The Bridge
‘They’re eating the pets’ – another example of US politicians smearing Haiti and Haitian immigrants
They’re eating the pets! JD Vance and Donald Trump promote debunked claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets, reflecting enduring anti-Haitian prejudice in the U.S. with historical roots in racism and misinformation.
Nathan H. Dize, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
They’re eating the pets?
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance continues to defend the false claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been abducting and eating area cats and dogs.
That outlandish idea has been thoroughly debunked since former President Donald Trump repeatedly raised it as an anti-immigrant talking point in the Sept. 12, 2024, presidential debate. Trump never mentioned where the migrants allegedly “eating the pets” came from, but many viewers understood it as a reference to Haitians, a population that Trump has previously degraded.
As debate moderator David Muir stated in his real-time fact check, there is no evidence that any pets in Springfield have been taken or consumed. NPR and other media outlets have also declared the rumor, which began with local right-wing advocates and officials in Springfield decrying the city’s disorganized response to an influx of Haitian migrants in recent years, to be false.
The Republican ticket’s untrue rumors about Haitians in Springfield reflects a long history of prejudice toward Haitians in the United States. As a scholar of Haitian history and literature, I have identified three anti-Haitian ideas prevalent in the United States that will help put the Springfield story into context.
1. The unfitness of Haitians ‘to govern themselves’
In July 1915, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson invaded Haiti under the guise of restoring order and economic stability following the assassination of Haitian President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam.
Five years into what would become a 19-year military occupation, the American diplomat and civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson was sent by the NAACP to investigate the supposed benefits of the occupation. His resounding takeaway: “The United States has failed Haiti.”
In related pieces for The Nation and The Crisis, Johnson chronicled abuses ranging from extra-judicial killings of Haitian citizens – U.S forces killed 15,000 Haitians between 1915 and 1934 – to the harassment and rape of Haitian women. Johnson said the U.S. occupation amounted to nothing more than a belief in the “unfitness of the Haitian people to govern themselves.”
By undermining Haitian sovereignty, Wilson’s administration had successfully created a justification for seizing control of Haitian banks, rewriting its constitution and importing American Jim Crow-style segregation into the capital city of Port-au-Prince. This was a clearly racist presidential administration that hosted White House screenings of D.W. Griffiths’ anti-Black film “Birth of a Nation,” as historian Yveline Alexis demonstrates in her book “Haiti Fights Back: The Life and Legacy of Charlemagne Péralte.”
“Racism,” Alexis writes, “was at the core of the seizure of Haiti and all interactions with Haitians.”
2. The ‘4H disease’
In June 2017, Trump reportedly “stormed into a meeting” on immigration from Haiti and repeated a slanderous anti-Haitian claim: “They all have AIDS,” he said.
The account, from author Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, shows the then-president repeating a falsehood that has circulated since HIV erupted in the 1980s.
Ever since a number of Haitians fell ill while at a Florida immigrant detention center in June 1982, Haitians became part of what the late public health expert Paul Farmer called the “geography of blame” that linked this highly communicable disease to certain places and people.
The federal government turned a small disease cluster into a migration policy designed to keep Haitians out of the U.S.
Betweeen 1981 and 1991, more than 27,000 Haitian asylum-seekers fleeing Jean-Claude Duvalier’s dictatorship were intercepted off the coast of Florida and detained. The vast majority were repatriated, in part because of a deportation agreement with Duvalier and in part because stopping Haitians at sea was a “screening strategy” to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading in the U.S.
The Reagan administration called the virus the “4H disease,” referring to Haitians, hemophiliacs, homosexuals and heroin users. This designation spread harmful lies about four groups, but Haitians were the only nationality singled out as an “at-risk” population for contracting HIV/AIDS.
By the time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed Haitians from its list of highest-risk groups in 1985, the damage had been done. Haitians in the U.S. were effectively vilified as vectors of a deadly virus.
As a young Haitian man in Port-au-Prince remarked to writer Martha Cooley in 1983, “This 4H thing is just one more way to keep us out.”
3. Haiti’s problems are homegrown
Haiti’s occupation by foreign forces has continued on and off in different forms since the U.S. invasion of 1915.
