Editor’s Note: We received this op-ed from Rev. Steve Jungkeit, who serves as the Senior Minister of The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (FCCOL.)
In the winter of 2020, just before Covid stopped the world, I sat with a friend on a hillside overlooking Deschapelles, Haiti on a clear starry night. There were scarcely any lights to be seen, for few people in that remote valley have electricity. But the world around us was alive with sounds. From numerous directions, we heard the sounds of Vodou drumming, as people conducted nighttime ceremonies.
From other locations, we could hear the sounds of church services, with people singing hymns and worship songs. Occasionally the sound of conversation could be heard interspersed with the music, and sometimes laughter. The night was alive with a kind of sensual wonder, and even though vast poverty surrounded us, I couldn’t help but marvel at the richness of Haitian culture, and the gifts it has offered the world.
If only more people in the United States understood the beauty and vitality of Haitian culture. The racist and xenophobic lies of Donald Trump and JD Vance have cruelly stigmatized Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, demonizing them simply for being there. It’s an ugly behavior with a long history from all sides of the political spectrum in the U.S. Such remarks render even more precarious a population that has already suffered, and survived, much. For the sake of Haiti and Haitians, it’s time to tell – and to learn – a different story.
There are, of course, Springfields all across the United States, where significant populations of Haitians live. But that’s especially true in Connecticut. In the southeastern corner of the state where I live, Norwich and New London have thriving Haitian communities. But the same is true of Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and countless other cities throughout our state. Haitians are our neighbors, and they make the places that we live better and more vibrant for their very presence.
Now is the time to reach out to those communities. Now is the time to say that we’re glad that you’re here. Now is the time to offer our support in any way we can, as threats, rumors of violence, and slander directed toward Haitians have increased. Now is the time to thank our Haitian neighbors, for enduring so much, and for making our world, and our state, a more vibrant place.
But now is also the time to educate ourselves, and to celebrate the gifts of Haitian history and culture. We can do that by reading the monumental histories of the Haitian Revolution written by C.L.R. James (“The Black Jacobins”) or Laurent Dubois (“Avengers of the New World”). We can do that by queuing up exemplary music on our streaming accounts from Haiti and its diaspora (RAM, Boukman Eksperyans, Leyla McCalla, Lakou Mizik, or countless others). We can do that by understanding better the complex genius of Haitian Vodou (start by reading “The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou”, but continue on to works such as Nan Domi, by Mimerose Beaubrun or “Tell My Horse”, by Zora Neal Hurston).
We can study the beauty of Haitian art, and appreciate the literature that has emerged from Haiti (start with the exquisite writings of Edwidge Danticat, but try others as well, like Jacques Roumain and René Depestre). Don’t forget the searing and profound films of Raoul Peck (Exterminate All the Brutes, for example) one of the most innovative filmmakers on the planet today.
And let us not forget to eat. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried piklis, a spicy Haitian vegetable mixture that will elevate your consciousness. You can find it in Norwich, at Mommy’s Delicious Food, or in Bridgeport, at Manje Lakay.
Above all, though, let us not forget the people, or neglect their stories. Let us not ignore the many gifts they have given to Connecticut, to the United States, and to the world itself.
I can’t reproduce that night in Deschapelles, but in a way Connecticut is a lot like that hillside: if you know how to listen (and see, taste, touch, and smell), the gifts of Haitian culture are all around us.
Now is the time to listen well, that we might come to tell, and to learn, a better story about Haiti.
Editor’s Note: The Crosby Fund for Haitian Education, one of the ministries of FCCOL helps Haitian young people receive an education, which is neither free in Haiti nor an expense that most Haitians can afford.
How the Youngest Ever French PM was Replaced by the Oldest
As a rule, French politics are full of surprises but the summer of 2024 took the country into unchartered waters.
For weeks the search was on to find a new Prime Minister. All attempts led to an impasse. People started getting really worried: was there even a pilot on the plane?
And then, on the 51st day, President Emmanuel Macron announced his unexpected choice of a man who had spent more of his political life in Brussels than in Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
On Sept. 5, a transfer of power ceremony took place in Hotel Matignon when the resigning prime minister Gabriel Attal, age 33—the youngest ever Prime Minister of the fifth Republic—turned over his functions to Michel Barnier, age 73, and the oldest.
The wait for 51 days to nominate a Prime Minister was the longest ever in French politics. What happened during that period was the exacerbation of déjà vu infighting between President Macron and the political parties.
As I explained in my 7/18 LymeLine article, the RN (Rassemblement National) hard Right populists had been denied access to power thanks to the clever voting maneuvers of the leftist NFP (Nouveau Front Populaire) at the polling station on July 8.
Everything was put on hold during the Olympic games, which appear in retrospect as a blissful interlude when the French were united and happy. The search for a Prime Minister resumed in August .
The first candidate was Lucie Castets, nominated by the NFP. Politically she is an independent, highly educated and qualified, although without any experience in government. She was received at the Elysée Palace “after a long and courteous meeting”, to quote Françoise Fressoz, editorialist at Le Monde.
It was pay-back time for the NFP which, after all, had been the main actors in stopping the RN from winning the elections. As the largest group in Parliament, they felt entitled to choose the Prime Minister, although, since they did not have a majority of seats in the National Assembly , they had no legal right to do so, according to Brice Teinturier, director of Ipsos, an international market research and public opinion firm.
From the start, Castets was feared to become a puppet for far Left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of LFI (La France Insoumise.) As to Marine Le Pen, she threatened an immediate Motion de Censure (vote of no confidence.) Definitely a bad beginning for this candidate …
To avoid the rapid overthrow of a government and to insure stability, Macron turned Castets down. Melanchon was furious and demanded the ‘destitution’ (similar to impeachment) of the president. According to the article 68 of the Constitution, ‘destitution’ can only be justified for “high treason” or in a situation when the president shows signs of losing his mind. That was the case in 1920 when President Paul Deschanel wandered on the railroad tracks in his nightdress, allegedly regarding a dispute with the conductor.
A second name was proposed by the president: Bernard Cazeneuve, a Socialist, former prime minister during François Hollande’s presidency. Olivier Faure, president of the Socialist sub group (part of the NFP coalition), rejected Cazeneuve. How surprising that a Socialist would be against another Socialist!
The argument was that Cazeneuve appeared too much like the continuation of Macron’s program and embodied the Hollande ‘s policy in the final days of his mandate. Again, Marine Le Pen threatened to strike the candidate with a motion de censure. Relations between Macron and Cazeneuve were frigid. Cazeneuve is definitely out.
Marine Le Pen, President of the RN (Rassemblement National.) Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Two more names came up: Xavier Bertrand, LR (Les Republicains) President of the region of Hauts de France (formerly Haute Normandie) and Thierry Beaudet, from the Economic and Social advisory board. Laurent Wauquiez, president of the LR Republicans can’t stand Bertrand, and claims that any compromise of his own program would be crossing a red line. Bertrand and Beaudet are rejected by RN and NFP after a few hours .
At that point, someone remarked with irony: if it takes so long to designate a Prime Minister, how long is it going to take to choose a new cabinet of 35 persons or more? Furthermore , the new Prime Minister will have to deal not only with the ministers, who have resigned, plus also with the new ones. A bit overwhelming, wouldn’t you think?
The NFP complained … they stole our elections. Jerome Fourquet, heads of the Opinion department in the polling institute IFOP, comments that the political software in the Fifth Republic did not appear to function any more. When two thirds of the National Assembly (both extreme Right and Left) claim that their elections have been “stolen” (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?), there is something very wrong. Jerome Joffré, political scientist asks rhetorically: Why vote … since the election results are not respected?
By Sept. 2, dark clouds loomed on the horizon. Philippe Dessertine, renowned economist and Professor at the Institute of Administration of the Enterprises explained that France is under surveillance from the European Union (EU.) France will have to report by Sept. 16 on the country’s deficit, which is going through the roof, now standing at close to 5.6 percent of its GDP. (Under the Maestricht rule, only a 3 percent deficit is allowed.)
The International Monetary Fund is also watching France to whom it just sent an unprecedented letter of warning. Besides, on Oct. 1 the annual debate on the budget is scheduled to start.
The financial pressure on France therefore has never been so strong, stresses Dessertine. One hundred billion Euros in savings must be found before 2027. The public sector costs a lot while not functioning well. Local communities are deeply in the red. The public hospitals are falling apart. The number of bankruptcies has increased by 25 percent in recent years.
Even worse, one hears that Bercy (the Ministry of Finance) has kept financial problems hidden. There is a lack of pedagogy. The public opinion should be explained more frankly how serious the situation is.
Pierre Moscovici, President of the Cour des Comptes (the highest body in France, responsible for auditing public funds) stresses the financial situation of France is worrisome. There is positive news, however. Inflation is at a low of 1.9 percent and interest rates remain attractive at 3 percent.
Germany is now in an economic recession. It just had to close some of its car production chains and lay off more than 130,000 workers for the first time in 85 years at Volkswagen. The automobile industry is the core of the German economy.
The rest of the EU is watching the two power houses of Europe with anxiety since both are in trouble.
In a nutshell, the French Left shot itself in the foot by being so uncompromising from the start and the Socialists missed the boat by denigrating each other.
The hatred of a large part of French public opinion for Macron is notorious. As he went through a list of possible names for Prime Minister, the president was accused of all possible sins, ranging from his ” immobilisme” to being called a ‘pervert’, or simply a piece of trash.
But the violence of insults lashed at him reached new heights when he made his final choice with Michel Barnier on Sept. 5. He was then criticized for digging “fossils out of Jurassic Park”.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
The political pedigree of Barnier is impressive. He has been a minister under several presidents including Mitterand, Chirac, Sarkozy. In Brussels he was an early precursor in the fight for the environment a former EU commissioner for the Internal market handling banking and digital matters. He was the head of the EPP (European People’s Party)—the largest party in the European parliament.
But he is best known for being the negotiator of Brexit for four years.
He comes from a Gaullist family raised in the Alps region of Savoie. He was the organizer of the winter Olympics in 1992 in Albertville, with well-known French champion skier Jean Claude Killy.
His task as the new prime minister will be challenging to say the least. The retirement reforms remain a bone of contention in everybody’s throat. His intention to raise the “pivot age” to full retirement to 65 is bound to provoke a storm. His program includes the control of immigration and bringing down the deficit. But at the same time, he plans to reach out for the low income people and will be ready to tackle social problems.
He knows everybody in Brussels. With his connections he might be able to obtain a delay in the tough EU decision to sanction France for its out-of-control deficit. He has mingled with most world’s leaders. He is widely respected … even by the British.
Relations with Macron will be sensitive. Macron does not like to be overshadowed by anybody, particularly in the regal matters of foreign affairs and defense, which usually are the prerogative of the president.
The reaction of the French public opinion was violent: choosing Barnier was a hold-up against democracy, a man coming from LR, a small right wing party of only 47 deputés, representing barely 7 percent of the elected body.
In contrast, in Brussels congratulations poured in. EU President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted a special message to Barnier. Banks, stock markets also reacted favorably.
At this point, given the urgency of the debt, whether they like him or not, Barnier, is a chance for the French to avoid falling into a downward financial spiral. France does not have the luxury of continuing denial of its disastrous finances. On Sept. 10, one of the leading European economists, Mario Draghi, sounded the alarm on the desperate situation in Europe. Does France have a choice at this point?
What does the future hold? Barnier will be under tight surveillance by the French politicians. Marine Le Pen seems now like the referee more than ever and is calling the shots. The NFP has announced it will bring a motion de censure immediately. Even former prime minister Gabriel Attal, who formed his own party in the National Assembly, may become critical of Barnier.
It seems likely that Barnier’s mission might turn out to be even harder that negotiating Brexit.
Editor’s Notes: Full photo credits for the photos are respectively: Emmanuel Macron: Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 from Belgium, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Marine Le Pen: Vox España, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Michel Barnier: European People’s Party, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Former Trump senior adviser, Steve Bannon, was collected by the USCG from the 151-ft., $28 million mega yacht, Lady May off the Connecticut coast, within sight of the beach houses in Westbrook, early Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020.
Within hours, he was in handcuffs in federal district court in Manhattan, where he pleaded not guilty to accusations that he and two others siphoned money from a fundraising campaign, “We Build the Wall”—one of Trump’s top projects.
Bannon is accused of diverting nearly a million dollars for personal expenses and charged in what federal prosecutors said was a scheme to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fundraising campaign.
His colleagues, Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, were sentenced to just over four years and three years in prison, respectively. The fraud charges against Trump’s former chief strategist and the two others are outlined in a federal indictment unsealed in New York Thursday.
Bannon pleaded not guilty by video conference from a holding cell. Afterward, he was released on $5 million bail, secured by $1.75 million in assets.
“Hush Money” Trial
On May 30, 2024, Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts for falsifying business records related to the reimbursement of hush money paid to the porn star, Stormy Daniels, to cover up a sex scandal around the 2016 presidential election, making him the first American president to be declared a felon.
During the trial, Trump took to social media to ridicule presiding Judge Juan Manuel Merchan as a “highly conflicted” overseer of a “kangaroo court.”
Election Interference Trial
In the July 1 ruling in Trump v. United States, Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion said the court is sending the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to decide “in the first instance” how the immunity test applies to Trump’s case. As you might recall, the SCOTUS ruling said former presidents are entitled to at least presumptive immunity for all “official acts.”
It is now up to Judge Chutkan’s court to determine whether his conduct in trying to subvert the 2020 election was “official” or “unofficial.”
The “Same ol’, Same ol’”
In an April interview with Time, Trump did not rule out the possibility of political violence if he loses the November election. “I don’t think we’re going to have that. I think we’re going to win,”
If we don’t win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election,”
Last year he warned on social media, “… of problems if things go wrong for him, before he faced any of his four criminal indictments, that “false” charges against him would bring “potential death & destruction.”
In March, during a campaign rally where he talked about the auto industry, Trump said that the country “would face a “broader bloodbath” if he’s not elected in November. He expanded on that “thought” and turned to immigration, but this time warning of Biden’s “border bloodbath.”
“It’s destroying our country … ” He continued, “Every state is now a border state, every town is now a border town … Because Joe Biden has brought the carnage and chaos and killing from all over the world and dumped it straight into our backyards.” Trump then said “It’s a very bad thing happening.” “It’s going to end on the day that I take office, which will be Jan. 20;” at which time he will presumably initiate his plan to deport 15-20 million people in an effort to make the U.S.A. a “sundown” country.
Still speaking with Time, he referred to his frequent, phony claims of widespread election fraud and said, “I don’t believe they’ll be able to do the things that they did the last time. I don’t think they’ll be able to get away with it. And if that’s the case, we’re gonna win in record-setting fashion.”
Immigration and Southern Border Security
I believe that I’ve demonstrated that Immigrants seem to be Trump’s favorite go-to rant or “off-script” disconnect when he pushes his word salad aside.
In Part 1, I noted Trump’s statement that immigrants who are in the country without authorization are “poisoning the blood” of America. He also repeatedly states his same old claim that “millions of immigrants in the country illegally came from jails, prisons, or mental institutions. — or have been institutionalized in their home countries.”
When Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Walz as her running mate, Trump posted “He’ll unleash HELL ON EARTH and open our borders to the worst criminals imaginable” (Trump’s upper case letters)
“They’re coming in from China — 31, 32,000 over the last few months — and they’re all military age and they mostly are men,” Trump said during a Pennsylvania rally in the spring. “And it sounds like to me, are they trying to build a little army in our country.”
There is no evidence, that “fighting age” males from China are somehow embedding themselves in the United States.
There is no evidence to support any of Trump’s claims.
The Irony
Trump’s position on immigration has always seemed bizarre to me. Trump is the son, and grandson, of immigrants: German on his father’s side, and Scottish on his mother’s. None of his grandparents, and only one of his parents, was born in the United States or spoke English as their first language. (His mother’s parents, from the remote Scottish Outer Hebrides, lived in a majority Gaelic-speaking community.
Two out of his three wives were immigrants from Eastern Europe.
Congress
Despite his obsession with immigration, Trump lobbied Senate Republicans in private conversations and in public statements on social media to oppose the bipartisan border bill, a significant legislative effort aimed at overhauling U.S. border and immigration policies and a key legislative achievement on a pressing national priority.
Trump opposed the bill primarily because he planned to campaign against Biden on the issue in November and didn’t want Biden to score a victory in a politically vulnerable area.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged in a private meeting that Trump’s animosity toward the border deal puts Republicans in a serious bind as they try to move forward on the already complex issue.
So, he killed a key bit of legislation to assist his campaign?
Author’s Comments
Again,I do not support Trump’s candidacy. I feel that he is a man of severely compromised character; — not what we should want in a President of the United States. His repeated insults directed at our veterans and military heroes; and the praise he has directed at authoritarian despots like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un make him particularly ill-suited for the President’s concomitant role — Commander in Chief of America’s Armed Forces.”
As I wrap up, I quote Vice President Harris’ comments in Milwaukee in July, where she used her record as a state prosecutor to draw a distinction between herself and Trump. “I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” she said. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, and cheaters who broke the rules for their gain. “So, hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”
Coincidentally, she also took action against the sham Trump University.
I want to leave you with an article from The Code of Conduct for the Armed Forces of the United States, which Candidate Trump may not have encountered in his high school military training:
Article VI: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
In closing, may God bless America and may God protect our troops.
About the Author: Tom Gotowka is a resident of Old Lyme, whose entire adult career has been in healthcare. He will sit on the Navy side at the Army/Navy football game. He always sit on the crimson side at any Harvard/Yale contest. He enjoys reading historic speeches and considers himself a scholar of the period from FDR through JFK. A child of AM Radio, he probably knows the lyrics of every rock and roll or folk song published since 1960. He hopes these experiences give readers a sense of what he believes “qualify” him to write this column.
Sources for Sections 1, 2 & 3 of A 2024 Election Epic—Part Two: Content of Character Baker, P. & Glasser S. ”Inside the War between Trump and his Generals.” The New Yorker. 08/08/2022 Bump. P. “It’s scarier to refer to immigrants as ‘military-aged males’ than ‘men’.” The Washington Post. 01/31/2024 Campinoti, M.S. & Frehse, R. “NY judge orders Trump to pay legal fees to NY Times after failed lawsuit over disclosure of his tax documents.” CNN. 01/12/2024. Concepcion, S. “John Kelly confirms Trump privately disparaged U.S. service members and veterans.” NBC News. 10/03/2023. Diver, T. “Kamala Harris calls Trump a ‘sexual predator, fraudster and cheat’.” The Telegraph. 07/23/2024 Goldberg, J. “Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’.” The Atlantic. 09/03/2020 Gregorian, D. “Trump digs in on Central Park 5: ‘They admitted their guilt’.” NBC News. 06/18/2019. Haltiwanger, J. “Trump asked John Kelly why US generals weren’t ‘totally loyal’ to him like Hitler’s generals during WWII: book.” Business Insider. 08/08/2022. Ibssa, L. & Kim, S. “Trump says ‘it depends’ if there will be violence if he loses 2024 election to Biden.” 04/30/2024 Katersky, A. “Embattled Trump Foundation forced to shut down after ‘egregious pattern of illegality’: Officials ABC News.12/18/2018 Kim, S. & Ibssa, L. “Trump repeats controversial ‘bloodbath’ language to attack Biden over immigration.” ABC News. 04/02/2024. LaPorta, J. “Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’.” Associated Press. 09/03/2020. Lebowitz, M. “Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ members speak out against Trump at Democratic convention.” NBC News. 08/22/2024. Mahony, E. “Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was cruising the Connecticut coast on mega yacht when federal agents charged him Thursday morning with embezzling border wall money.” Hartford Courant. 08/21/2020 Maresca, T. “North Korea dismisses Trump’s claims of friendship with leader Kim Jong Un.” United Press International. 07/23/2024. Shear, M. “Trump Asked Aide Why His Generals Couldn’t Be Like Hitler’s, Book Says.” The New York Times. 08/08/2022 Stephanopoulos, G. “ABC News’ Oval Office interview with President Trump.” ABC News.06/13/2019 Tapper, J. “Exclusive: John Kelly goes on the record to confirm several disturbing stories about Trump.” CNN.10/03/2023 Ting, F. et al. “Trump suggests Chinese migrants are in the US to build an ‘army.’ The migrants tell another story.” Associated Press. 05/13/2024. Winter, T. & Clark, D. “Federal court approves $25 million Trump University settlement.” NBC News. 02/06/2018 Wolf, Z. “Trump explains his militaristic plan to deport 15-20 million people.” CNN. 05/01/2024
One of the signature pieces in the New England Landscape exhibition at the Lyme Art Association is ‘In the Place of Stillness’, pictured above, by Aleta Gudelski in cold wax and oil.
OLD LYME — The New England Landscape exhibition featuring works by Lyme Art Association (LAA) Member Artists is currently on view at the LAA.
This annual exhibition celebrates the rich and varied beauty of the East Coast. From autumn leaves to summer trees and lonely roads to rolling hills, LAA member artists visually explored their connection to this land. Gallery visitors will experience the artwork on display through an array of mediums, which acknowledge New England’s many moods and views.
Running concurrently is Connecticut Pastel Society’s Renaissance in Pastel. The Connecticut Pastel Society is a fine arts organization that draws awareness to pastel as an artistic medium. The Society’s annual national show celebrating the beauty of pastel is on view in the LAA’s gallery.
Also, on view from Oct. 16—24 is the Plein Air Art Group Show. Throughout the spring and summer, LAA’s Plein Air Painting Group painted in and around Old Lyme and their pieces capturing the town’s beauty will be on display in this show for visitors.
New England Landscape and the Connecticut Pastel Society’s Renaissance in Pastel are on view from Sept. 13 – Oct. 24.
New England Landscape is supported by Guilford Savings Bank in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.
Founded in 1914 by the American Impressionists, the LAA continues the tradition of exhibiting and selling representational artwork by its members and invited artists, as well as offering art instruction, lectures, and other public programs to the community.
The LAA is located at 90 Lyme St., Old Lyme, CT, in a building designed by architect Charles Adams Platt. Admission is free with contributions appreciated. Gallery hours are Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm, or by appointment.
