I am a black U.S. citizen by naturalization. I became a U.S. citizen not just because I appreciate what this country stands for when it comes to protecting human rights, but because no matter what the black community alleges in its misfortune, the USA is the ONLY country in the world that has a functional political system, which is morally sensitive to all mankind.

I was born in Haiti. The people of Haiti have NEVER tasted democracy since 1804 and it is awfully, dreadfully worst under the Aristide bloody regime.

I made the aforementioned statement because of the fabricated story that "Black Commentator.com is printing in its column, which is being supplied by Michelle Karshan and Kevin Pina.

Michelle Karshan and Kevin Pina are two well paid correspondents by the dictatorial Aristide regime to cloud the international community about the horrible situation, barbaric act of violence being committed by Aristide and his group of outlaws bandits on the poor people of Haiti, peacefully demanding his (Aristide) departure for converting that undeveloped island into a jungle of wild animals, where people are getting killed on an hourly basis in the street, and the flesh of the corpses left around the corners and sidewalks being eaten by dogs. May I remind them that Aristide was returned to Haiti on October 15, 1994 with 20,000 U.S. troops backed by the government of the United States of America, contrary to their allegations.

Their fabricated stories are offensively inconsistent with what are going on these days in Haiti, and it might even have a negative effect on Black Commentator.com. The black community, while it is not paying attention to Haiti, (because of the distraction in the middle east) is not stupid.

To substantiate these statements, I am inclined to present black commentator some unedited video clips about the shameful, inhuman & primitive scenes of Haiti so as to verify the authenticity of the jokes that Michelle Karshan & Kevin Pina are contending. This is not about Comedy Central or Deaf Jam Comedy. It is about human beings with flesh, blood and bones.

I learned in America that a picture is worth a thousand words... The pictures and videos are there as evidence. REF.: http://www.shutterfly.com/oc.jsp?i=67b0de21b35f9ff20504   

Rapes, robberies, drugs, kidnappings, violence, malnutrition, Aids, human sacrifices by Aristide and his thugs are the norms of the day in Haiti.

In Haiti Aristide is not really in control of power, as there is no government. It is a group of heavily armed bandits, (paid by Aristide) primitively, excessively and terribly violent that are in power. Haiti is an "outlaw" country. It is people like Aristide, Michelle Karshan, Kevin Pina and the Miami lawyer, Ira Kursban that constitute the reason why the Haitian people are going through this unending juncture of abject misery and inhuman sufferings, NOT the U.S. government.

The return of Aristide alone, with the 20,000 thousand U.S. troops, has cost the U.S. government more than three billion dollars. Haiti’s budget is under seven hundred million U.S. dollars, imagine it yourself. Currently, the Aristide’s cabinet budget is being used to pay a group of armed bandits to stand in front of the national palace to protest daily in his favor.

Arthur Chauvin

Since your website took such a strong stance against this game, I'm sure you're not afraid to partake in a friendly dialogue, right? I've got some questions, I'd really appreciate a response.

My first question is: how many of you actually played this game? How much do you really know about it? Anything at all? Or were you simply told about this game, someone showed you a few quotes, and you decided to get angry?

"Vice City" is a video game about the crime world of Miami. So my next question is: why are you so angry that the game includes Haitians? The underworld of Miami is controlled mostly by Cubans, Colombians, and Haitians. Not because those ethnic groups are more likely to commit crimes. It's because those are the dominant ethnic groups in Miami, and organized crime is usually controlled by the most dominant immigrant groups. In NYC, organized crime is controlled mostly by Italians and Russians. In San Francisco, it's controlled by the Chinese, and in LA it's controlled by Mexicans. In Miami, it's the Haitians, Cubans and Colombians. Why are you afraid to admit this?

It is also true that Cubans and Haitians often don't get along. This is the sad reality about most immigrant groups, they are often very racist. My grandparents are immigrants, and sadly they're very racist, too. So my next question is: since Cuban and Haitian immigrants often don't get along, why should it be so surprising that a fictional Cuban drug dealer should say "we need to get the Haitians."?

We all need to be watchful of racism and bigotry. I merely question if you've chosen the right battle here, and I question your reasons. If you really feel strongly about this, if you really believe your cause is just, I'm sure someone will be happy to address my questions.

