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Show Chronicle Wednesday, December 7, 1988 Page Six EDITORIAL Bush imiyst take Soviet initiative On Monday, Dec. 12, two old politicians will sit down together and discuss, for the last time, the most difficult problems humankind currently faces. For Ronald Reagan, in the process of passing down the torch of leadership, the meeting will juxtapose the Reagan administration's old perspective of the "evil empire." For Mikhail Gorbachev, the meeting only represents another step in the monumental process called "glasnost." Regardless of the affection between the two leaders, the actual agenda will recall many of the traditional barriers impeding relations. Furthermore, this minisummit will involve a relative newcomer, President-elec- t George Bush. It is the sincere hope of the Chronicle that Bush will follow the outgoing administration's initiatives with the Soviet Union. Key issues such as arms control (both nuclear and conventional forces), human rights, the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan (which has stalled) and Central American policies should be foremost on the combined agendas. The Chronicle hopes the incoming Bush U.S.-Sovi- et administration will build upon the gains made by his predecessors but avoid the pitfalls which hampered the Reagan administration. A more conciliatory stance toward the Star Wars program, a more moderate, diplomatic pursuit of peace in Central America and support for Gorbachev's reforms within the Soviet Union are all affective postures that could act as catalysts in the continuing struggle for world peace. Gifts from heart'; mean a lot rtmoce After reading this editorial, some may call us "Scrooges," but that would be a misnomer. Scrooge was rich, students (a.k.a. the Chronicle's editorial board) are notHowever, there is one similarity between the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge and the Chronicle editorial board. We're annoyed by Christmas, or rather, one aspect of it. ? Specifically, we wish the pressure to purchase costly gifts for everyone would cease. Each Christmas, the gift list seems to grow. Because most gifts don't come for less than $5 any more, students are faced with racking up hefty bills or feeling like a pariah because they must exclude numerous friends and acquaintances. We aren't sure who to blame for this situation; perhaps we should look to ourselves first. Christmas would be more meaningful if, rather than spending capital in a per-functiona- ry manner, people thoughtfully their feelings for one another and penned offered that as a present. Such an expression' would be far more meaningful, than the token bottle of perfume or expensive ? SRHoeW r7n )M J n Jean de Montreux Bel-A- mi I wonder, do the .tamtam of voodoo, the voice of the ancient African spirits, still scream wildly in the hills all through the nights, until the powerful, calloused, virtuoso hands of Haitian musicians would tire and fall asleep in the first coldness of dawn? Do the Calypso bands still roam through the streets, entertaining elated adults and fascinated children? Do they Pierrot? Do they Maurice? . I remember the imposing Iron Market where artisans cacophonously advertised their trinkets and peasants offered their products. I used to go there to buy comic books, taste the succulent native fruits that were plentiful and affordable and practice my broken English with happy tourists. In the last picture I saw of that once exotic place, an old man was lying in a pool of blood on the historic steps. His crumpled hody was riddled with bullet holes. On his dead lips were frozen the question that is burnY? ing in me leaders of my old land so violently the are Why raping it? The Duvaliers were not saints by any means, but the present military strongmen are the incarnation of evil. They seem to be motivated by a wicked, consuming desire for power. They display a neurotic need to destroy, a pathological sign of madness. The outside world has turned away its head. The United States does not seem to care. This is not the Persian Gulf, or even Grenada. It is only lowly Haiti-th- e poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The country is doomed. The generals are pushing drugs. The populace is living in a misery analogous with that of the deepest of Black Africa. I am an American now. I voted in the last election. I am free and pursuing the American dream. But of course I remember Haiti. I grew up there. I was not free. My parents never had a chance to vote. But the Haiti of the past was far better off than it is now. I lost family and friends. They did not play the game of the dictators. If you knew how to play, you survived. Now there are not any rules. Haiti, your citizens have drunk the poisonous venom of resignation. They seem enslaved in the ghostly accolade of despair. What did you fight for, Haiti? You awoke in an uprising far greater in My heart ached when Haiti returned to