Just Imagine

[Senou]

Imagine!

All American past leaders remain an asset to their country long after they left office. During the Tsunami Disaster, this current president call upon his predecessor and his Dad to run the relief fund and both together raised hundred of millions. Jimmy Carter has done more to the world after he left office and he is still building house for the poor. The late Richard Nixon left the presidency in total disgrace but the Americans still build a library to honor him. President Ford used the power of Presidency in forgiving President Richard Nixon and this had caused him a reelection bid. A quarter of century later, after his death, the Americans acknowledged his role and what he had done for the nation. He could have left this matter gone to trial easily but at what expense.
Even Richard Nixon who left office in total disgrace was an asset to his country.

My fellow citizen, why all of our Haitian leaders have to live in a foreign soil after they left office?
Why it is so hard for each of you to forgive one another? Forgiveness is an attribute to the strong while vengeance is an attribute to the weak.

If former Presidents & leaders Jean-Claude Duvalier, Jean Bertrand Aristide, Latortue, Raoul Cedras and others died today, would you allow them to be buried in their hometown? Even Saddam Hussein was given the opportunity to be buried in his hometown.

The presidency is not a privilege but a responsibility. Imagine having Richard Nixon stands in trial after the Watergate; imagine having Jean- Claude Duvalier, Jean Bertrand Aristide, Latortue and Raoul Cedras stand in trial in Haiti. This will generate lot of curiosities which will be associated with vengeance and some distractions and then what …. There is a reason why articles 146 and 147 are included in the constitution.


ARTICLE 146:

The President of the Republic has the right to perform and commute sentences in all res judicata cases, except for sentences handed down by the High Court of Justice as stipulated in this Constitution.

ARTICLE 147:

He may grant amnesty only for political matters as stipulated by law.


For the past 200 years, not a single Haitian president had used these two articles above.

I take this a little farther. I think that it is about time for the president to join with the congress and work on a bill that can give a general amnesty to all Haitians.

It will take a serious leader; it will take someone who does not put his personal interest at the expense of the country to offer a general amnesty.

Take a look at South Africa today where blacks and whites are living in peace and harmony but this could not be possible without the Reconciliation Commission.

Why I bring South Africa into this discussion? Imagine what South African could have become today if Nelson Mandela had wanted to take revenge. Those who believe in revenge were prepared to leave and the whole world was waiting for a blood bath but what many had failed to understand is that Mandela was not a fake leader but the most complete leader of all time. He met every single test of leadership and he is a proven leader.

Now!
Imagine we build a library or a stadium to honor Jean Claude Duvalier and involve him to raise fund for that endeavor; imagine we build a University or a major hospital to honor Jean Bertrand Aristide and involve him in raising the fund for its construction; imagine building two to three national roads with rest areas or rail track to honor Latortue and involve him to raise fund for its construction; imagine we build a naval force and an emergency sea rescue force to honor Raoul Cedras and involve him to raise fund to construct it.

Just imagine!

Folks, a former leader whether you like it or not may be still an asset for the country; even Richard Nixon who left office in total disgrace was an asset for his country. Go to his hometown, you will see a Library with his name. Now, can we do something similar? I’m just asking.


Joe Alfred



Joseph Alfred
P.O. BOX 1022
Douglasville, GA 30133-1022
Phone: 770-262-6621 (Verizon)
Email: joe_alfred@yahoo.com

[MichelNau]

Joe Alfred wrote:

Imagine we build a library or a stadium to honor Jean Claude Duvalier and involve him to raise fund for that endeavor; imagine we build a University or a major hospital to honor Jean Bertrand Aristide and involve him in raising the fund for its construction; imagine building two to three national roads with rest areas or rail track to honor Latortue and involve him to raise fund for its construction; imagine we build a naval force and an emergency sea rescue force to honor Raoul Cedras and involve him to raise fund to construct it.

Folks, a former leader whether you like it or not may be still an asset for the country;

Joe boss papa!! What these people have done for Haiti to build Universities, hospitals, roads etc to honor them???
Nothing good!!
They were all dictators protecting their party, duvalierist, and Lavalasien, but they did nothing for Haiti as a whole.

Bokassa, Mobutu, e tout lot dictate prive e piblik toujou vle mete non yo sou tout pavillon nan peyi yo. Lekol, lopital, libreri, pon etc..
Joe sa wap fe la se propaje « le culte de la personalite » and Ass French kissing and salad tossing »

Ranmase karakte w fre mwen !!

Michel

[Staff]

I just read this.

oe sa wap fe la se propaje « le culte de la personalite » and Ass French kissing and salad tossing »

"Ass French kissing and salad tossing", Michel? What kind of lingo is that???

Joe Alfred's opinion, as I read it, is definitely out of the mainstream but that is no reason to insult him, and especially in the way you do. No more salad tossing for me, for a while...