If you ignore me, I'll know you're really just hypocrites.

Dave Brown

Please read too our related press release

HSA est une association qui regroupe les professeurs universitaires et intellectuels, haitiens et etrangers, aux Etats Unis qui se penchent sur la problematique haitienne.

L'association a decide, face a la des violations flagrantes des droits de la personne, de renvoyer la tenue en Haiti de sa prochaine rénion annuelle, a maniere de protestation.

Suit un extrait de la Declaration de Principes que l'Association vient de diffuser (en Anglais). Nous vous fairons bientot parvenir le texte complet (traduit au Francais):

" (...) BELIEVING that for the Haitian Studies Association to remain silent on the continuing violation of human rights on the ground of maintaining its neutrality amounts in principle to taking a stand in support of the Government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide;

CONSIDERING that to hold the next scheduled annual conference of the Haitian Studies Association in Haiti next year and pretending that one can engage in a free exchange of ideas, when in fact this is proving increasingly difficult and dangerous for those who live and work in Haiti, would in effect validate the Government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's claim that it does not violate the human rights of its citizens and that those who so accuse it are seeking to undermine its authority; (...) "

Traduction de ces deux paragraphes:

CONVAINCUS que le silence de l'Association des Etudes Haitiennes sur la violation continue des droits de l'Homme sur la base du maintien de la neutralite equivaudrait, en principe, a une prise de position a faveur du Gouvernement de Jean Bertrand Aristide;

CONSIDERANT que la tenue de la prochaine reunion annuelle de l'Association des Etudes Haitiennes en Haiti l'année prochaine et de pretendre que l'on peut engager des echanges intellectuels fructueux, quand dans la realite cela devient de plus en plus dangereux et diffile pour ceux qui vivent et travaillent en Haiti, entinerait les déclarations du Gouvernement de Jean Bertrand Aristide selon lesquelles il ne viole pas les droits humains de ses citoyens et ceux qui l'en accusent cherchent a saper son autorite;

Merci de diffuser cette declaration le plus largement possible.

Paris, 10 December 2003

Ali Lmrabet (Morocco)

The Daily News (Zimbabwe)

Michèle Montas (Haïti)

Prize winners Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France 2003

The Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France Prize for 2003 is awarded to:

- a journalist who, through their professional work, stance or attitude best demonstrates their commitment to freedom of information. The winner is Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet, sentenced to three years in prison, chiefly for publishing cartoons critical of King Mohammed VI and an article raising the Western Sahara issue. Lmrabet resumed a hunger strike on 30 November, following a 50-day fast in the spring that has left him in a fragile state of health (Morocco).

Šand for the first time :

- A media that best exemplifies the struggle for the freedom of expression and the right to be informed. This prize goes to the independent newspaper The Daily News, known for its critical stance towards President Mugabe's regime. Facing systematic harassment and bans by the authorities, it was closed in September 2003 under the access to information and protection of privacy law (Zimbabwe).

- a defender of press freedom. This prize is awarded to Michèle Montas, former director of Radio Haïti Inter, who has devoted herself to the fight against impunity since the murder of her husband, journalist Jean Dominique, in April 2000. She was forced to close the radio station and then leave the country after she too was a victim of an attack at Christmas 2002 (Haïti).

Reporters Without Borders and the Fondation de France aim - by rewarding a journalist, a media and a defender of press freedom that best embody the state of press freedom in their country - to raise public awareness of the range of onslaughts against freedom of expression and the right to be informed and for the need for commitment to press freedom. Each prize is worth 2,500 euros.

Since its establishment, the Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France Prize has been awarded to: Zlatko Dizdarevic (Bosnia-Herzegovina - 1992), Wang Juntao (China - 1993), André Sibomana (Rwanda - 1994), Christina Anyanwu (Nigeria - 1995), Isik Yurtçu (Turkey - 1996), Raúl Rivero (Cuba - 1997), Nizar Nayyouf (Syria - 1998), San San Nweh (Burma - 1999), Carmen Gurruchaga (Spain - 2000), Reza Alijani (Iran - 2001) and Grigory Pasko (Russia - 2002).

Several laureates have been released after being awarded the prize, sometimes weeks, sometimes months later. Among them were Russian journalist Grigory Pasko, winner in 2002, and Burmese journalist San San Nweh, awarded the prize in December 1999 and released in 2001.

