22621: Bebe Pierre Louis: About Skin Tone, Rape, Vodou and Creole (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "[iso-8859-1] Bébé Pierre Louis " <moibibi8@hotmail.com>

I have been reading the many posts about the above-mentioned subjects and I
made the immense effort to keep my commentaries to myself. This being said,
I also recognize that some of the things I would have said where much better
expressed by others Corbetteers such as DeGraff, Antwan and Simidor (and
some others). However, having always been one of those who have add her two
cents… Here they are:

About skin color:
The Haitian aphorism stating that a rich Haitian is a mulatto as a poor
mulatto is just a Black Haitian … resumes the whole situation. I believe
that all our Presidents should be considered as mulattos. Why? Because most
of them become rapidly quite wealthy and furthermore, one can notice (often
in the coulisses) that their closest entourage is quite fair-skinned!

Rape:
Rape exists in most societies but it has taken unusual dimensions in Haiti
today. I purposely say “unusual dimensions in Haiti” for the simple fact
that rape had never really been a concern until some thirty years ago. It
did happen, but so rarely that up to this day, the press and the population
are quite alarmed by this crime, which happens constantly in other societies
 Sida has made young girls more reserved and young males more aggressive;
Christians have been taught that confession and sincere regret forgives
everything… In Vodou, we teach that whatever ones bad deeds, he/she will
have to pay sooner or later during his/her life on this earth. Paradise,
purgatory, hell… those are concepts which aren’t ours. and I never heard
anyone in our communities having being raped within our compounds.

I agree with the author of the post adding about the promiscuity that exists
in families and “restaveks” which is quite despicable but I would prefer to
consider it as another chapter.

For having met number of foreign girls that have visited and stayed in the
country who have NEVER been molested, nor approached in any malevolent
manner, I am convinced that the case of  “Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te
La Daginen” is a rarity. If one plants its seeds in a fertile garden, it
grows rapidly… It’s all a question of attitude, we are all taught: "Respekte
tèt ou", in other words, if you expect people to respect you, you should
start by imposing yourself some manners.

We are also taught to never interfere, nor cheer, nor blame... when we see
two persons fighting unless we wish to have those two turn agaisnt us...

Vodou:
“Spellings like Vodoun, Vaudou, Vodun, and so forth, confuse people - in
French orthography, a final 'n' is frequently silent. “ (Mambo Racine). I
will precise that Vodoun is the Haitian way to spell the Fon (from Benin)
word which is: Vodun.

“Dahomean (Beninois) Vodu (or Vodou)” BMRSBSTLD is wrong again, the correct
spelling in Benin is: Vodun.

Hoodoo or Voodoo was frequently used in Togo for Vodun.

As a Manbo, since some thirty years (time should make us wiser)… as I was
saying, as a Manbo (I have never learned to dance the mambo and I have never
heard anyone addressing me as Mambo), I must mention a Vodou song that goes
like this: “Tout manbo mare kod yo jan yo konnen” (each Manbo ties her rope
as her knowledge allows her to), Vodou members, through their oral bible,
express themselves with minimum of words that have many interpretations. I
really hope that our self-appointed bishop of Vodoun “Bon Mambo Racine Sans
Bout Sa Te La Daginen” understands.

Kreyol:
Really, everything has been said and repeated on the subject. There is no
worse deaf person than the one who doesn’t want to hear. I admire all those
who patiently have tried to make the point and particularly the one who
reminded us that it was said how “Haiti was "the best nightmare on earth".
Why are we always considered as wild ducks? Reseptak pou plon gaye?...

Bébé Pierre-Louis