Pat Robertson, who supposedly is a Christian commentator and is a former Republican presidential candidate, disgusted people all over this country and perhaps all over the world with his vicious, insensitive, hateful and borderline racist comments about Haiti (in the wake of a devastating earthquake for which the death toll could reach in the neighborhood of 100,000). Robertson’s show, the 700 Club, is his platform to unleash his sometimes hateful rhetoric. Wednesday, as the death toll continued to rise in Haiti and the reality of the devastation suffered by the small island nation begins to come into focus, Robertson took time out of his schedule to take a shot at the Haitian people as he offered his explanation for why the earthquake happened.
ROBERTSON: [S]omething happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the prince.” True story. And so the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.
But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle, on the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.
They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.
So, he blames the earthquake on the Haitian people who were, in Robertson’s own words, “under the heel of the French” and wanted freedom. It’s like Robertson is saying that if the Haitians would have let the Europeans continue to rule over them then perhaps they would not have had this earthquake. This ignorant and stupid even by the standards of Pat Robertson (who once had a decent amount of power and influence but now is a shell of what he once was in this country).
It goes back to the old racist stereotype of white Europeans civilizing the world centuries ago and showing people of color how to live, think and behave (because they know what’s best).
Obviously, some of the Haitian leaders have not served the people well, but the comments of Robertson are hateful and completely uncalled for, but hardly unexpected.
To Pat Robertson, Haiti wanting freedom was making a pact with the devil.
Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/13/robertson-haiti/
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