Guy

[Leonel Jean-Baptiste]

It is ironic to see Michel trying to reason!!!
Sorry my Friend. You are the master of bom tchaka, bouyi vide...
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with Joe's opinion. Agree or not, he has the right to speak his mind.
By the way, what is, ASS FRENCH KISSING???
Leonel

[MichelNau]

Guy wrote:

Michel? What kind of lingo is that???
Joe Alfred's opinion, as I read it, is definitely out of the mainstream but that is no reason to insult him, and especially in the way you do.

Leonel wrote:

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with Joe's opinion. Agree or not, he has the right to speak his mind.

I would like to send my sincere apology to Joe Alfred, to the Admin, Guy, and Leonel and others for using these gruesome words to describe my frustration about Joe post regarding fund raising to build hospitals and bridges to honor dictators like Baby Doc Duvalier and others. This was beyond beliefs.
Having said that, let focus on our origin, our ancestors, our heroes to bring us back to our roots.

I would like to send my contribution to the Admin. to open a T shirt design contest that will honor our ancestors. I saw a lot of these T-shirts honoring Scarface, Tupac, JZ etc.. Let make some beautiful T-shirts to honor Anacahona, Dessalines, Petion, Henry Christophe etc..

Send your T-shirt design ideas to Guy as an attachment. Tidodo, Leonel, Serge, Jaf and others could be members of the committee judges. If they find the design and slogan appropriate and inspirational, I will contribute to the production of these T-shirts. Our target market should be Haitian picnics, family reunions, schools and churches etc..

Good Luck!!

[Guysanto]

Apology accepted, Michel, and I think the T-shirt idea is an excellent one.

Haitians were forced to miss an extraordinary and truly unique opportunity to promote their country, history and culture, in 2004. In my opinion, nothing will ever make up for that. However, I will not discount efforts, such as the one you propose, to limit the damages.

I don't know if others would be willing to follow up on your suggestion, but on the face of it I'd say it is a good one.

[Guysanto]

Send your T-shirt design ideas to Guy as an attachment. Tidodo, Leonel, Serge, Jaf and others could be members of the committee judges. If they find the design and slogan appropriate and inspirational, I will contribute to the production of these T-shirts. Our target market should be Haitian picnics, family reunions, schools and churches etc..

A la Michel gen kè cho papa!

Michel followed up on his idea by sending a check in the amount of $100 to Windows on Haiti for the Haitian Heroes T-Shirt contest.

Michel did not wait for anyone other than myself to give feedback on his idea. As stated above, I think that this would be a fun and worthwhile idea, but only if there is buy-in from the membership.

Though this check is made to "Window on Haiti", it is intended to be a reward to anyone who presents a winning design, transferable to a T-Shirt or other promotional item, honoring Haitian Heroes. I will hold on to the check for a while, but will not cash it (not until there is evidence of interest from the readership). If a design is submitted and accepted, then I will be glad to transfer the money to the winner. This is Michel Nau's initiative. If you have any comment on the matter, please formulate it now. In the meantime, Michel, the check will have to go to a shoebox. I hope that someone will claim it.

[MichelNau]

Guy wrote:

I will hold on to the check for a while, but will not cash it. In the meantime, Michel, the check will have to go to a shoebox. I hope that someone will claim it.

Guy, Lajan anba matla pa fe pitit!! Si li rete two lontan nan shoebox la, lap pedi vale.
Please cash the check and accept it as a modest contribution to Ann Pale.
Guy wrote:

If a design is submitted and accepted, then I will be glad to transfer the money to the winner. This is Michel Nau's initiative. If you have any comment on the matter, please formulate it now.

If a design is submitted and accepted by the committee, I will issue another check to the winner.
Guy wrote:

A la Michel gen kè cho papa!

Guy se le fe a cho ke yo bat li!!
Fok nou ankouraje ti moun yo panse a peyi yo e renmin li. Fe yo itilize imajinasyon yo pou yo ranpli devwa sivik yo. Sa fenm mal anpil pou mwen we ti moun ki rasin e sipoze aveni e fiti peyi d’Ayiti ap pran bato pou kite'l.
There is something wrong in this Picture and we need to tackle this issue as soon as possible.

Michel

[Guysanto]

Guy, Lajan anba matla pa fe pitit!! Si li rete two lontan nan shoebox la, lap pedi vale.

Mwen pa konprann lojik sa. Si mwen pa touche chèk la, lajan ap rete nan kont an bank ou. Petèt la fè pitit, petèt li pap fè, se ou ki konnen koze w.

Michel, m'apresye jenewozite w. Men tout sa m gen nan lavi, se entegrite m. M'espere ou konprann sa. Mwen wè w'ap atake m sou fowòm lan. Mwen pa di ke ou pa dakò ak opinyon-m non (yon bagay ki toutafè nòmal), men w'ap atake m san gade dèyè e akize mwen de ipokrizi. Pa panse gen okenn lajan ki kab pase sou sa.