the news. Another coup d'etat. Another step backward in the dense jungle of hopelessness and disarray. What is happening to the land where I grew, up? The images of the Haiti I saw on the television, g depicting sobering scenes of submachine ghouls firing indiscriminately at the crowds, were far different from those images in my childhood memory. The television displayed a different world of dilapidated neighborhoods where poverty and , despair run rampant. Where are the smiles that decd orated the handsome features of this people who believed in God, in better tomorrows, and in dreams? What has happened to the Caribbean Pearl? You may have seen pictures of forests of palm trees and .snaking beaches. I climbed those trees and collected seashells from those white beaches. Does the sun still transform the clouds into giant works of art long into dusk to the delight of young poets? Why, then, is that funeral veil so stubbornly hanging across your tropical face, Haiti? How much you have changed, : : land of my fathers. When I was growing up in Haiti in the 70s, times were not all that great. We did not have much, but we thrived, regardless that our hopes for a better life relied solely upon unending expectations of divine miracles. Few of us dared challenge the established order. We had our restrictions. Words like "politics" and "dissent" were taboo. Dissent against Duvalier's ideologies was a suicidal act. Many like me lost brothers and sisters who bravely ventured too far. However, for those who stayed within the scope of the implied limits of that despotic society, survival, indeed prosperity, was quite possible. Where are my childhood chums now? We had so much fun. We used to swim in the lush waters of Bay. We collected pearls from the oysters lying on the shallow bottoms. Finding a lobster was not a rare event. I remember Ti Maurice and Aristide. We played soccer on the same team for years. We attended the seminary, and later, the university together. Where are you now, my friends? I recall Maurice opted for the prestigious military academy instead of the Eriesthood. Have you lived up to your potential, my you fallen victim because of your innate honesty? I last saw Father Aristide on 60 Minutes. He was fighting for the rights of the people. I cried proud tears. I learned with sadness the fate of Pierrot Beauvais, my old buddy. I was his lieutenant. I tried to emulate him. I followed him during his flirting rounds, learning the methods of a true Don Juan. He was killed by a stray bullet while trying to vote in the February election massacre. , gun-totin- once-prou- now-WH- ce now-famo- strength than the numerous hurricanes that batter your coastlines and uproot your cities to swiftly dethrone the incompetentruthless and uxorious Duvalier. What have you gained for the blood spilled in that uprising? The laws of old Haiti have been replaced by the statutes of today's despots: Uzi machine guns, manchettas and drug peddling. Bel-AJean de Montreux, a student at the University of Utah College of Law, is a regular columnist for the Chronicle. mi us stationery. The Daily Utah C HRONICLE The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks,. by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions must be includprepaid. Forward all subscription correspondence, the Business to of Manager, address, Daily ing change Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Utah, 84112 hopeless state Haiti propelling to Port-au-Prin- Board: Lori Bona Hunt, Tamarah Hardesty, Darren Hawkins, Andrew Hunt, Justin Toth Editorial ......... .'. .... .Darren Hawkins .... .Andrew Hunt Editor in Chief. . . .", Managing Editor. News Editor. Edtorial Editor Sports Editor Feature Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Night Editor. Assistant News Editor Assistant Editorial Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Feature Editor. . ............. : . ....... .Lori Bona Hunt ...... .Y. Justin Toth . .'. Kent Condon" Deanie Wimmer Guy Elder .Ellon Garff Hawkins .Amber McKee '...Ed Ruiz .Tamarah Hardesty .Dirk Facer . .Sharon Deckert ..... Assistant Photography Editor . Scott Stone Mike Allsop Vic Garcia Christian Aggeler . . Darren Tucker Arlene Calkins Jennifer Poterson Loren Jorgensen 1- . Sports Writer. Photographer. Business Manager Accountant Classifieds Artists. . . . .... . ; Charles .Steve Moore ... Ken Southwick ASUU Reporter. News Reporters. v Feature Writers. Aaron Ashcraft ...... Assistant Copy Editor Administration Reporter. "'.' ak& T7 THAT? WAV ROM ; . . , ; . . ... Andrew Holloway . . Accounting Clerk Collections ...... Account Executives Bartel .Wes Pack . . . . . . . , . . Tammie Bostick Sara Wilson . Production Manager. Assistant Production Manager Production Assistant. . . Distribution , Lai ........Kim . ' Robert McOmber Kay Anderson Charlene Collins Byron Williams . . . MattDalton JinaSanone .Sean Buckley .Kenny Watanabe AbbieHall David Lew Stanford Hirai Sridip Nag David Orchard |