Pat Robertson’s Haiti Comments Explained But Not Excused
January 16th, 2010 - 8:37 pm ICT by GDBy Ranjan Bhaduri
Jan 16, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The comments made by Pat Robertson about the destruction in Haiti is still causing sore spots in the media and the public. The people in the United States are still enraged over the fact that Rev. Pat Robertson had the gall to say that the people of Haiti are suffering as a result of the ‘pact they made with the devil’. Not only the American residents, but the Haiti destruction was wide enough to cause uproar amidst people all over the world.
Amongst all this rage, there is still a streak of curiosity amongst the people, as to what Pat Robertson actually meant while he made the comment. The answer lies in Haiti’s mythology and its history. According to Pat Robertson’s theory, the people/slaves of Haiti had to make a pact or deal with the devil, so that they could be independent from the clutches of Napoleon Bonaparte. This apparently led to a curse that destroyed the poor country of the Caribbean on Tuesday. According to the records, historians claim that the place was nothing more than ‘a hell’ for the Haitian slaves that were brought to the country. This one day led to a revolt on the part of the slaves. Andrew Apter, who is an anthropologist from UCLA said that these comments were “absurd enough to be funny”. “This notion of a pact with the devil is basically an echo of an old colonial response to the successes of the 170s Haitian revolution” he explained.
Along with Pat Robertson stands his apparent supporter Rush Limbaugh, who too said that the people of Haiti should not be monetarily aided by the Americans.
- White House slams right-wing comments over Haiti - Jan 15, 2010
- Rush Limbaugh Comments On Haiti Aid - Jan 15, 2010
- Pat Robertson Haiti comments condemned - Jan 15, 2010
- US televangelist sparks row by saying Haiti earthquake consequence of 'Satanic pact' - Jan 14, 2010
- Pat Robertson Blames "Historical" Agreement With Devil For Haiti Earthquake - Jan 14, 2010
- Rush Limbaugh's Haiti comments slammed by the White House - Jan 15, 2010
- US will not suspend aid to Haiti over electoral crisis: Hillary Clinton - Jan 31, 2011
- Cognac that accompanied Napoleon to be auctioned - Feb 20, 2012
- Rush Limbaugh Comments On Quake Struck Haiti - Jan 14, 2010
- Rush Limbaugh's diatribe hurts GOP prospects - Mar 09, 2012
- Rush Limbaugh defends his Haiti comments - Jan 15, 2010
- Aid for Haiti a priority as 600,000 still live in camps following quake - Oct 06, 2011
- 40 Haitian immigrants drown off Cuban coast - Dec 26, 2011
- Napoleon 'hoped to conquer Britain from St Helena' - Jun 17, 2010
- Clinton Foundation gives $1 mn for Haiti hurricane safety - Jun 02, 2010
Tags: american residents, anthropologist, apter, clutches, curiosity, curse, deal with the devil, haitian revolution, historians, napoleon, napoleon bonaparte, notion, pact with the devil, pat robertson, people of haiti, revolt, rush limbaugh, slaves, successes, uproar