…for Haitians?
Will Haitians ever know peace? In or out of Haiti? Even as most of the world leaders were meeting at the UN General Assembly’s annual palaver – presumably to make the world a better place for its almost 8 billion people – 10,000 Haitians were huddled under a huge bridge near the Texas border with Mexico. Most of them had arrived after an odyssey worthy of a retelling by a modern Homer. Some would have flown into Guyana from Panama, crossed the border into Brazil and then into Peru or Colombia, to then trek back through Panama and all the countries of Central America before wading across the Rio Grande to the Bridge.
Folks thought that Biden and the Democrats would’ve looked at these “poor huddled masses” – as their Statue of Liberty promised to receive from the world – as human beings and accepted them. But even as images went viral of Haitians being whipped like the slaves of old by white “overseers”, the Americans started flying them back to Haiti. A Haiti that the world found out in living colour – after their President was assassinated – where gangs rule the country and control the politicians. And life was nasty, British and short.
Even the American Special Envoy to Haiti, Foote, couldn’t stomach this cynicism – he resigned in protest. “I will not be associated with the United States’ inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants,” he wrote his Secretary of State. His action must’ve jolted the administration, because even though they initially tried to throw him under the bus – at “instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation…He failed to take advantage of ample opportunity to raise concerns about migration during his tenure and chose to resign instead.”
What “ample opportunity”? Most of Haiti’s problems are due to US’ and French interventions, as much as natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes! But Haiti’s plight is the plight of the ex-colonised world in a microcosm. After extracting the resources of that world for centuries, to raise their standard of living beyond anything imaginable, those countries take no responsibility when the dispossessed show up at their door asking for nothing else than the opportunity to work!! If capital is fungible, shouldn’t labour also be??
The developed world has two choices – accept refugees, or assist in developing their countries, so that the push factors disappear. But notice that none of the gathered developed world leaders mentioned the refugees as a “problem”, even though they’re all forced to deal with it.
This isn’t just a moral issue, but a practical one that’ll remain at their doorsteps.
…for the WC Berbice protest victims?
It would appear that the victims of the protests that erupted on the West Berbice Public Road after David Granger and Joseph Harmon exploited emotions raised by the brutal murders of the Henry cousins have been forgotten. There were charges brought by the Police against individuals they conclude committed the murders – as with the subsequent one of Harish Singh supposedly in revenge. So at least something’s been done to bring closure for those heinous acts.
But what about the brutality meted out to so many in rage for nothing they’d done? Just because they were Indian Guyanese and assumed PPP supporters, they were brutalised and traumatised. There was a promise of an Inquiry, and we cannot put this off any longer. The brutalised victims need what the late Bishop Tutu of South Africa called “restorative justice”. That is, an acknowledgement that they aren’t crazy for suffering the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they’re presently experiencing.
At a minimum, their humanity must be acknowledged.
…for choice on one’s
Cries of “my body, my choice” reverberate around the country – especially in the PNC camp. So, what about that fella just charged for indecent exposure, because he exposed his schlong to someone?
Wasn’t it his body and his choice?