United Nations troops were stationed there for nearly two decades following the the 2004 ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. After the devastating 2010 earthquake, they were joined by the Red Cross and Oxfam. As all three organizations have since acknowledged, their humanitarian interventions left numerous crises in their wake, including cholera, chronic corruption in rebuilding projects and a market for sexually exploiting young girls.
Still, Haiti has long faced the accusation that its instability is homegrown. It is widely portrayed in the U.S. as a basket-case nation incapable of managing its own affairs. Trump, as president, once dismissed the entire country as a “shithole.”
At present, Haitians are coping with overlapping crises that have U.S. fingerprints.
After President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021, the Biden administration hand-picked Haiti’s interim prime minister, Ariel Henry, as its new leader. This undemocratic decision was such a resounding failure that in March 2024, Haitian gangs revolted against Henry’s administration, unleashing a wave of gruesome violence that ultimately forced Henry out of office.
So many catastrophes in Haiti over the past four decades have created an overwhelming sense of insecurity among its people. Many hundreds of thousands have fled the country for the U.S., Dominican Republic, Brazil and beyond.
In July 2024, the Biden administration granted temporary protected status to 500,000 Haitian migrants in the U.S., allowing them to stay in the country, in recognition of the life-threatening conditions back home.
The people Trump insists are “illegal aliens” are in fact authorized U.S. residents from a country buffeted by American meddling in its politics.
A very old pattern
In barking about cats and dogs in Springfield, Trump, Vance and their right-wing supporters are spreading the same kind of anti-Haitian rhetoric that has sown a harmful distrust of Haitian migrants for over a century.
“This is not the first time that we [Haitians] have been the victims of ‘yon kanpay manti,’” said the Ministry of Haitians Living Abroad in a press release following the debate, using the Haitian Creole phrase for “a campaign of lies.”
The result of such misinformation, it added, is “mistreatment, hatred, and misunderstanding in the interest of politics.”
Nathan H. Dize, Assistant Professor of French, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
News
Dozens of cyclists and pedestrians are killed each year in Philly − an injury epidemiologist explains how to better protect bike lanes, slow drivers down and reduce collisions
D. Alex Quistberg, Drexel University
Over 60 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed each year in Philadelphia in recent years.
Compared with other big cities, Philadelphia’s death rate for both pedestrians and cyclists is higher than New York and Chicago but lower than Los Angeles and Houston.
Across the U.S., more pedestrians and bicyclists are killed or seriously injured today than any time over the past 40 years. Over 7,500 pedestrians and over 1,100 bicyclists died in traffic collisions in 2022, the most recent year with available data, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As an injury epidemiologist in Philadelphia who studies pedestrian and bicyclist injuries in the U.S. and Latin America, I want to share several evidence-based ways that Philadelphia can make walking, biking and getting around the city safer for everyone.
Protect bike lanes
Protected bike lanes have physical barriers that prevent drivers from entering the bike lane to park or pass other drivers.
They are particularly useful on high-volume cycling corridors and offer cyclists much more protection than lanes that are merely painted but have no physical barriers or lanes with flexible posts that can be driven over.
Flexible posts, for example, were unable to block the collision that killed Barbara Friedes, chief pediatric resident at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in Center City in July 2024 when a drunk driver sped through the bike lane where Friedes was bicycling.
Research suggests protected bike lanes can improve safety for pedestrians and drivers too. This is likely because they tend to cause drivers to slow down.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and other local bike safety advocacy groups have called for the city to replace unprotected lanes with protected lanes and also add protected bike lanes to more roadways that currently don’t have any.
In October 2024, the city announced it will install concrete barriers to protect the bike lanes on Spruce and Pine streets in Center City, including where Friedes was killed. That same month, the City Council unanimously passed a “Get Out the Bike Lane” bill that increases the fines for drivers who stop or park in a bike lane.
Slow drivers down
Traffic-calming measures are engineering and road design strategies that slow vehicles down, make pedestrians more visible to motorists and provide safer crossing areas.
They include speed humps, curb extensions and protected intersections, as well as 20 mph speed zones.
Automated speed enforcement, which involves cameras that capture the license plates of drivers who are speeding, has led to major reductions in speeding and serious collisions on Roosevelt Boulevard. The street, which runs through North and northeast Philadelphia, has been named one of most dangerous roads in the country in various analyses by news and transportation organizations. Due to this success, the city plans to expand automated speed enforcement to Broad Street in 2025 and potentially other locations in the future.