Mwen ankouraje w, si ou vle fè yon bagay ki byen. Men pa panse ou kapab avili mwen ak grinnbak. Kreyòl pale, Kreyòl konprann.

Mwen te dakò ak lide T-shirt ou a. Men mwen poko wè okenn lòt moun sou fowòm lan montre yo enterese. E alò? Ou pa kab mete kabwèt la devan bèf la, monchè!

[Tidodo]

Guy, Lajan anba matla pa fe pitit!! Si li rete two lontan nan shoebox la, lap pedi vale.

Mwen pa konprann lojik sa. Si mwen pa touche chèk la, lajan ap rete nan kont an bank ou. Petèt la fè pitit, petèt li pap fè, se ou ki konnen koze w.

Guy,

Michel may be right, and so may be you. As you know, if you keep money in cash currency and store it, over time it looses value due to the principle of time value of money and inflation. But, if you keep it in a demand deposit account in a bank, it is similar to putting it under the mattress, because it remains available to you on demand any time you want. In general, checking accounts don't pay interest, unless it is a NOW account. But, remember that NOW accounts are limited to individuals only and certain not-for-profit corporations. Regular corporations cannot open a NOW account, therefore must put it in a non interest bearing checking account. Unless your account is a NOW account, you are right. If it is not a NOW account , such as a regular checking account like I also have, Michel is right.

[MichelNau]

Thanks Tidodo for giving us an idea of the value of money through time.

An 1986 sou Jean Claude Duvalier mwen te bezwen 5 gourdes pou mwen te voye 1 dolla nan peyi blan.
An 2007, yon moun bezwen 30 gourdes pou 1 dolla.

Jan w di a, Guy gen rezon tou. Si li pa cash check la , lajan sa ap rete nan kont an bank mwen.
Sa kap rive, plis tan ap pase se plis nou tou lede ap pedi ni mwen, ni Guy.

Si Guy cask check la rapido e fe yon bon sharite avek li jodi a avan ke pri bagay yo monte. Pa egsanp, Guy kap hste 2 balon basketball fe kado YMCA nan kominote li a o non de Ann Pale mamb yo..

Nou pedi okasyon indepandans 2004 la, min li pa jam tro ta pou yon bon zide derape.
Mwen gen anpil lot pri ke mwen kap bay a ti moun ki gen bon zide pou fe Ayisyen remin peyi yo.

Mwen gen koupon restoran gratis.
Kat cinema gratis.
Video Game a 50% off.
E an pil lot pri ke mwen kap bay elev lekol pou summe a.

Michel

[Guysanto]

Jan w di a, Guy gen rezon tou. Si li pa cash check la , lajan sa ap rete nan kont an bank mwen. Sa kap rive, plis tan ap pase se plis nou tou lede ap pedi ni mwen, ni Guy.

Si Guy cask check la rapido e fe yon bon sharite avek li jodi a avan ke pri bagay yo monte. Pa egsanp, Guy kap hste 2 balon basketball fe kado YMCA nan kominote li a o non de Ann Pale mamb yo..

Michel, once more, thank you for the contribution you intended to make to the "Haitian Heroes T-Shirt fund" or other worthwhile cause in the name of our Ann Pale on-line community. I have thought about it and I am now willing to present you my strongest personal recommendations in this matter:

1) Please VOID in your checkbook (no need to actually cancel) the check you sent to the order of "Windows on Haiti".

For peace of mind and for your personal accounting, I am sending it back to you, with "VOID" written on it.

On behalf of Windows on Haiti, please write another check for the same amount and direct it to an organization that will best utilize it in the spirit that you intended. The organization I have selected is : FONKOZE.

2) I do welcome your generous idea of making contributions on behalf of the community as you please, but without Windows on Haiti serving as an intermediary (an unnecessary step). I invite other members of the community to do the same.

3) Here's a link to FONKOZE's contribution page. Of course, I urge you to learn first about who they are and what they do. You may find a lot of information at www.fonkoze.org .

For more information on the various donations you can make, go to: http://fonkoze.org/publications/AlternativeGiftCatalog/giftcatalog.htm

View the gift catalog to find the perfect gift to honor your family, friends, and associates this holiday season... or for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Avoid the hassle of shopping, wrapping and delivering material gifts. Your gift will help struggling families lift themselves out of poverty.

Your honorees can receive a beautiful Haitian art card to let them know that, in their names, you've given the gift of self-reliance to a struggling family.

First, view a copy of our catalog by clicking here : http://fonkoze.org/publications/Fonkoze_Catalog%201%20.7.4.pdf

You may send in your order three ways:

1. Mail in an order form which you can download here with your check or credit card information to Fonkoze USA, 50 F Street, NW, Suite 810, Washington, DC 20001.
http://fonkoze.org/publications/Alterna ... 20Form.pdf

2. Call (202) 628-9033 or 888) 921-5726

3. Order online by clicking here: https://www.shop.fonkoze.org/splashPage.hg

Give the life-changing gift of micro-credit and training in honor of a friend or loved one!