Acknowledgement

Special to the Tribune

AKNOWLEDGEMENT
What a difference it makes when some huge historical event is acknowledged by the whole World.
Within 20 years of the birth of the United States of America. Declaring Independence from colonial rule; another revolution was under way in the Western Hemisphere that would change significantly the course of History for the New United States and all of the other colonial powers on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
For almost 200 years the countries of Europe had colonized, pillaged and decimated the population of the West Indies in pursuit of its riches of sugar, lumber and other commodities. After virtually all of the native inhabitants had died of diseases brought from Europe, the slave trade was born to provide the machinery to continue the depletion of resources. That the slave trade was brutal, inhumane and morally wrong is without question. The sale, theft or kidnapping of humans for use in the worst forms of bondage cannot be condoned, but still continues today.
The slaves of Haiti rose up against their masters and ultimately defeated a far superior French Army to declare itself an Independent Republic in 1804. This was the first, and to this date the ONLY, successful slave revolt. Haiti became the first Black Free Republic in the World.
It was a wake up call that was not welcomed even by the United States which saw the seeds of a possible slave revolt that could destroy the prosperity of this new Republic. The response was one of shear disbelief that the new regime would hold. No effort was made by any colonial power to acknowledge or support the new leaders of Haiti.
A concerted effort by Napoleon, who sent his brother in law with an Army to take back his possessions, could not defeat the newly freed people of Haiti. It was this defeat that caused a monumental shift in the course of History for the Western Hemisphere. France abandoned its exploration of the middle of the North American continent and simply sold its possessions in the form of the Louisiana Purchase. The Spanish followed soon after effectively opening the way for the expansion of the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.
What might have happened to the United States had the French retaken Haiti has been the subject of many commentaries lately. History might finally be presented completely by including the bravery and pride of the Haitian people brought to this hemisphere under the most objectionable of methods.
It is time that we acknowledge the debt that we as Americans owe to the people of Haiti, who have fought daily for survival against all odds, for their place in the humanity of the Western Hemisphere. It is time that we all work to bring the living conditions of everyone on “our side” of the World to a better standard.
It is too bad that it has taken a catastrophic event like the Earthquake in Haiti to open the eyes of everyone’s heart to the realities of poverty and neglect that is Haiti. That such conditions can exist just a few hundred miles from our shores should be a wake up call. In so many places just a short distance from our borders, people live minute by minute just to survive, and yet when they try to better their lot in life they are cast aside as something less than another human being.
The next time you decry the plight of any people group as being their own fault, think to yourself; what did I do to deserve the blessing of being born in the United States? Then do what you can to reach out and not just give a hand out to those less fortunate, give them a hand up.

Larry Bailly is a life long resident of Snohomish County. He is missions’ coordinator for Snohomish Community Church, www.snocommchurch.org and a member of Snohomish County RESULTS, www.RESULTS.org He has been taking teams of construction and medical personnel to Haiti for the last 7 years.