In response to the message about feel good rhetoric that some ones and ones sound out just to mask or veil the real truths. You are right dread, the fact is that we still have to deal with these internal problems. And now that the trod has folks from all races it has become a bigger problem. The tendancy seems to be more towards embracing multi-racialism rather than black empowerment. I am not interested in getting little white boys and girls or yellow and brown and red or mixed ones to love black. HIM and HER were mixed race folks. As documented in the Empress Titu and Menelick text, they had many mixed raced ancestors. I have no problem with folks who want to acknowledge their racial background. Unfortunately, its the issue of context again. You know "when in Rome do as the Romans do" some folks only want to claim these identities when it's convenient or when it would serve to alienate others. I have no problems with Bob Marley but he contributed to the coulorism that we see in this trod. It seems that as he became more popular and his following was increasingly whitened, he began to seek out women who were like him. For instance, I don't believe that he would have been able to get some of these women (like Miss Jamaica) to date him had he not attained fame. In fact, I really resent how he mistreated Rita Marley a dark chocolate sistah when he returned home so to speak and began dating women of his own racial make up. I am also not surprised that his mother claimed that she was practically abused or molested by his dad long before she was married to him. It is also telling that Aristide should be granted asylum by South Africa a place where the white power structure maintained the native blacks could not govern themselves. They've been doing quite well the past decade and a half or so. I am proud of them too and I hope and pray that it works out for Ayiti too. I am not concerned that the Rastas have remained silent about what's going in Ayiti. What bothers me is the fact that the US and French government are cracking down so hard on the so-called drug trafficking that's suppossedly happenning. The nation state of Ayiti is supposedly responsible for at least 20% of the street drugs that enter the US. They are said to be in direct competition with Jamaica and Cuba for a piece of the trade. Why have they not made big bust from those parts recently? And isn't it time that we LEGALIZE them so that we can move on and help those who may have a problem? Moreover, the various Haitian nationals who were members of the Lavalas inner circle or cabinet who've been jailed for these reasons deserve a fair trial. We need experts who can come forth and show that it is the laws that need to be changed first and foremost. These laws create an environment that perpetuates abuse and violence and it's time to stop.