A Lot Of Money...*
This is the sum demanded by the Haitian Thugs who last week kidnapped 17 Missionaries from the Ohio Based Christian Aid Ministries. That works out to $1 million dollars per captive... a very tidy sum.
If I were the Haitian Authorities, I would put a sum of but $17,000 (USD) on the head of each kidnapper...dead or alive...just like in the olde West. Such a sum for the ordinary Haitian would be equivalent to what the Kidnappers themselves are asking for.
It would ensure that this type of crime would quickly end up in the dust bin of Hell.
But there is a larger issue here...much larger in fact and that is what can be done about Haiti. It is the basket case of our Region of North and South America. I have written about Haiti before and believe it is worth reviewing some of the key measures I believe We in Canada, the United States and those still functioning democracies of Central and South America should take to help this beleaguered nation.
What I said in my former Blog stands...'if we here in the West cannot help such a small country (11 million) on our very doorstep we should stop kidding ourselves that we have a role to play in nations further off such as Afghanistan and Vietnam.
The Steps that in my opinion need to be taken:
1. Bring in UN Peace Keepers to run the country for the course of the next generation...some 20 years. If the UN will not agree to do this - then the Countries I named above should share this responsibility over the next decade;
2. Why I say 20 years is due to the fact that it will take that long to train the coming generation to assume this responsibility themselves. So education is a must;
3. Get the people working - busy hands make happy hands and there is much they can do to supply the needs of Canada and the United States alone;
4. Round Up the Bad Players and put them in Detention for at least five (5) years to give them a chance to realize the errors of their ways. Education too should be a major part of their incarceration - have them learn valuable trades that they can use when back in society. If that does not work and they are released and they return to their criminal ways...lock them up again;
5. Fortunately Haiti is geographically small so police every inch of it so its citizens can walk about it in peace and without fear as in First World Civilized Countries.
I said the above eons ago and of course the West made all kinds of promises but in the end nothing changed and today Haiti is worse off than ever. The above will work if we have the Will which I hoped we had then but realistically doubt we have now.
Given this I am going to say something I never thought I would say and that is I believe if all else fails ...as it likely will given our lack of commitment... I would understand if Haiti opted to go with a Strong Man (Dictator) hopefully a Benevolent One - but something has to be done to protect their Citizenry from the misery of life they have experienced over the course of their lifetime.
* I started this Blog with the Hostages and will end it with them too. I would not be surprised to see the United States send in their Navy Seals ...these kidnappers do not know the trouble they are in.
As I See It...
'K.D. Galagher'
