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By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
The Bush administration is reportedly planning as one of its final actions to announce a “right of conscience” rule that could further limit access to abortion, particularly for poor and rural women, and might even impact a much broader range of medical procedures.
“We should call this the ‘Amish bus-driver rule,’” fumed MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. “If you’re Amish and your values and your beliefs will not allow you to operate an automobile, then surely that’s your inalienable right — but consequently, you will not be hired to drive a bus.”
The rule would apply to over 500,000 facilities nationwide and would allow all healthcare workers — not just doctors and pharmacists but potentially even janitors — to refuse to participate in any procedure they find morally objectionable.
Maddow turned for comment to Princeton professor and reproductive rights activist Melissa Harris-Lacewell, asking, “Do you see this as a major setback for reproductive rights?”
“Absolutely,” Harris-Lacewell agreed, although she emphasized that “this right to conscience is not just about reproductive rights” because it could potentially affect everyone.
Monument commemorating the battle of Vertières, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution. In this battle General Jean-Jacques Dessalines delivered the final bow against the the French troops commanded by Rochambeau.
The French came to Saint-Domingue (Haiti) to re-establish slavery and brought the greatest armada ever launched out of Europe; supposedly against sub-humans. Napoleon sent his brother-in-law General Leclerc to Saint-Domingue with thirty-five thousand men and ninety-six ships in 1802. The decisive battle of the Haitian Revolution, the Battle of Vertières was on November 18, 1803–General Jean-Jacques Dessalines defeated Rochambeau’s forces. The revolution which began in 1791, ended when Dessalines proclaimed the independence of Haiti and its new name on January 1, 1804.
The French, lead by Generals Leclerc and Rochambeau were considered at the time the greatest army of Europe. Their war exploits are immortalized in the history books and their skills were praised as an art. They had conquered most of Europe, including Austria, Italy, Poland, Spain, Holland and Westphalia (now part of Germany). However, they were given a lesson in humility by an army comprised mostly of former slaves.
Michel Sanon celebrates November 18th, the anniversary of the Battle of Vertières, the defining battle of the Haitian revolution in his piece Haiti the Rebel.
I was alone when in Vertières
I rose to face the Devil
When hell broke loose
Unleashing its fire storm
With waves of flame rushing
To engulf me whole…
Read the rest of this entry »
Michel Sanon celebrates November 18th, the anniversary of the Battle of Vertières, the defining battle of the Haitian revolution.
Haiti the Rebel
Who is to tell me when
To celebrate my history?
Who is to tell me
When to dress my wounds
And to reminisce
My trials, my sorrow
When to shed tears
Over my brave children
And to glorify their names?
They suffered and died
Every bloody month
Of the bloody year.
I was born
Of abject inhumanity
With the noble destiny
Of carrying the sword
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The Little Black Slave That Could
A story written By Woodring Saint Preux
Dedicated to President Barack Obama
Once upon a time,
In a tiny island not far away
There once lived
A little black slave that could
He was the son of an African king
But nobody knew
His father gave up his throne in Africa
and chose the fate of his fallen people,
To become a slave,
A slave in a new world,
On a tiny island,
Far far away from home
Growing up,
The little black slave prince that could,
He had no idea that one day,
He would return his people back to glory
Source: YouTube.Com
By Cryssa C
Haiti in my Heart
I call myself a diaspora.
for Haiti is in my heart.
I think my heart is half-Haitian
because Haiti’s my heart’s second home.
Haiti…
My eyes take in the view:
Poverty in all her glory…
Burning tires and refuse,
Piled trash along the roads,
Garbage rivers running
By Carmel S. Victor
Two hundred years of your Independence,
Yet I still wonder if this is your sentence.
Many believe that your strength is immense,
But I’ve yet to see them come to your defense.
You’ve been facing struggles since you began.
So, giving up on should never be a plan.
Instead, the world should lend a helping hand.
Maybe then you would become a prosperous land.
From many miles away I can feel the distress,
Of a country where freedom is being suppressed.
Since of your demise, I am not yet convinced.
When I pray at night I pray that you be blessed.
Though you are said to be one of the poorest.
Those who have seen you have seen a treasure chest.
I know that right now you are put to the test,
But the day will come when you will finally rest.
International Library of Poetry.
Copyright ©2004 Carmel S. Victor.
All rights reserved.
Submit Poem By Email: Poem@MyAyiti.Com
By André F. Dossous
Haitian Poet, Playwright, Engineer,
Certified Secondary Math Teacher.
In the blue and red
the flag of my Country
I perceive your picture
I see your smiling face
your soul dancing in the wind
when the flag is waving.
When our flag is waving
on the top of its staff
it proudly shows the world
our Ancestor’s courage
our strong roots, brothers.
We must stick together
to celebrate this Flag
the image of Liberty
the symbol of our Freedom.
Poem by Prosper “Makendal” Sylvain, Jr
Bon… ce n’est pas de moi!mais le texte est tellement puissant que je n’ai pas eu d’autre choix que de l’ajouter a mon blog…merci Prosper
I Don’t Look Haitian?
They approached me with a smile on their lips
exchanged greetings as well as ignorance
by telling me that I don’t look or act Haitian.
They shook my hands to welcome me,
and then shook my soul with their audacity,
the utter audacity of Lady Liberty,
“give me your tired your hungry, your poor”
except those from Haiti,
this, the most blatant hypocrisy.
And still they say I don’t look Haitian, I don’t sound Haitian
as I recall the Black Spartacus from the Breda Plantation.
Is there any particular physical feature that monopolizes and has a patent
on how exactly I should look, sound or act as a Haitian?
I….don’t look Haitian? Why?
