An article written by Micheal...
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An article written by Micheal Finkel for The New York Times Magazine of June 18, 2000, tells the story of a young Haitian man named David. David was one of 46 people who crowded into a 23-foot sailboat to make the perilous journey from Haiti to America in the spring of 2000.
Conditions on these journeys are truly deplorable. Most people bring the clothes on their backs, a pocketful of money and not much else. Packed together below deck, shoulder to shoulder, for days, sometimes weeks at a time, dehydration and hunger are a given and death is common. David summed up the attitude of most of the passengers when he said, "Some people get to America, and some people die. Me, I'll take either one. I'm just not taking Haiti anymore."
On a journey with so much suffering, more than food and water are required. It also takes a lot of faith to survive. Among his meager possessions, David had a Bible that helped to see him through. Perhaps looking for a little extra help, the boat was named "Believe in God." By sharing in the sufferings of a journey like that, all the Haitians aboard "Believe in God" hoped to share in the glories offered in America.
-- Parlette
Conditions on these journeys are truly deplorable. Most people bring the clothes on their backs, a pocketful of money and not much else. Packed together below deck, shoulder to shoulder, for days, sometimes weeks at a time, dehydration and hunger are a given and death is common. David summed up the attitude of most of the passengers when he said, "Some people get to America, and some people die. Me, I'll take either one. I'm just not taking Haiti anymore."
On a journey with so much suffering, more than food and water are required. It also takes a lot of faith to survive. Among his meager possessions, David had a Bible that helped to see him through. Perhaps looking for a little extra help, the boat was named "Believe in God." By sharing in the sufferings of a journey like that, all the Haitians aboard "Believe in God" hoped to share in the glories offered in America.
-- Parlette
