"The Agronomist": Jean Dominique
In the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, in a crumbling studio surrounded by high fences, Jean Dominique spoke out against a successive wave of foreign imperialistic interference and home grown military dictatorships, a disasterous cacophony of violent forces. Jean Dominique braved his own mortality and spoke out against brutality and oppression as the rules of the day; if he hadn't been shot and killed outside of Radio Haiti on April 3, 2000, his voice would undoubtedly still be railing against the injustice which continues to plague this troubled land. Dominique used his pulpit to rally against ingrained corruption and negligence, and of the corrupting influences of power, as manifested through his one time confidant, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who lost favor after gaining power and becoming embroiled in the trappings of his office.
Haiti now ranks 146th out of 177 countries on the UN Human Development Index; about 80% of the population lives in poverty, with little hope of emergence. Foreign interference with Haiti's domestic political crises have done little but fuel the fires of discontent. I question if Dominique's work and voice have had any lasting affect on the economics of the country; however, I do not question his legacy as a crusader for freedom.
“The only weapon I have is my microphone and my unshakable faith as a militant for change, veritable change,” --Dominique