The main Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France Prize was awarded by international judges:

Ekram Shinwari (Afghanistan), Sabine Christiansen (Germany), Michael Rediske (Germany), Andrew Graham-Yooll (Argentina), Rubina Möhring (Austria), Nayeem Islam Khan (Bangladesh), Andrey Bastunets (Belarus), Olivier Basille (Belgium), Colette Braeckman (Belgium), Maung Maung Myint (Burma), Sebastião Salgado (Brazil), Juliana Nieto Cano (Colombia), Claudia Marquez (Cuba), Fernando Castelló (Spain), Maria Dolores Masana Argüelles (Spain), Vicente Verdu (Spain), Domenico Amha-Tsion (Eritrea), Barbara Crossette (United States), Francis Charhon (France), Noël Copin (France), Laurent Joffrin (France), Elise Lucet (France), Pierre Veilletet (France), Alan Rusbridger (Great Britain), Guy Delva (Haïti), Alessandro Oppes (Italy), Sailab Mahsud (Pakistan), Ricardo Uceda (Peru), M'Baya Tshimanga (Democratic Republic of Congo), Alexey Simonov (Russia), Alice Petrén (Sweden), Georges Gordon-Lennox (Switzerland), Sihem Bensedrine (Tunisia), Ben Ami Fihman (Venezuela).

The three other journalists nominated in this category were:

- Gao Qinrong, journalist with the official Xinhua press agency, sentenced in April 1999 to 13 years in prison for investigating and writing about the failure of an irrigation project in the Yuncheng region, Shanxi Province (China) ;

- Ricardo González, One of the first independent journalists, correspondent for Reporters Without Borders in Havana since 1998, sentenced like Raúl Rivero to 20 years in prison in April 2003 for "damaging the independence and integrity of the State" (Cuba) ;

- Ludu Daw Amar, the best known among the Burmese journalists, whose articles are regularly censored by the military junta in power. (Burma).

Press file and free photos are available at www.rsf.org under "press downloads".

_____________________________________________________________________________ Contacts : Reporters Without Borders - Lucie Morillon - tél : 01 44 83 84 74 - communication2@rsf.org Fondation de France - Magali Mévellec - tél : 01 44 21 31 91 - magali.mevellec@fdf.org 

-- Régis Bourgeat Despacho Américas / Americas desk Reporters sans frontières 5, rue Geoffroy-Marie 75009 Paris - France

tél. : +33 (0) 1 44 83 84 68 fax : +33 (0) 1 45 23 11 51 e-mail : ameriques@rsf.org / americas@rsf.org

Do you hear the cries that ravage the heart of Haitians to the core? A young daughter, only three, was shot point blank in the face by the destructive propaganda of hate of your professed supporters while they were trying to steal a car in Petion Ville. The motive behind this incensed violence is evident; to encourage fear, chaos, and denigrate the sacredness of our Haitian citizenry. We grieve for the unnecessary injury to that child, for the loss of her innocent joy, and for her mother/father who feel her constant pain.

I am a businessman/businesswoman. My commerce was burned down, pillaged, my hard earned money stolen and what was left of my stock was completely damaged by your purported supporters. Three generations have been working to develop the business and in one act, all was gone, including my children who left my side and their country from the sense of hopelessness that now prevails.

Do you hear my screams echoing in the night, while trying to heal the bruises on my scalp, back, arms and legs from an attempt to dodge the bullets spurting out from the pointed barrels of your thugs, this in broad daylight? Through your silence and moral compromise against such barbaric deeds, you reward their social and criminal iniquities with your amoral praises, and sinful pride.

When sifting through the pronouncements of your self-professed glory, do you hear the weeping sounds of my sister whose son was kidnapped on a sunny afternoon, much like this one? He’s never been found! Yet, how often you promised us, while you were in exile, that upon your return you would establish a sense of social order and security for all Haitian citizens! And, how you promised to be “there!” I guess we should have asked you where “there” was because it’s certainly not here, in the country that you are selling to the devils, without a conscientious care. Where has the Pearl of the Islands gone because, under your rule, we only find an empty shell!

