20061: Esser Re: Garry Pierre-Pierre: 20033: Wilentz's piece (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. E s s e r <torx@joimail.com>

You mention people "getting the story so wrong"; the same goes for
the Mar 3-9 edition of the Haitian Times in which you write under the
heading "Haiti Awaits Deliverance": "...Haiti was not always the
insignificant place it is today...". This is a novel approach to
Haitian history, Haiti is significant today as evidenced by the
recent machinations of France and the U.S. to oust President Aristide
and as documented by countless scholars. Coups sponsored by foreign
powers, as a rule, don't take place in places of no importance. You
also state that only the Black Congressional Caucus stands behind
Aristide, while one may get that impression from reading your paper,
it is far from the truth, just read the multitude of statements by
all sorts of organizations in support of the elected President of
Haiti. I gladly forward you articles, statements and declarations if
you are disinclined to believe me. You further write: "...The Clinton
administration allowed it's Haiti policy dictated by the
Congressional Black Caucus and other liberal activist groups..."
this is another statement that gets the story wrong. In fact there
was a lot of protest by said activist groups in regard to the Clinton
administrations handling of Haitian matters. It didn't start with
the invasion and it didn't end with the asylum of Toto Constant, just
to mention two events that were in effect heavily criticized and not
applauded. I read Amy Wilentz' book too and found parts of it
less than a good read, but most likely for entirely different reasons
than you.

I just touched on some instances of "getting the story
wrong" I could continue here, but this is not my point. I just wanted
to show that in order to criticize journalism one has not to look at
books published about fifteen years ago, there's a lot of contemporary
writing that can't withstand critical analysis.


On Mar 8, 2004, Garry  wrote:

From: <publisher@haitiantimes.com>

I was one of those who learned more details about aristide from
wilentz's book. As a young journalist, I felt the book lacked a certain
balance. Aristide came away as a saint and the subtleties and moral
frailties that are inherent in any human being didn't come across. While
I enjoyed the book, I felt the author was thoroughly seduced by the main
character. I have no doubt that the book increased aristide's value and
it was funny to watch people going to haiti with that book tucked under
their arms. Many of them would later resent the book for getting the
story so wrong.