Bryan,
I came across your blog as I am researching more factual information of Haiti in my endeavors to help the Haitian community. I have been serving the Haitian community for seven years and I believe I am one of those “missionaries” who have your respect. Nevertheless, I believe that your comment is flawed and unwarranted. I can compare your reaction as being afraid of a plastic snake, knowing that is a “plastic snake”.

First you need to use words in their context and definition so you can better express your sentiments. One cannot say, he/she is racist based on religious believe. Racism in is true form is based on physical appearance between people. If you were to show me that the NGO said or did something racist such as: “I would never eat with those color people” or “I cannot mingle with them and can’t wait to go home”. If this would have been the fact, I would have totally agreed with you. Yet, I neither saw, nor hear your evidence of racism, thus, your explicit claim fails the test.

It is hard to separate the voodooism from the cultural background of Haiti. Yet, if Haitian’s can be convince that some (if not all) of their practice are prejudicial to their life and stagnate their progress, would not be better to accommodate to this new found realization than to hold to meaningless and useless practice? History has shown this by the early believes that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth. Would you hold on to the belief because it “supposedly” makes your heritage cultural background?

This is probably why Haitian’s don’t follow the “blood-line to Africa” closer by practicing Female Circumcision (also know as Female Genital Mutilation)? Just the idea can make even a manly man flinch. In addition, some voodoo rituals require live sacrifice of chicken in which some priest bite the live chickens, exposing him/her self to bird flu. This is just the tip of the issues that shows that is better to accommodate to new found realization, as long as they are true.

Lastly, will you like to close the borders and allow Haiti to progress without the “missionary” efforts? I believe here YOU are being SELFISH and IGNORANT. As long as these “missionaries” don’t, rape, murder, or enslave Haitians and are contributing to the needed progress, let them be. Nobody is putting a gun to the Haitian’s head and telling them that they ‘must’ attend these services. Furthermore, if Haitians decide to attend ‘only’ because of the provisions these missionaries bring, what gives? Let them be and I hope they enjoy the provisions (food, medicine, etc.), for they bring the provisions irregardless of the Haitians motives for receiving them. There is just a greater hope that they receive not just the provisions but the one who sends them (God’s and His love).