A new chapter in Haitian history has likely begun…

Let me give you my quick, simplistic version of Haiti’s history of the Duvalier Regime. Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier was a country doctor. He became president of Haiti in 1957 and eventually proclaimed himself President for Life (aka a dictator). Papa Doc died in 1971, leaving his 19 year old son, Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier as the new President for Life.

Both Duvaliers had the reputation of ruling with an iron fist and a total disregard for human rights. Kidnappings, murders, rapes, and all sorts of violent crimes are attributed to them. Papa Doc disbanded the army and commissioned his own secret police force, the Tonton Macoute. Every little village had their Tonton Macoute and people who looked at them sideways would often end up beaten to death’s doorstep. Those who verbally opposed the regime? The Tonton Macoute could show up at the offender’s house in the middle of the night, drag the offender out and the family would never see them again. The Haitian people had strong reason to revolt and in 1971, that’s what they did. Baby Doc was exiled to France, where he remained until last night…

Last night, after 25 years of wanting to return to Haiti, Jean Claude Duvalier arrived in Port-au-Prince on an Air France flight. How will the Haitian people respond? How will the international community respond? Why did he choose to come at a time when an electoral nightmare is happening and Haiti is so in need of strong leadership?

I’ve come across three basic perspectives today that I’ll share with you.

The “BORN IN THE USA” (Bruce Springstein style) Perspective:
The man was exiled from Haiti. He has a mile-long list of crimes he’s committed against humanity. He should not be allowed into the country. “But they already let him in!” Well, then, they should arrest him and put him prison. (Makes sense to me!)

The “I’ve Experienced His Cruelty” (personally or someone close to me) Perspective:
He needs to be brought to justice. He should pay the price for the wrongs that he’s done to the people of Haiti. He is evil, not even human. (Pretty similar to those Born in the USA.)

Older Folks with Fond Memories and the Under 30 Crowd:

This is the perspective that I’m asking God to help me understand. This is what I’ve been hearing for years: “When Duvalier was here, you couldn’t walk barefoot in the streets of Port-au-Prince. You had to have clean clothes on and never could go without a shirt. People didn’t bathe naked next to the road. Port-au-Prince was beautiful and clean. If you had a rundown house, the government would make you clean it up and pay a fine, too. People lived like people. Now we live like animals.”

“But,” I protest, “What about the people who were dragged from their homes, never to be seen again? What about the mass graves? What about the millions stolen? What about peace of mind and freedom?”

“Yes, it was a scary time for a lot of people, but as long as you didn’t get involved (which meant even talked about) politics, you were fine. We weren’t rich, but we could get by. We weren’t afraid to walk down the street in the middle of the night, because there was no crime. As for the money, whoever’s in charge will steal it, but we can’t even feed our families anymore.”

My thought? How can they forget so quickly? If Hitler came into Port-au-Prince, would they welcome him? (I know he’s dead, but you get my point.) Watch one trial for someone who killed one person you don’t even know and see how you feel about that person. And what about this man who ordered an unknown number of people to be killed and encouraged all sorts of criminal activity? Yeah, I couldn’t imagine how any Haitian could “LIKE” Duvalier.

I had a long talk this morning with my friend. I’ll call her Nadine…

Renée: Nadine. Are you happy to hear that Jean Claude Duvalier has returned to Haiti?
Nadine: Yes, I think it’s nice that this man can come home to his country after having been away for so long.
Renée: Duvalier, Nadine???
Nadine: I’m happy for him. I’m not happy for me, or my family or my country though. People like to see the big shot come back. He is well known in this country. It is a big deal. But what does it mean to my country? I hear that Aristide is coming, too. If both of these people are in Haiti, there will be a big war. People will start killing each other. The government will fail and some other country will have to come pick up the pieces.
Renée: So, why are the people so happy to see him?
Nadine: My people have a thinking problem. If someone puts $20 in their hand, they don’t think about anything else. They remember how much better life was when Duvalier was here, but they don’t remember how bad other things were. They think Duvalier can make their lives better like they were back then.
Renée: Can he?
Nadine: No! We are spoiled. We’re all used to saying whatever is on our minds. No one will be able to remove that from us again.

Anyway, I don’t believe that Duvalier is here to become president, but I’m certain it’s not just a casual visit to see how horrible the country looks. I am still an American. How can he be allowed to come back here without paying the penalty for his crimes? So often you hear it said of the Haitian people (and I say it myself) that they are such a resilient people. I have not suffered the way the women in this country have suffered. I have not listened to my children crying out in hunger and not have anything to give them. They’ve had no choice, but to be resilient. I’m thinking now that given the choice, they might prefer to “live like people” (as Nadine said) rather than be resilient.