Haiti and the Endless Storm
19 March 2024 By Abiodun Kareem Giwa
Haiti: Trouble in the land
Haiti is on political fire that has turned into an inferno. The conflagration started a long time ago. Brutality became a Norm in a country presumed to be under the rule of law. Every effort to save the first independent nation in the Caribbean fell by other countries in the hemisphere, like lack of cards. And the fire gained preeminence. Can Haiti regain its superiority again? How long would the first independent nation from colonialism take to stand on its feet to its citizens' pride?
Hardworking Haitians in the United States watched in shock as their beloved nation went down the drain. Home suddenly is now the kidnappers' den. The fear of going there is absolute. A coup against its leaders and the outcome of the investigation shows humans' deception capability. Gangs have overpowered or have more power than law enforcement.
It is challenging to fathom whether law enforcement lacks sufficient officers or the will to confront the danger on the street. Kenya agreed to send 1000 officers, but the decision paused over the seemingly complete break in order. The East African nation says it cannot send its force to a land of disorder. Amid police powerlessness, the prime minister abdicated, worsening an already insecure picture. Gangs seized upon the insecurity and moved in with gunfire. One statement from one of the gang leaders needs attention. He said any Haitian willing to lead the country must bring his family. Latest news reports from the Caribbean Island nation say the people live with the fear of gangs.
The gangs are exerting their influence. It means gangs do not want a leader to have their children abroad, and they subject Haitians to dire political and poor economic conditions at home. The people remember the country's long history with leaders and violence with their families abroad. A unique reminder of Danticat's "Create Dangerously" about firing squad by leaders' defense against the opposition became an entertainment. She is Haitian. Her book captures the beginning of the disorder. It is distasteful to ask the public to watch two young men tied to the stake and shot, calling them foreigners!
The writer's story opens with Duvalier's power, the arrest and execution of two young men who had migrated to America but later joined forces against Duvalier to save the homeland. But the land refused to be saved because Duvalier haunted anyone and families who tried to help Haiti. Several years after Duvalier's violent technique of silencing opposition, the country has traveled far beyond redemption. Was it that Duvalier's prescription added to the fuel of violence? Undoubtedly! Danticat writes there are no artists in her family for three reasons, but the most poignant is the silencing factor of one brutal dictator or natural disaster after another. There is no visible school because dictators don't provide education but are busy protecting themselves against criticisms and the opposition.
Papa Doc Duvalier left Haiti high and dry, trying to revive the country through successive leaders to no avail. This is the same thing oppressors in other climes visit on their land. They lack a sense of reason to deny themselves godship. They maim and kill. They go beyond God's act of banishing for disloyalty. Haitians have been running away from the land since Duvalier's days. They live all over the U.S., and thoughts of return are a thing of the past. Violence has taken over the homeland. Safety is alien. Kidnapping and death are the order of the day. The story of the assassination of the country's recent leader, the wife also shot, but later revealed she was allegedly part of the conspiracy against her husband turned the stomach.
Haitians are proud of their country as the first independent nation in the hemisphere. However, recent enveloping developments not only compete with their pride but have overtaken it. It reminds curious observers of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", when a leader became too much of himself, unaware he committed a secret that troubles his land. He talked about a past conquest and was careless about the prevailing evil. He hardly knew he needed help until confronted with the destructive truth of his past that affected his land. The Greek story is a lesson for the human society.
Many observers talk in private about the need for Haiti to investigate what its past leaders might have done in secrecy, which is affecting the land. Haitians are highly spiritual people. Some are Christians, and others still love traditional African religions, refusing to let go of their African legacy. Haiti is like their African brothers and sisters who run to the U.S. to escape lousy governance at home. What do you say about Mexico, Venezuela, and many African countries with prevalent impairment? The difference between these countries and Haiti is the number of years in the doldrum.
