All aboard... more like all overboard!

It is sad that people put themselves in this type of situation and then end up losing their lives. It has not been confirmed where these people were headed but all were Haitians and most likely were trying to reach US soil. As desperate as they may be and even if they did reach Miami they would be repatriated back to Haiti so what's the point of taking the risk?

Yes, we all know Haiti is a disasater and is a long way from being in the state it was before the earthquake but getting on a rickety boat with too many people is just a formula for disaster or a guaranteed death sentence. Well, luckily eight seven people were rescued but thirty eight died and the search is on for more survivors. Whether I fully understand the desperation or not is irrelevant but one thing I know for sure is had they stayed in Haiti they would all be alive and not have had such a traumatic experience.

It's truly a sad experience and feeling that people go to these heights of desperation to better themselves and end up paying the ultimate price. However, I will say I am a little dumbfounded and speechless after reading what Michel Martelly said to his fellow Haitians regarding the tragedy:

El gobernante tambi?n solicit? a los ciudadanos de su pa?s que “no se aventuren en altamar a bordo de embarcaciones de riesgo, poniendo en peligro sus vidas en el objetivo desesperado de llegar ilegalmente a otros pa?ses en busca de mejores oportunidades”.

Click to expand...

My response to Michel is:

That’s easy for you to say since you are not in their situation and you are the leader of the country. Can you truly relate and what was your situation like growing up in Haiti?

I am still waiting to see if Michel Martelly will be able to make some significant changes in the country over the years because it will take a long time to get Port-au-Prince to look functional again just because of the way things are done there.

However, it has been less than one year since he has been president and even in developed countries, I wait about 3-4 years before I expect to see progressive change. Therefore, put any number you want before you expect to see any change in Haiti. Regardless, who runs that country; it's sad for the people. No one has control over where they are born. The irony in this though is the boat capsized in Cuba- caramba! That's an example of the saying- salir de Guatemala y entrar en Guatepeor because Cuba is no bed of roses!

Haiti, redresse-toi!

(quote from Haitian author Rodney Saint-?loi)


Article: Zozobra barco con ilegales haitianos - listindiario.com


-Marianopolita.

To each his own (point of view)....

Then maybe Martelly should not say anything. He's telling Haitian people not to leave and risk their lives to live illegally elsewhere but what is he offering them? In my opinion, he has not yet made an impact since he has taken office. Knowing the internal politics of Haiti, it's understood that it's difficult but when a group of people choose to risk their lives at high seas to try and better their current situation elsewhere, it is a tell tale sign that the government is deficient and needs to desperately help its people just the same way they (its people) are desperate.


-Marianopolita.

Mr_DR said:

It looks like we may see an increase on these trips because this is how most Haitians will sepend those 20,000 gourdes he is giving to those in tent camps, supposedly to relocate.

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I just had to do a search on Google to find out about this reallocation money you referenced. I found a brief article in DT. In my opinion, I don't think more Haitians will get on boats, I think it will just be poorly spent or who knows they may be robbed before they even leave the tents depending on how the government hands out the money. Anyway 20,000 gourdes is not a lot of money but I think the government is just trying to get people to leave the area and what other way but tease them with cash.

I understand your point though.

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/poverty/2011/12/17/42029/Haiti-plans-relocation-of-displaced-people

LaLouve said:

Si Ha?ti pouvait se redresser! But, it will be a while. Presidents are not magicians, they work with what they have. And this one inherited a big mess,

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I agree with you. It's not an easy task for Martelly.



I guess Michel is feeling compelled to be accountable for this tragedy as it is a reflection of the state of affairs of the country. In this most recent message he advises Haitians not to risk their lives and compromise their future by trying to go to other countries illegally in search of a better life and reassures them that he's committed to creating sustainable jobs in the future which will improve the lives of many Haitians. Great! There is only one problem with this message- what about the here and the now? Most Haitians have a little or nothing, the here and the now is more important and real to them instead of future projections which are not guaranteed.

When a population is desperate they need to see immediate results and change. I expect to hear about more capsized boats and lost lives due to desperation. Martelly adopted a huge problem (as do most leaders of all countries when they take office) but needless to say the Haitian situation surpasses the imaginable.

I still have faith in Martelly but it is to be expected that the Haitian people are going to start to get really irate and react. January 10, 2012 is just around the corner and it will mark the two year anniversary of the devastating earthquake. Yet not much has changed. The tent cities and the thousands of people living in them is just one of the many examples of the very slow progress.

Martelly pide a los haitianos que no arriesguen su vida en el mar - listindiario.com


-Marianopolita.

I don't think my thread title is offensive and certainly was not meant be. It's just your interpretation of it. My posts in the thread are not offensive about the subject matter so you may be reading way too much into the title. That should have clarified your doubts.

Feel free to continue to contribute to the thread since I think everyone here thus far can understand Haiti's situation and fyi...there is no mention of race so please don't turn this into a race driven dialoague. I am probaby one of the few long term posters on DR1 who does not include any kind of race/ colour issues in my posts.

Thanks.

-Marianopolita.

Another attempted crossing on Jan 7,2012

There was another attempted boat crossing on Tuesday (Jan 3, 2012) but the one hundred and twenty five Haitians on the boat were caught by US Coast Guards and repatriated. I am glad no one lost their life in this attempted illegal crossing but as stated in the thread already, it's a sign of the state of affairs in Haiti. They are desperate, they want a chance at a better life and apparently will take the risk. As the two year anniversary of the Jan 12, 2010 earthquake approaches many Haitians are still living in tent camps (the estimated amount as per another article in List?n Diario yesterday is 500,000) and life in general is difficult, precarious and little has changed since they have been living there for the past two years.

Illegal boat crossings will be one of many problematic issues surrounding Haitians in 2012 (my prediction only). They want out, they want better, and a move from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel is not the solution to their problem.

http://www.listin.com.do/las-mundia...-Unidos-repatrian-a-125-inmigrantes-haitianos


-Marianopolita.