When you walk upon our island’s crest, gloating at the downfall of your enemies, do you take stock at the devastation emerging from your political bad faith? We are perishing from the malevolent current flowing harshly through our land. Do you understand that it is not “enemies” being butchered but the very people you promised to serve with grace and justice?

When you smile with “your sneaky smile” for the camera, on the rare occasions that you venture forth from your secured fortress, to slam us with another of your oratorical abuses, do you not see the disillusionment in the eyes of your countrymen, or their repulsion by your very presence? Do you not sense the yearning for stability, civility, progress, shelter, food, healthcare, and productive goals?

Where is your grand plan, Mr. Aristide, as we remain under the weight of your incompetence, indifference and corrupted stance? Where is your economic plan while hard-working businesses fear opening their stores as thugs, and thieves pillage their shelves and cash machines?

Do you hear our sighs when our children sit idle for weeks-on-end due to school closings because of the political unrest that permeates the streets? Do you not care about their academic limitations since competent teachers are forced to quit or become stagnant as they can’t feed their families or they get mugged by your bullish accomplices?

Do you hear the anger of a father whose daughter was raped by your supporters while she was working in a home that they broke into, to steal 100 Gourdes or a used TV? In that realm, your silence is so loud, Mr. Aristide! Was that young woman your enemy too?

Do you grasp the anguish of a man who was attacked on his way home from work because two of your thugs wanted his bicycle? Why don’t you develop jobs for them so they can stop abusing our honest citizens? Instead of giving them so many tires to burn people with, or guns, wooden bats and rocks, why don’t you pay for their schooling where they can learn to become productive and honorable citizens? Titide, you said often that you would accomplish great things…than …why don’t you? Put your heart where your wallet is, the one you never cease to fill with our taxes and our savings, plus a whole lot more!

Where is the purified water for the thousands of children dying each day of gastro-enteritis? I’ll bet it’s in your swimming pool! Where are the hospital beds for the dying and the sick? Where is the medication? Where are the training programs to teach farmers to develop their land, plumbers, electricians, fishermen, secretaries, nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants, painters, construction workers, artists, school-teachers, mechanics, and factory workers? Where are your economic plan, budget plan, health care plan, social plan, and spiritual plan?

Where is the “peace and reconciliation” you spoke of at the U. N (while sitting in a very expensive and luxurious exile pose)? You said you were “Titide, our father.” Please, spare me – with a father like you, I want to be an orphan!

As an ex-priest, you, more than most, should know that a community needs inspiration, direction and hope to elevate its vision and efforts towards success. Why don’t you borrow your friend Hillary’s book, It Takes A Village? I heard from reliable sources that she’s right - it does take a village, not thugs and evil deeds! As an ex-priest, have you not walked with our Christ long enough to know that good ultimately outweighs evil? Have you not preached His message? And, yet you discard His love, compassion and spiritual discipline?

Remove your Cartier sunglasses, Mr. Aristide, better to see the devastation before you which you are causing with your greed and your sense of insecurity as a man! Elevate your heart to see who you can be, what your country should be and what the Haitian people yearn to be.

Thus far, you show no love of humanity, no self-respect; no respect for the Haitian people, no respect for Haiti and certainly none for GOD! And, I heard (from the same reliable sources) that you don’t respect your wife either, hitting her around the way you do! Shame on you! Shame on her for still being with you! I guess she must have a bank account too!

My young daughter was shot in the face; she is three years old. I am a father whose daughter was raped for a few Gourdes and a TV set. I am the mother whose child was kidnapped by thugs and who has never been found. I am the husband of a lawyer, gunned down in front of the steps of the house of justice, because she dared speak against your regime. I am a journalist assassinated, together with his bodyguard one early morning, simply for sharing the truth about your corrupted government on his radio station. I am a businessman who had to close his doors, after being robbed, beaten, and denigrated. I am the economic funds of the country being depleted by the fraudulent acts of your government. I am the sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, brother, lover, friend, child, grandparent, of a people whose only desires are to live with peace, integrity, hard-work, and hope.

I am the future of my country. I am the child of those who fought for independence, freedom from slavery, prejudice of class and color. I am a Haitian, Mr. Aristide and it’s as grand as that. You are unworthy of my respect, my courage, my beliefs and my energy. Please leave my country and let me be…to find my way towards a new Haitian dawn.

Evelyne Dominique