Churches, mosques, and voodoo practices are everywhere in Africa. However, one needs to see them using their religious background to investigate the cause of their problems and find a solution. The same applies to Haiti. The West relies on Capital and work. It still benefits from the industrial revolution. They went to Africa and other lands, seeking workers. Today, they no longer seek workers; many troops globally want to enter to work. Places of worship, both modern and traditional, have disappointed. What would Haiti do in these circumstances? Look inward and use what you have to solve the perennial problem.
Hardworking Haitians in the United States watched in shock as their beloved nation went down the drain. Home suddenly is now the kidnappers' den. The fear of going there is absolute. A coup against its leaders and the outcome of the investigation shows humans' deception capability. Gangs have overpowered or have more power than law enforcement.
It is challenging to fathom whether law enforcement lacks sufficient officers or the will to confront the danger on the street. Kenya agreed to send 1000 officers, but the decision paused over the seemingly complete break in order. The East African nation says it cannot send its force to a land of disorder. Amid police powerlessness, the prime minister abdicated, worsening an already insecure picture. Gangs seized upon the insecurity and moved in with gunfire. One statement from one of the gang leaders needs attention. He said any Haitian willing to lead the country must bring his family. Latest news reports from the Caribbean Island nation say the people live with the fear of gangs.
The gangs are exerting their influence. It means gangs do not want a leader to have their children abroad, and they subject Haitians to dire political and poor economic conditions at home. The people remember the country's long history with leaders and violence with their families abroad. A unique reminder of Danticat's "Create Dangerously" about firing squad by leaders' defense against the opposition became an entertainment. She is Haitian. Her book captures the beginning of the disorder. It is distasteful to ask the public to watch two young men tied to the stake and shot, calling them foreigners!
The writer's story opens with Duvalier's power, the arrest and execution of two young men who had migrated to America but later joined forces against Duvalier to save the homeland. But the land refused to be saved because Duvalier haunted anyone and families who tried to help Haiti. Several years after Duvalier's violent technique of silencing opposition, the country has traveled far beyond redemption. Was it that Duvalier's prescription added to the fuel of violence? Undoubtedly! Danticat writes there are no artists in her family for three reasons, but the most poignant is the silencing factor of one brutal dictator or natural disaster after another. There is no visible school because dictators don't provide education but are busy protecting themselves against criticisms and the opposition.
Papa Doc Duvalier left Haiti high and dry, trying to revive the country through successive leaders to no avail. This is the same thing oppressors in other climes visit on their land. They lack a sense of reason to deny themselves godship. They maim and kill. They go beyond God's act of banishing for disloyalty. Haitians have been running away from the land since Duvalier's days. They live all over the U.S., and thoughts of return are a thing of the past. Violence has taken over the homeland. Safety is alien. Kidnapping and death are the order of the day. The story of the assassination of the country's recent leader, the wife also shot, but later revealed she was allegedly part of the conspiracy against her husband turned the stomach.
Haitians are proud of their country as the first independent nation in the hemisphere. However, recent enveloping developments not only compete with their pride but have overtaken it. It reminds curious observers of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", when a leader became too much of himself, unaware he committed a secret that troubles his land. He talked about a past conquest and was careless about the prevailing evil. He hardly knew he needed help until confronted with the destructive truth of his past that affected his land. The Greek story is a lesson for the human society.
Many observers talk in private about the need for Haiti to investigate what its past leaders might have done in secrecy, which is affecting the land. Haitians are highly spiritual people. Some are Christians, and others still love traditional African religions, refusing to let go of their African legacy. Haiti is like their African brothers and sisters who run to the U.S. to escape lousy governance at home. What do you say about Mexico, Venezuela, and many African countries with prevalent impairment? The difference between these countries and Haiti is the number of years in the doldrum.
Churches, mosques, and voodoo practices are everywhere in Africa. However, one needs to see them using their religious background to investigate the cause of their problems and find a solution. The same applies to Haiti. The West relies on Capital and work. It still benefits from the industrial revolution. They went to Africa and other lands, seeking workers. Today, they no longer seek workers; many troops globally want to enter to work. Places of worship, both modern and traditional, have disappointed. What would Haiti do in these circumstances? Look inward and use what you have to solve the perennial problem.
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