Traffic-calming measures can benefit all road users by reducing traffic congestion so drivers and public transit riders face fewer delays. They can also boost nearby businesses by increasing foot traffic and making business corridors more pleasant for shoppers.
Encourage fewer cars on the road
Philadelphia can adopt more policies that promote walking or biking over driving. These include open streets or ciclovías, where streets are closed down to motor vehicle traffic and opened to cyclists and pedestrians. Philadelphia occasionally does this on stretches of 18th Street and Walnut Street in Center City.
Increasing parking fees can also reduce traffic congestion. Parking fees generally do not reflect the true cost of driving in cities, which includes maintaining parking spaces and infrastructure. The low cost of parking is essentially a subsidy to drivers. While there are fears that reduced parking hurts business owners, substantial evidence indicates businesses benefit from increased foot and bicycle traffic.
The city could also reduce the number of parking spaces and implement congestion pricing, which involves charging fees to drive in certain areas of a city to reduce traffic congestion.
This may be a challenge, considering the recent experience of New York City, which spent decades preparing for congestion pricing only to have it blocked by the governor, though it seems it now has a chance of being implemented. How much success New York has with congestion pricing will likely determine the feasibility in Philadelphia and other U.S. cities.
Improve public transportation
Expanding public transportation and lowering or eliminating fares can also help protect pedestrians and cyclists by reducing car use. I believe these measures could help ensure the other policies mentioned above are effective.
However, Philadelphia’s public transportation is currently in a critical state. Facing funding shortfalls due to years of declining ridership, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has proposed service cuts and significant fare increases beginning Jan. 1, 2025. Gov. Josh Shapiro has spared the system from these cuts for now by flexing federal highway funds, but long-term solutions are needed to ensure the survival and revival of public transportation in Philadelphia.
Addressing gun violence, drug use and other crimes may also make public transportation in Philadelphia safer and more attractive. While violent crimes on Philadelphia’s public transportation have dropped dramatically in 2024, four people have lost their lives on SEPTA vehicles so far this year.
Collect better data
Considering the increase in road traffic deaths in Philly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial efforts are needed to reach the city’s Vision Zero goal of reducing road traffic deaths to zero by 2030.
In my view, this includes better data on transportation use and which interventions and policies are working and which are not.
Road safety surveillance could be improved in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania by linking crash records to other data, such as hospital and clinical data of crash victims, as well as insurance costs to better understand the burden of road traffic injuries on the city and the state.
Data is also key to ensuring public policies are implemented equitably. The Vision Zero plan includes a focus on lower-income neighborhoods and those with higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities. Those areas have three times as many serious injuries and deaths as other neighborhoods, and road traffic injury and deaths rates are 30% higher among people of color compared with white residents.
D. Alex Quistberg, Associate Research Professor, Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.
https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge
Author
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
STM Daily News
Diana Gregory Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps on Behalf of President Biden
Honoring Diana Gregory
In a moment that truly embodies the essence of service and community care, Diana Gregory, the visionary founder of Diana Gregory Outreach Services, has been honored with the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award from AmeriCorps. This award, presented on behalf of President Joe Biden, took place during a heartfelt ceremony at the VA Health Care System in Phoenix, Arizona, organized by the dedicated leadership of The Order of St. George.
Diana’s selection for this distinguished accolade highlights her extraordinary commitment to fostering positive change and improving the lives of those in her community. Over the past decade, she has passionately addressed critical issues like food insecurity and health awareness, focusing on supporting seniors and veterans. Through her organization, Diana Gregory Outreach Services, she has distributed fresh, nutritious produce to thousands, ensuring that those in need have access to healthy food options.
But Diana’s contributions extend far beyond food distribution; she has also implemented vital health education programs that empower individuals and families, helping them to embrace wellness and make informed choices about their health. This holistic approach has created a transformative impact on underserved communities, reinforcing the importance of access to both nutrition and education.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is an honorable recognition reserved for individuals who have dedicated over 4,000 hours of volunteer service. This milestone is a testament to Diana’s proactive engagement and relentless advocacy for those she serves. Her award serves not only as recognition of her achievements but also as an inspiration for others to follow in her footsteps and contribute to their communities.
