Currently, the news media is focused on Haiti, and justifiably so. Our neighbors in the Carribbean have suffered a devastating blow...and the devastation doesn't seem to want to subside. We all know that Haiti has been a land crippled with poverty. And many ask, "Why do they choose to live in Haiti?" I must confess, I had the same question about the people of New Orleans during the Katrina crisis. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to live in a city that was built below sea level. What was the point in rebuilding? But I changed my tune when I heard the answer from one of its citizens..."It's home." I began to realize that the question I asked the citizens of New Orleans could be asked of any homeowner, especially in this era of foreclosures. "Give up your house. It's just a house." Granted, it's just a structure held together by wood and mortar, but it's your home. The value is not just numerical; it's sentimental. When you think about it, without your home, you're homeless.
Getting back to my Haitian brothers and sisters, I can understand why they have chosen to live in Haiti after all these years...why they love their land. Consider their history.
The history takes us back to Christopher Columbus (my negative feelings about him aside), who claimed the island for Spain, naming it Hispaniola. Ring a bell? Then, when Hispaniola divided, Spain retained control of the Eastern side of the island (now the Dominican Republic). The Western side of the island was ceded to France. (Ah yes, the French!) The French decide to name their side Saint Domingue, which eventually became HAITI. Believe it or not, at one time, Haiti was considered the jewel of the Carribbean. The French made a killing in Haiti. They developed coffee and sugar plantations there. Here comes the ugliness. To operate the plantations, the French would import hundreds of thousands of slaves from Africa, many of whom were literally worked to death. In fact, I have read that it was worse to be a slave in Haiti than it was to be a slave in the newly formed America!
Then, the French Revolution began and news of the revolution made its way to the island. The news ignited the slaves to revolt, and the French could not put that rebellion down...too many slaves. The slaves outnumbered the French 10 to 1. Eventually, their rebellion would lead to independence for Haiti. At this time, the U.S. comes into the picture. We were looking to buy the French-controlled port of New Orleans. But Napoleon surprised us by offering a much bigger land deal. Remember the Louisiana Purchase from your history class? So when you think about it, the American Midwest would not really exist without the Haitian revolution!
A remarkable characteristic of Haiti is that the island became the only nation to gain independence by a slave-led rebellion.
But not so fast my dear students. Nothing comes easy, not even independence. Before withdrawing, France had demanded reparations for the loss of its economic and human property (which would probably be about $21 billion in today's money). That's a lot of coins...a crushing debt, but Haiti did pay its debt. Though the debt was paid off in 1947, the young country never really got on its feet, which explains the poverty and poor infrastructure. And it doesn't help that the little island has gone through hurricanes and now the earthquakes and the aftershocks that follow each quake.
What is my point in giving you this history lesson? It's simple. Two centuries ago, in its darkest hour, Haiti rose up from slavery to become a nation. The slaves fought tooth and nail for their independence. I can understand why they don't leave their much-loved homeland. It's their home. Yes, the nation suffers from poverty. Yes, they suffer from acts of nature. Yes, they need better leadership and a better government because, even though the earthquake was an act of nature, the country's wretched state of unpreparedness was very much the result of HUMAN acts over the course of centuries. But, in the final analysis, it's THEIR HOME. Like two centuries ago, when the island rose up from slavery to become a nation, somehow, it must rise up again.
If you have already donated to the Haitian cause, I commend you. If not, please do so. The numerous organizations that have been set up to receive these donations on behalf of Haiti are not asking for much...$5 to $10. It's a meaningful way to invest in your karma and, most importantly, it's the right thing to do.
