THE ONLY SUCCESSFUL SLAVE REVOLT IN RECORDED HUMAN HISTORY

THE ONLY BLACKS TO FREE THEMSELVES BY DEFEATING A EUROPEAN ARMY 

 HAITI 2004  

     200 YEARS OF BLACK/MULATTO RULE WITH MUCH FOREIGN INTERFERENCE

             THE POOREST COUNTRY IN THE AMERICAS

     WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BICENTENNIAL?   I AM SURE FOR MOST OF US IT IS A MYRIAD OF EMOTIONS.

HERE IS THE HARD PART,

CHOOSE ONE AND ONLY ONE OF THESE EMOTIONS, THE ONE THAT DEFINES 2004 FOR YOU. NOT THE POLITICALLY CORRECT ONE OR THE SAFE AND PLEASANT ONE, NOT THE ONE YOU WISH TO EXCITE  OR GET A DESIRED REACTION WITH.  

THE ONE THATS WRENCHING AT YOUR GUTS DYING TO EXPLODE.  THE ONE THAT BRINGS YOU CLOSE TO TEARS OF JOY, ANGER, SADNESS, HAPPINESS, PRIDE ETC.   THAT'S THE ONE.

IN FIVE LINES OR LESS ELABORATE ON THAT EMOTION. THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER. RESPOND IN ANY OF OUR THREE MOST USED LANGUAGES (Kreyol, French, English)

COOLP, HAITIAN 101, NEGNWE, AMBERABDIAS, KOKORAT, NEG AQUIN, HELEZE, FLAMBERT, BELLE TIGASON, THE SHEPHERDS, TYRONE, OTHER REGISTERED MEMBERS AND GUESTS; LETS HEAR IT.

PLEASE NO REPLIES, NO CRITICISM.  REALLY FEEL IT THROUGH BEFORE POSTING.

Emotion:    LOVE

 Love for this brave, gentle, suffering people. The poor, the rich, the makout, the black, the mulatto, the white, the arab, lavalas, convergence, the haters, the tulutuiturs. The greatest love however is for the children of Lasalline, of Carrefour, of Petion-Ville, of Aux Cayes and other places; on their dark undernourished faces, and in their watery eyes I see our past, our present, and regretably our  ........ (I refuse to say it.)

kreyolbro@aol.com

Emotion: Anger, Frustration

Yes, I'm angry and frustrated that everyone keeps on harping on 2004 like something magical is supposed to happen.  We need to get off our asses and make things happen now! No need to wati until 2004.

Also, we need to stop clutching onto the fact that we are were the first Black republic, that we used to be the pearl of the antilles, yada yada yada. Everyone knows this and people are tired of hearing about it. It's the "now" that counts. What are we going to do to return to our splendor and glory? Whatever we're gonna do, let's do it now. We don't have to rely on something mystical that will supposedly take place in 2004.

I just read an article in the HaitiXchange news section about how France officially rejected the idea of paying Haiti reparations for what happened in 1804. No one's gonna give a damn about a country that can't help itself. We need to stop begging and get off of our asses, and do what we gotta do!

When that happens, then you'll see 'nuff respect coming our way!

I definitely have mixed emotions when it comes to Haiti 2004. But the one that seems to resonate and rise above them all is: pride.

Haiti may be considered unruly and one of the world's poorest countries; however, NOTHING can change history, especially what happened on that island almost 200 years ago. This is what so many of us are going to celebrate next year. But we can't only celebrate...we also have to work hard to get to not where we used to be, but to a greater level beyond that. 

This was a very hard soul searching assignment... I have many emotions concerning Haiti so sticking with the topic ~2004~ Here goes.

Emotion: DISSATISFIED

After researching Haiti for the past 18 months getting to know a good sampling of Haitians. Reading the plans to Party to for 2004 I am dissatisfied. I see great potential, future leaders, policy changers, teachers, caregivers. Yet I see little if any Action to become what many Haitians fought for 199 years ago. I'm dissatisfied in the effort made by the people of Haiti, to bring themselves back to the Glory days. The days of Pride, Riches, Beautiful lands, Strong Ideals, and a Love for freedom & Self sufficiency. 

PRIDE

Because when you think of  all the pain and suffering and the humaliations, we still survive. When someone allows himself/herself to get to know us, they respect us. And I do feel that deep down in heart that despite  the label they like to stick on us as being " the poorest country of the Western Hesmiphere", the world does not quite know what  to make of us. They want to hate us but they can't, they want to humiliate us but we hold our heads high. We convey pride, self-respect, intelligence, endurance and mystery. In one word: we are an enigmatic group. Leave them guessing...