The Order of St. George, a respected non-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, veterans, and the Boy Scouts of America, proudly presented the award. Their involvement signifies the collaborative spirit of various organizations working together to uplift and empower individuals in need, underscoring how interconnected our communities truly are.
As we celebrate Diana Gregory’s well-deserved honor, we recognize the countless lives she has touched and the paths she has paved for a brighter, healthier future. Her remarkable efforts highlight the immense power of community service and the difference every individual can make when they dedicate their time and passion to helping others.
To learn more about Diana Gregory Outreach Services and how you can get involved in her inspiring mission, please visit dianagregory.com. Together, let’s continue the legacy of compassion and service that Diana has so beautifully embodied.
Congratulations, Diana Gregory, on this remarkable achievement! Your dedication is a shining example of what it means to be a true leader and advocate for community well-being. Your work inspires us all to be better, do better, and serve better.
To learn more about Diana Gregory, visit https://dianagregory.com/
Related Link (Origina Press Release):
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/177DijAbdG
The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.
https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
(Family Features) The holidays are a time of celebration, cheer and reflection; though for some, they are overshadowed by conflict and emergencies worldwide. From the Middle East to Haiti, Sudan and beyond, children are facing unparalleled crises.
You can make an impact through your holiday traditions and festivities, and create a life-changing difference in the lives of children around the world with meaningful gifts from UNICEF USA and its partners.
Say “Happy Holidays” and support children around the world with UNICEF holiday boxed cards. Choose from charming designs featuring everything from cute critters to messages of peace, joy and friendship. Find these cards at participating IKEA US and Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online at market.unicefusa.org, hallmark.com/unicef and amazon.com.
For those who spend the holidays traveling, Marriott Bonvoy will match five points for each point donated by members to philanthropic partners from Dec. 3-10. Points donated to UNICEF will go toward its mission to ensure every child is healthy, educated, protected and respected. For year-long travelers, Marriott Bonvoy members who earn 50 or 75 qualifying nights in a calendar year are eligible to select UNICEF to benefit from their Annual Choice Benefit with a $100 donation. Learn more about the program, donate points and select your Annual Choice Benefit online through giving.marriott.com.
Give the gift of holiday radiance with The Serum by Clé de Peau Beauté. Whether you are treating yourself or a loved one, this gift is sure to spread some cheer. Since 2019, Clé de Peau Beauté has proudly donated $11.6 million total to UNICEF to support the education and empowerment of girls around the world. Ring in the new year with a self-care routine that also cares for the children of the world. Find out how you can help unlock the power of girls at cledepeaubeaute.com.
Support education worldwide with a donation of 1,000 pencils to UNICEF by purchasing a handcrafted black and white woven pouch that’s stylish and versatile for carrying travel essentials or art supplies. Showcasing the unique Pattu pattern by the Desert Weavers of India, this pouch lets you provide crucial tools for children while delivering hope for a brighter future.
Send five warm blankets to children in crisis and gift your loved ones or yourself with five exclusive handmade UNICEF Snowbaby Wool Ornaments. Crafted by Indian artisan Renu Rani, the ornaments feature four babies in vibrant snowsuits for a touch of holiday cheer.
Create meaningful impact for children fighting to shape their own futures around the world this holiday season by purchasing beautiful, hand-crafted artisan gifts that give back and send lifesaving supplies in the name of your friends and family from market.unicefusa.org.
SOURCE:
UNICEF
The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.
https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Urbanism1 year agoSignal Hill, California: A Historic Enclave Surrounded by Long Beach
-
News2 years agoDiana Gregory Talks to us about Diana Gregory’s Outreach Services
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years agoThe Absolute Most Comfortable Pickleball Shoe I’ve Ever Worn!
-
STM Blog2 years agoWorld Naked Gardening Day: Celebrating Body Acceptance and Nature
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years agoACE PICKLEBALL CLUB TO DEBUT THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED INDOOR PICKLEBALL FRANCHISES IN THE US, IN EARLY 2023
-
Travel2 years agoUnique Experiences at the CitizenM
-
Automotive2 years ago2023 Nissan Sentra pricing starts at $19,950
-
Senior Pickleball Report2 years ago“THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS OF PICKLEBALL” – VOTING OPEN