NYT: Americans Jailed in Haiti Plead for Help From U.S.

[matt819]

A similar story was on HuffPo, over the weekend, I think - re American kidnappers in Haitian jail. You know that U.S. Government headed by an African-American president and with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate? That government that should stay out of everyone's personal business? Yeah, that government. In Washington, D.C. Guess whose help they want?

The comments are worth reading as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/world/americas/10prisoners.html?hp

<snip>

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The 10 Americans detained in Port-au-Prince on child trafficking charges are pleading for the United States government to do more on their behalf and for the news media to focus on them less.

“Help us,” one of the detainees, Carla Thompson, said Monday as she lay on a bed in a scorching jail cell about 8 feet by 5 feet, her ankles bandaged from infected mosquito bites. “That’s the message I would give to Mr. Obama and the State Department. Start helping us.”

Sitting on a dirty concrete floor in the cell, another detainee, Corinna Lankford, nodded in agreement, a frustrated look on her face.

“I have faith in God,” Ms. Lankford said. “But maybe the U.S. government could help a little more, too.”

<snip>

[SoCalDem]

1. ask jesus..not the government..nt

[malaise]

17. +1,000

:D

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Midnight Express taught me not to break any rules when out of the country.

Not necessarily applicable to this situation save for breaking the rules.

[we can do it]

12. NO KIDDING - It Scared Me and Good

[Iggo]

15. You ain't kiddin'.

That one did it for me, too.

[winstars]

19. DITTO ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

And when I we went to Istanbul everyone I worked with was like "I just don't wanna be Midnight Expressed"!!!!!

As for these 'missionaries' go, they should be very glad they are safe and sound in a jail opposed to being 'necklaced' or on the dinner menu in some other third world countries not so far in the past, accused of the same heinous crimes they are. Yeah, the State Department should help them by making sure that their relatives have the snail mail address of the shit hole that I hope they are in for the next like, 25 years. (I don't think they will be receiving many emails anytime soon) They can 'kin pray for stuff like a new mosquito nets each Christmas (that's if the WAR ON CHRISTMAS does not come to Haiti) or maybe a ice cube every 5 years or so. HA HA!!!!! ASSHOLES!!!!

[mzteris]

3. Dear Carla:

Maybe you should just "pray harder", eh?

[liberalmuse]

4. The same people who profess to hate the government...

and want to kill it are the first people to utilize its services. I see it with my right wing 'friends' all the time. One reason I'm hating my job is because I'm doing my job and another lady's - an anti-Obama, anti-government right wingnut who got drunk on Christmas and broke her leg while stumbling out of a bar. Now she's out for 4 months and is utilizing every government service available. These are the same 'socialist' services she used to berate 'libruls' for funding.

[elehhhhna]

5. the Embassy is not there to help you leave after you blatantly break

the law -- why does the average uglyamerican think he deserves some kind of magical diplomatic immunity?


The FBI should still be looking for Natalee Holloway, too, no doubt.

[gratuitous]

6. "When you're busted for drugs over there . . .

You're in for the hassle of your life."

Anyone else remember those public service announcements? Broadcasters don't really have to run PSAs anymore, but there was a time when the broadcast channels, as part of their responsibility for using the public airwaves, would run free advertisements for good citizenship things. No, really. "Don't be a litterbug." "Only you can prevent forest fires." That sort of thing. One of them was about drugs and getting apprehended in a foreign country for using or possessing, with the tagline above.

Somehow, I don't think this one got internalized by everyone.

[Fumesucker]

10. Yes, but drugs're bad...

Kidnapping children is God's work..



:sarcasm:

[T Wolf]

7. Who is this "Mr. Obama" they beseech for intervention? And doesn't their bible say

"suffering is good for the soul" or something along those lines?

I'd say this is playing out about the way it should.

1) White fundies descend upon a catastrophe-stricken poor nation to steal children for sale back in the states.

2) Assholes wind up in jail and complain about same.

Please, Mr. President, let them rot in the hell they helped create. Law and order must be preserved.

[Obamanaut]

20. There are two bible phrases that come to mind, and neither will be an

exact quote:

we are not tasked beyond which we can bear

whatsoever you ask in my name, that will I do.

They might not be asking hard enough, or their faith is not as large as a mustard seed

My favorite for situations such as these people are in does not come from the bible, but I think it fits when people do something ill advised and it bites them in the ass: You buys your ticket, you takes your ride.

[Fumesucker]

8. With God all things are possible..

Pray harder.. Kidnappers..

[joeybee12]

9. Maybe if you hadn't lied and said they were orphans when you KNEW they

had parents, someone might give a rat's ass.

[DainBramaged]

11. I guess they just aren't on God's winning team........

[SidDithers]

13. Fuck 'em. Let 'em rot...nt

Sid

[leftofcool]

14. Not only NO but Hell NO!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. There are a lot of parents in Haiti who've lost their children.

How about some people from Haiti sneak into the U.S. to kidnap some white U.S. children to give to those poor stricken parents in Haiti? I mean, as long as the intentions are good, right?

[Oldtimeralso]

18. Just Look

They are asking for help from MR. Obama, not President Obama. Maybe they still don't think that his Presidency is legitimate.