Prison

            On Saturday, I was “trapped” in the Valdemas compound. I somehow missed my only ride in the late morning to the church. Fully expecting to be picked up by Pere Val to go do some work in the afternoon, I laid around all day reading, napping, and getting bored, entertained by the dogs. I easily could have ventured out of the gate and walked down the road, and probably be safe, but where would I go. There aren’t any Starbucks or stores to peruse.

            So, I spent the entire day behind a ten-foot concrete wall capped by a row of barbed wire. And in many ways I began to feel like a prisoner. Sure I had Wi-Fi, an organ to play, and a stack of books to read but I was still isolated in a third-world country with no contact with the only people I knew on the entire island.

            If there is anything I had learned in 2+ weeks, its that my feeling of imprisonment is one which is felt every day by almost all Haitians. The ones with money are forced to lock themselves away at night for safety. But even they are still prisoners on this small island. As I had mentioned about Juste, it is nearly impossible to get a visa to travel internationally. Even to travel to the Dominican Republic, merely 45 minutes away, it requires a slew of paper work, US approval, and then a steep $220 fee. Americans can cross the border at any time for $20. Dominicans can cross into Haiti for $2.50! So hardly anyone has ever left this impoverished place and seen the vast opportunities on the outside. They see rap music videos of mega-yachts and Ferraris on TV. And watch American movies. And every night they go to sleep, knowing they will never see it with their own eyes.

For most Haitians, the promise land is over a high wall they just can climb.

            And it is all for fear that they will see the “promise land” in America and never return home. In order to receive a visa to travel to the US, you must have not only extensive recommendations in the US, but also a laundry list of obligations back in Haiti you cannot leave (a hefty bank account, a high-paying job, a family, children in school, etc). I have another friend, Moses, whose parents have lived in Boston for many years. But he has never seen them there. He has finished college and is working a good job as a teacher before he plans on going to medical school. He is one of the most well-put-together people I have ever met. Fabulously dressed, very smart, extremely fluent in English, an amazing dancer and ladies man. But he has still been waiting on a visa for over 2 years. He is in a long line, whose end he might never see.

            This is a crime. The United States believes so strongly in freedom. And we always preach about bringing freedom and democracy to the world (i.e. Iraq and Afghanistan). So why cant we give this simple freedom to the people who have the money and desire to help stimulate OUR economy, staying at OUR hotels, eating in OUR restaurants. It only costs $60 one-way to fly to Miami. And still so many people who are doctors, priests, and architects cant even fly to Miami for a week to see their parents. It’s criminal!

            As such, I have made it my ultimate goal to find Juste a spot in an American institution. He wants to be a contractor or engineer. But he claims that a degree in ANYTHING in America will get him any job he wants here. He goes to the only school in Haiti (The Haitian-American Institute) that offers the TOEFL test. Thus, I feel confident his current credits would transfer. He deserves this opportunity. And he has a bunch of people in Richmond, Huntsville, and North Carolina who have all guaranteed him a place to live if such an opportunity arises. If you have any thoughts on how to get him into an American school, I will gladly take your advice. Tonight I will contact the admissions departments for U-Alabama- Huntsville and Virginia Commonwealth, among others.

            Again, let us circumvent the policies laid down by our government with the ever-powerful dollar and the ever-loving God and set these people free.

A Video by my new favorite reggae artist, Lucky Dube. It's called, fittingly, "I'm a Prisoner"