The Question Of A State Funeral For Baby Doc

When it was announced that Jean Claude Duvalier was on his way to return to Haiti from his long exile in France after the earthquake that is believed to have killed some 300,000 Haitians, people were astounded. To many, this was the worst that could happen to the devastated nation, next to the earthquake. During his stay in Haiti, Duvalier maintained a conflicting profile. He was the subject of human rights violations and fraud allegations. He was placed under house arrest. He was summoned to court several times. Many would like to see him prosecuted, particularly those whose rights were violated or had relatives suffered under the dictator. Baby Doc, who always appeared old, sick, and frail, did not seem to worry much either. The new government of Michel Martelly was a sympathizer and protected him. A Haitian judge voided all charges against him based on status of limitation.

In fact, Baby Doc felt very at home. While those who remembered the reign of terror under him and his father abhorred him, a great majority considered him a victim of his father’s system. They disassociated him with the evils of his regime, and they nostalgically searched for the false sense of security and prosperity of his days. Further, the Haitian youth that did not live his moment, they have been led to believe that during his period everything was right. Hence, they hold no grudges against him, and in fact would like to return to his system of ‘tonton makout’ rather than the freedom and insecurity of the moment. Duvalier therefore experienced no fear roaming the filthy and insecure terrain of Haiti. Plus, the present government provided him security, unlike the former President Aristide, who is fighting for his existence in the country.

Now, the former dictator is dead. The question is whether he should receive a state funeral or not. His protégée Sweet Micky, had first inclined for that. However, it appears that after much criticism from all about, he has reneged. The Miami Herald has reported that the dictator may end up undergoing a regular funeral at his alma mater Saint Louis de Gonzague.

Personally, I did not pay much attention to this at first. I was more occupied with the issue of the tarantula that bit him. I was wondering whether the spider poisoned and killed him. For, I remember these beasts well and clearly during a two-year stint in Haiti and the city of Cap-Haitian. They look so creepy and terrifying! I really did look at them as something that could kill somebody. And, for an environment so spoiled and filthy to accommodate creepy creatures, as to the result of bad governments, Duvalier would reap the consequence of his leadership. This is not important, though.

I have arrived to realize that as a Haitian citizen working for a Haitian national unity, and a writer who has written considerably about Haiti, I should offer my position to my readers, followers, and whosoever. In reality, I did not support the idea of a state funeral for the Dictator. Yet, I did not make a big deal about it either. I simply heard that the Haitian president was leaning on giving it to him, and I thought nothing would stop him. I thought. What difference would it make anyway? If there is no law and order, a funeral makes no difference.

I decided to write this blog after having viewed the article from the Miami Herald that Martelly had reneged. Why is that important to me?

I think Martelly has taken a major step into Haitian reconciliation. I sympathize with those who would prefer the president to have a state funeral. You have your rights. Yet, I encourage you to support Martelly in this decision. For a man that people consider a dictator in the making himself, Martelly has made a bold move. I did not expect that from him. I thought he was going to utilize his penchant for pleasure and disrespect to give his patron the state funeral. He has greatly surprised me.

Now, to both Duvalier’s protagonists and antagonists, this is what is important. It is not whether the former president receives a state funeral or not. It is where Haitians are willing and ready take the nation in this 21^st century. Are we going to continue to fight one another? Or, are we going to work collaboratively in legality for the prosperity of the nation? It is a shame that in this world of civilization, we cannot take control of our destiny. We’re living as “dog eat dog.” We are having an occupation force on our ground to keep us from murdering each other. And, our leaders are living large!

I applaud Martelly for this decision. It would not really make much difference to me. Yet, I recognize it as a sign of acknowledgment to the other side. The international world has considered the Duvaliers as major devastators of the Haitian nation. Many Haitians today are still living what they and their relatives had suffered under the regimes. And, Haiti reemerged from the Duvalierism as the most corrupted, unstable, and poor nation in the Western hemisphere. It would be heartbroken for both those miserable Haitians living in the filthy slums of the country, and the international communities to witness a pompous state funeral for Baby Doc. It would be a remaking of the sarcastic marriage of the obese dictator and the party-girl Michelle Bennett.

Wise move, Martelly! Now, the elections?

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By E.C. GRANMOUN

E.C. Granmoun is the Author of: Bully: A Novel  onamazon.com
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