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Posted March 25, 2010
                                   
Earthquake in Haiti: Boston's "Deronette Brothers" on the Accused Bench
                                  

By ROMEO ESTINVIL
                                        
"Deronette Brothers" is the name of an evangelical musical group that is well known and appreciated in the state of Massachusetts, where a significant number of Haitians and Haitian-Americans reside.

According to public clamor (as a protest or demand: most of the time raised a great hue and cry about political corruption), the leaders of this group ("Deronnette Brothers," in concert - images) of musical nature are said to have swindled funds raised to help Haiti's devastating earthquake victims. So, too, those same leaders are accused of depriving the natural disaster's victims of the opportunity to consume food collected in their name. Sure these allegations have not only largely disturbed members of the Boston's Haitian-American community and others but caused many hardworking people to ask this unpleasant question: "Does Haiti, our country, our nation of origin really have a future as corruption persists?"

One week after the cataclysm, if I may refer to it as such, since it is undisputedly of biblical proportions, "Deronette Brothers," together with other organizations of social, religious and professional nature, all in the South Shore of Boston, founded an umbrella non-profit organization called Massachusetts Emergency Relief for Haitiť.  "We want to help Haiti as much we can." This, was the principal mission of this new organization.

"There is nothing new under the sun," said Karl Marx. Like many times before, after a catastrophes funds, clothes and shoes, to name only these ones, are collected in the name of victims but never, in fact, ultimately reached them. An explanation has yet to be provided as to how much of help the "Deronnette Brothers" and the new super-organization have been to the hundreds of thousands of Haitians, who unfortunately since the earthquake are unfortunately living in the open.

It seems that in this frantic race to help our earthquake-ravaged country events are changing, and fast. Everyone wants to be in control. To better comprehend so is to refer to the "Derronette Brothers," who decided to go it alone in organizing concerts in an effort to raise money - again, all in the name of the suffering Haitians in Haiti.

Members of a delegation of nine people, including a photojournalist and promoter, Mr. Beausejour Antoine, they all traveled to Haiti, from February 25 to March 8.  The Ministry of Social Affairs of Haiti also was a party in the organization of this trip. According to Mr. Antoine, the distribution of urgently needed food was the equal of failure.
Several items, not limited to non-perishable foods, intended for the people of Haiti, were finally transported to the Dominican Republic from Boston by Delta Air Lines free of charge. But as they were collecting them, including greenbacks, they, with ease, claimed that they were arduously working for Jesus and Haiti.

What exactly happened during their stay in Haiti? They visited a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Bon Repos, a north of the destroyed capital city of Port-au-Prince suburb. The visit was announced in advance, and with great fanfare. More than one hundred visibly hungry people were waiting for them when they finally arrived at destination. First, many rather assumed that they were superstars instead of Good Samaritans, since they had their fancy sunglasses on. They donated only two bags of rice of 100 pounds to the leaders of this NGO. To repeat Felix Morisseau Leroy, a renowned Haitian poet, who is no longer with us, "Madigras do not scare me" - literally, "Imposters, stop pretending to be saviors of the destitute people."

More, about thirty minutes after the so-called distribution of food, Brunel Deronette, the lead singer of the group, was on the phone with a live Haitian radio station in Boston. "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, we just feed all the population of Bon Repos," he proudly said.. "People were happy to see us," he further told the station. However, for Mr. Antoine it was not so. He honestly thinks that this kind of behavior is reprehensible, it borders on demagogy.

Where are the objects they shipped to Port--au-Prince from Santo Domingo, and this, with the help of Mr. Ronny Collin, who is Chief of Staff of the Minister of Social Affairs."" This, was the hard but unanswered question asked Mr. Antoine.

The many concerns of another person, who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity and was part of the delegation, echoed those of Mr. Beausejour.

The Americans are generous and charitable people. But using their innate generosity, the name of Jesus Christ, and, yes, too, that of' Haiti, for personal financial gains is squarely shameful and immoral.

What's a contrast! "Deronette Brothers" through their many songs have always referred to the Gospel and the of good news that results from so.

Some people believe like F. Nietzsche, the 19th century German philosopher, that God is dead. We say that he is alive.

Furthermore, it's is written somewhere else in the Bible that "the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

We, for the sake of objectivity, contacted another member of the band. He declined to offer an opinion about the many painful issues addressed in this article.

Soon there will be another article as alleged corruption unfortunately continues to define, in the positive terms, the lives of too many citizens.

By way of conclusion, on behalf of everyone, that is especially members of the Boston Haitian-American community who is believe in a new Haiti, in the positive terms, we thanks and congratulate Mr. Beausejour Antoine for his unmatched patriotism and courage to honestly serve members of the community just mentioned. Bravo Mr. Beausejour?

Romeo Estinvil can be reached: estinro@hotmail.com 
                                               
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