During the evening, I was amazed by how much information is not reported in the mainstream press. Below is some of the information that Concannon had that I have yet to read in the mainstream press.

The coup in question is, as Concannon sees it, the forced removal of the democratically elected president of Haiti: Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Concannon was one of the first people to meet with Aristide in the Central African Republic (CAR). Aristide was sent to the CAR on a plane full of US Special Forces. Aristide was not allowed to speak to anyone en route. When the plane fueled in Antigua, Antigua was not told who was on the plane. The airport in Antigua was also told the plane left from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, not Haiti. The United States' official line has been that Aristide resigned and fled to the CAR voluntarily. The U.S. produced a letter that says it proves that Aristide resigned. Professor Bryant Freeman of Kansas University, the Creole translator retained by the State Department to "prove" the letter was authentic, said it is not exactly a voluntary resignation letter. Freeman said, Aristide writes, "if his resignation can prevent a bloodbath, he agrees to leave" Furthermore, Freeman says the fact that the letter is in Creole and not French or English is significant. It proves that Aristide meant to communicate to his people, not the world, by writing in the language the majority of Haitians speak. Freeman's translation has been ignored by the mainstream media even though his claims appear on the on the web in the Lawrence Journal-World. The Aristide letter and Freeman's comments are available at http://www.ljworld.com/section/archive/story/163946.

Concannon said the CAR, is, possibly, even poorer and more politically unstable then Haiti. He finds it hard to believe anyone would voluntarily seek asylum there. Aristide is currently in South Africa after a stay in Jamaica.

Concannon said language in Haiti is a powerful tool of oppression. About 80% of Haitians speak Creole, the remaining 20% speak French. Creole is not the same as French. Creole speakers may or may not be fluent in French too. However, the language of the government and the courts is French. Most of people in power use French, which the majority of Haitians cannot understand. Trials in Haiti may be unjust for many reasons, a key reason being the accused or witnesses at trial may not understand a word in the courtroom. Concannon says trials are often Kafka-esque. They will proceed in French, then a witness or the accused will be asked a question in Creole, they will respond in Creole and then the trial reverts back to French.

Concannon also gave us an update on Father Gerard Jean-Juste of Sainte Claire's Catholic Church. Parishioners of St. Joan's who have followed the trips to Haiti of our parishioners and viewed their trip’s videos will recognize the name of "Father Gerry". Father Jn Juste was arrested last October in his church as he was feeding the poor children-as he does every Wednesday and Friday afternoon. Three children were shot. Father Gerry was literally dragged thru a window. He was charged with "disturbing the peace" and "troubling the public order" phrases Concannon said are applied to many things in Haiti. The government claims he was also arming the children. Concannon says Father Jn Juste frequently speaks out against injustice but he preaches peaceful resolutions to the problems in Haiti. In fact, he's been on the radio many times calling for peace, asking people to remain calm or stay in their homes rather then take to the streets in protest. Father Jn Juste spent 7 weeks in jail. He is currently free. Concannon strongly believes that international pressure and calls of protest to the Haitian Embassy brought about Father Jn Juste's release.

SJA parishioner Paul Miller, who leads our Haiti delegations, hosted an evening from Brian at his home.

Concannon said Rep. Maxine Waters of California sent a letter to President George Bush, Secretary of State Condolezza Rice and the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, James Foley, requesting that they grant asylum in the US to the Former Prime Minister of Haiti, Yvon Neptune, and the Former Interior Minister, Jocelerme Privert. Both Privert and Neptume are Lavalos (the party of Aristide) and Aristide supporters. They are both in jail. They both survived a recent, violent, revolt in the National Prison. They feel their lives are in danger. Both have recently started a hunger strike that will not end until the injustice of their imprisonment is addressed. Rep. Waters letter is on the IDJH website(www.ijdh.org)- the only time I've ever seen it or heard of it. According to the Haitian Constitution, the Prime Minister may be allowed to remain in office even if there is no President. Neptune has remained in Haiti, ready and willing to continue his duties as Prime Minister but he was imprisoned. The Haitian Constitution does require that a Prime Minister reside in Haiti for five years prior to his nomination. The current "de facto" Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue, resided in Boca Raton, Florida prior to his recent accession to the post of Prime Minister.

The Roman Catholic Church role in Haiti has been both good and bad. Father Jn Juste may be seen as a strong, role model for good in the Catholic Church and another strong role model could be: Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest (priests are not allowed to hold public office so he submitted his priestly resignation at the time he was elected). Concannon said the Catholic church has a strong presence in Haiti and it is very much divided into a high versus low church. The high church is the church of the rich and the bishops. The low church is the church of the poor people and their priests. At one time the Duvalier's (the family of dictator's in power from 1957-1986) appointed all the Bishop's in Haiti!! Why the Vatican "allowed" this I don't know. The Vatican was also the first government to recognize the new regime in Haiti after Aristide's removal.