Those American Missionaries in Haiti
I have been very curious about those American missionaries who are currently locked up in a Haitian prison for allegedly trying to kidnap 33 children from that country, and take them to the Dominican Republic. It is said that everything is the fault of the leader Laura, and that the other nine didn't know that she didn't have the proper paperwork. Supposedly, they blindly followed her. Did they think it was possible to just go into a poor and devastated country, round up a bunch of children and take them across the border? I believe Laura does bear the major responsibility and that she was acting illegaly, but the others are also responsible nevertheless.
Haiti is a sovereign country. It is not a colony of the United States. And even if it were a colony, you still cannot grab children, put them in a bus and head for the border. Those missionaries did not have the legal right, or any right to take those children away, allegedly for their own good.
There is another part of this saga which I find deeply troubling and that is the missionary zeal to interfere and wreak havoc in another culture. There is pretty recent dramatic evidence of this wreaking havoc in the U.S. when Indian chidren were torn from their families, and sent off to Christian boarding schools in order to become good Americans. They stayed in those boarding schools for years and were forbidden to speak their native languages.
Back to Haiti. The Idaho missionaries seemingly didn't have such plans but they were certainly showing a total disrespect and disregard for Haitian law, and ultimately, for the children themselves.
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Comments (2)
You are right. Haiti is not a colony of the US, and as such, I am sick of sending my tax dollars there. In fact, I don't appreciate the Haitian government spitting in my face, as an American, by holding ten of our citizens, most of whom I believe did not know what they were doing. Moreover, Secretary Clinton has a double standard for international affairs (I guess Obama was right, back in the primaries when he still maintained that her foreign policy was no good). She has demanded the release of the hikers accused of espionage in Iran. How do you know they weren't spying? How does she know? Yet, Sec Clinton didn't say "this is a matter for the Iranian judicial system." She did, however wash her hands of the Americans in Haiti. She said this was a matter for their judicial system. Yes, this is religous persecution because they are from churches. You make the point yourself when you refer to the Christian boarding schools. In fact, nobody bashes these Americans held in Haiti without zeroing in oh their religion. These people were trying to help. They should be let go. Doesn't the "government" of Haiti trust the US justice system? It is easier to write a check then go over there to help, but Keep sending Money to the Red Cross. The CEO only earns $565,000 per year and she probably needs a raise.
Posted by misa | February 7, 2010 8:04 PM
I am so angry at the treatment of our people trying to help children in a country as devastated as Haiti. No attorney that even speaks English. This is a joke and I'd like my donations back. The missionaries may have made an error, but who can't justify trying to move starving, homeless children. I am just furious. Christian, Jewish, Muslim etc has nothing to do with this. And, regarding Hilary Clinton if this is in fact her position, I am deeply disappointed. The Haitians don't even have a stable government at this time. Historically, the Haitian government has not been the most caring for its own people. If they were, the Haitian communtity would not be as it was, even before the quake. What is the matter with the people there. They should be on their hands and knees thanking the people who have gone, given up their lives to help them.
Posted by maddi | February 8, 2010 12:23 PM