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The following is an article that appeared in The
Sunday Standard (Botswana) of 24.01.10.
Loose Canon contributes regularly to newspapers.
Haiti and the blacks!
by Loose Canon
24.01.2010 4:23:39 P
I hope black people will learn a lesson from the
earthquake that hit Haiti.
If they don’t learn anything from it, then I throw
up my hands in despair and give up.
Let’s start with a few basic
facts.
Until the earthquake, I never knew there was a place
called Haiti. I was taught geography at school but I
cannot remember a time when the mistress told us
about Haiti. It must have been one of those
insignificant countries that we had no reason to
know about.
I was fairly good at geography because I knew which
country was on which continent. I also knew many
capital cities. But as for Haiti I was clueless.
Now the whole world, including myself, knows about
Haiti. I heard news of the earthquake on the radio.
I wondered where Haiti was and what sort of people
lived there.
Finally, when I switched on the television, I was
informed that Haiti is an island out in the
Caribbean. Television pictures revealed a place
populated by black people.
From the non-stop television coverage of the
earthquake, I got to learn about the history of
Haiti. It was not a good history lesson. It would
seem throughout its existence Haiti has suffered a
series of natural calamities. In the process it has
sunk even deeper into poverty and deprivation.
Like all places populated by black people, Haiti is
poor. As I watched the television images, I felt
very sorry for that forsaken place. Then I was hit
by a thunderbolt.
I wondered what if there were no white people. You
see, when the earthquake hit Haiti somebody had to
come to its assistance. There had to be a rescue
effort. The Haitians who survived of course did
their fair bit by digging out their families from
the collapsed ramshackle buildings.
But such was the scale of the devastation and the
loss of human life that a bigger effort was needed.
For that sort of work, you need heavy lifting gear
and other sophisticated rescue equipment. I have
been following the story of the earthquake keenly. I
can attest to the fact that the first people to
arrive with sniffer dogs were white crews from all
over the world.
The aeroplanes that set off carrying water and food
were from white countries. Not only that, the teams
of volunteer doctors that I saw on television
comprised white people from across the world. As the
sniffer dogs went into action, the organized rescue
teams that carried the stretchers were made up of
white people.
It was announced that a mobile hospital was on the
way. It was coming from a white country. For all
intents and purposes in the aftermath of the
earthquake, Haiti was literally swarming with white
people. They had all arrived to save the poor
blacks. And the locals were so happy to see them.
Granted there were teams from the Orient such as the
Chinese and Japanese. They too had quickly left
their homes and families to go and assist the
stricken people of Haiti.
It is obvious to everyone that this was a
devastating earthquake and the work to repair Haiti
and return it to a modicum of normalcy will take
many years. Somebody had to commit funds to this
effort. Most of the countries that have committed
funds to aid the recovery are white. In fact, it
would seem the whites are running the show in Haiti.
What is my point?
My point is that ever since Haiti was hit by the
earthquake I have not seen any of my folks from
Africa. Unless the television cameras deliberately
ignored them, I never saw a rescue team from my
motherland. Nor did I see any sniffer dogs from down
here.
Heck, I never saw a single traditional doctor busy
divining where to find people buried under the
rubble.
Haiti is a land of black people. I would have
expected the place to be swarming with black people
helping their own. They were nowhere to be seen. I
never saw any ships from black countries pulling
into the harbour.
As the air traffic circled above the small airport,
none of the planes was reported as coming from
Africa. The blacks were nowhere to be found. They
issued tepid statements of condolence to the people
of Haiti and a few of the African countries donated
small amounts of cash.
Granted that was better than nothing. But I must say
I was disappointed. I was sad because the blacks did
not behave as I had expected. You see, for far too
long black countries have been insolent to the point
of being abusive. They have a tendency of insulting
the white man and telling him to keep out of their
countries. In Fact, black people have the temerity
to tell white people they can perfectly survive on
their own.
So I had expected the black countries to be
consistent and behave true to form. Why didn’t black
countries tell white countries to stay away from
Haiti because we were quite capable of leading the
rescue effort? We should have insulted them as we
often do at international forums.
There, our countries insult white countries and
accuse them of imperialism and neo colonialism. I
was extremely disappointed when our countries failed
to accuse white people of practicing imperialism and
neo colonialism by coming to rescue the blacks of
Haiti.
We should have told them we have better sniffer dogs
that have been taught only to rescue black people.
We should have told their ships to stay away and
their planes not to overfly Haiti because we were up
to the job with our own ships and aeroplanes.
We should have brought in our traditional food
instead of the strange rations the Haitians are not
accustomed to.
I am so disappointed by the black leaders that I
hope never to hear them again bleating about how bad
white people are. The earthquake in Haiti was the
most opportune time to show the whites, once and for
all, that we don’t need them.
From now onwards, I want black leaders to shut up
and never accuse ever white people of being bad. I
am sick and tired of big words such as imperialism
and neo colonialism which are unable to rescue
victims of the earthquake.
I hope this is not the last earthquake that hits a
black country. I want the next one to specifically
hit the residence of Old Man in Harare. Then we will
see if he will abuse the white crew coming to rescue
him and Pretty Face! |
