have put their hands on him to bring him back for a bogus trial at any time. Why now?

Because there's too much money on the table and they don't want to give it to Haiti to mend itself. They would rather see the 200 year liberated country continue to feed on itself in misguided issues.

Haitians actually could have rebuilt their own country themselves several times over with less. They probably could have done quite well without Bill Clinton in the mix. And certainly did not need the likes of George Bush there, considering his track record.

President Obama's heart is in the right place, he just needs to really scrutinize more the people he puts in positions of responsibility. I think President Clinton is a great man, however, Randall Robinson or Wyclef Jean would have been better choices to handle the reconstruction of Haiti.

And the plethora of international organizations gathering like around the tower of Babel, pontificating over their backgrounds, throwing up charts, doing power point presentations, have produced absolutely nothing.

A contract with a pre-fab housing company for the delivery of 100,000+ prefab homes, where the people of Haiti themselves could either be hired to erect them, or work together as teams to construct their own homes would have remedied the problem of housing in less than 3 months.

So who's zooming who?

Haitians have always been self sufficient. They may not have had the most economically viable economy - but they build the Citadel, they build Jacmel; they constructed Port Au Prince. They can do the work. The disaster has of course devastated them. So now that they have reached out for help, we should make sure that the help is not obscured by bull.

Baby Doc's trial can wait. What's really on trial is whether or not the money that is supposed to help Haiti will actually be given to Haiti. And whether or not the individuals put in charge are the right ones to get the job done.

I say let's get these prefabs going and get people back into homes. Take care of the cholera, and talk about Baby Doc in December of 2011, when things may be a lot clearer.

Don't let white man's "justice" take us off the mark (an Oklahoma Indian maiden who knows a little bit about forked tongues). The 800 pound gorilla in the living room is where is the money? Not let's roast and toast Baby Doc Duvalier.

STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson