Do I post this or not?
Every once in a while I remember that I'm in Haiti; a different country, a different culture, with different safety and laws. For the most part I feel safe here; some might say I feel "too safe" and that I should be more cautious. But in my opinion I am cautious, I don't venture to many places alone and I'm never too far from home.
My usual independent trek is to the local grocery story, which is about 500 meters away from where I live. There's something about the familiar that kind of makes you feel safe. I've walked to this grocery store many times before, but today I walked there with some hesitation; more alert and more cautious. I took more notice of my surroundings.
On arrival to the store I've gotten used to the security guards with their long shotgun in hand. In Haiti, this is the norm for most public places; banks, grocery stores, food chains. The guns have become so familiar to me that I almost view them as a fashion accessory, with little consideration of their potential use as a weapon.
Maybe I'm just naive; or maybe it's because I've not seen or heard the guns in use before? But on my visit to the grocery store today, I didn't view the guard with his gun as an accessory. I viewed the guard as a threat to my personal safety; guns don't make people feel safe no matter who is carrying it, they make you feel insecure. If there's a need for shotguns to be held in public, then there must be a potential danger. And if that weapon were to be used without accuracy, innocent people could be harmed. To be truthful I hadn't really considered this before... until this week.
Mid-morning on Thursday, two people were shot dead just across the road from my local supermarket. Don't be too alarmed, they were thieves and that's why they were shot. Is this the way crime is dealt with in Haiti? What did they steal? I don't know, I'm just as curious as you are. Nonetheless I was surprised by the punishment received for their crime, and even more surprised by the crowd that gathered around the bodies all day and into the evening, waiting for officials to give permission to move the bodies.
I was hesitant to post this because I don't want to create fear amongst my readers, or speak negatively of Haiti. Like I said earlier, for the most part I feel safe here. I was surprised by these deaths; this is not something I hear of often. I was surprised that this happened outside my local grocery store. Saying that, I was equally surprised by some news articles I read in "The Age" (an Australian newspaper) this week. Crime is everywhere and so is death.
We most often take our personal safety for granted, because for the most part WE ARE SAFE. This week's event will not cause me to live in fear, but rather thankful for God's presence with me everywhere I go, for his peace and protection. I also want to thank those who cover me in prayer.
(Note: I was nowhere near the scene of the crime at the time it happened; and I am thankful for a great expat community who communicates safety concerns.)
