Based on Cambridge Chronicle's February 13 2008, Lucien Christalin accidentally died of a gunshot (bal pati) at18. It's a very sad story. I heard the news on WBZ Monday morning of a young man  shot on Sunday. I did not pay close attention to the news. I was walking by and saw a large crowd holding a vigil on Windsor St. Cambridge last Monday night. It was a 10 degree temperature and did not stop to see what was going on. When I got the paper and read about a promising 18 year old Haitian man who died of a senseless death, I was sad and upset.

I had a long conversation with a friend about the Haitian adult community not taking enough care of its young people. Sometimes people say it's the parents' job. On the other hand, the African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child," is the one we should put in mind and in practice when thinking of the Haitian community. As a parent who basically grew up in the United States, it has not been easy raising two kids who were born here. The world that I came here as a teenager during Nixon's impeachment is very different from the political , technological climate we are experiencing today.

As a professional parent, I find it hard raising kids here. I told my son when I was partying, My brothers and I would come home from balls (Skah Shah, Tabou, Volo Volo) and after hours and ran into my mother at 6:00 A.M leaving home for her 7:00 -3:00 shift.  My brothers and I went out together, but he doesn't go out with my daughter. They laugh when they see my picture with shorts on. I told them I wore shorts, but my underwear’s were not showing. Now a days the shorts are shorter than the underwear’s. Many of you may remember bikini pants and bell buttons (pat elefan). How come our underwear’s were not visible even with bikini pants? One day, the names of underwear’s will be changed to "over wears". Why should pants be dragging below those kids' butts? I have not yet run into the girls under (over) wears in the Northeast. I was in New Orleans and saw the girls' thongs showing over their pants. I was staying in a college dorm. I told those girls I don't want to see their underwear’s for the three weeks I am going to be here. They looked at me. My kids are calling me old fashioned. I am not 50 yet. Every one sees where I am coming from. I know I am loosing the clothing war. But I still believe if we have programs for  the youth once, as I wrote in the Globe once from age 3 on, we won't loose young people to violence and prison.

I find it an enigma that my position on taking care of our Haitian youth is very unpopular. Whether my position on youth and education is not understood, I do believe a community or a country can not have a future without educating and taking care of its young people. I do believe that lack of Haiti's long history of not educating its youth and preparing a better generation is among the main factors of our 200 year saga.

I think some of us can look back and remember when we used to say not too long ago that there are more Haitian doctors in Montreal than there are in Haiti. Now since the waves of the doctors who arrived in the late l960's to the 1970s are retiring, are we seeing a new younger generation of Haitian physicians in Montreal?

The Haitian community hardly provides anything for young Haitians in the Boston area. I don't know of any youth workers whose full time jobs are making sure that Haitian youth are taking care of after school hours or any outreach person making sure that the youth are participating in the programs that the cities in the Boston area make available for youth. Besides the internet which many Haitians don't have access to, there is not a structured medium to disseminate information about programs that can help young people in their psychological, social, emotional and educational growth.

I spend a lot of my time in those  housing complexes when the school years are ending to get kids to summer school and summer programs. I am only one person and don't get any support or appreciation for doing that. I have brought the fact that I am seeing too many Haitians in those projects not doing anything.

I am only one person who doesn't have a big title. No one is paying attention to my SOS to take care of young Haitians.

I like to quote Antoine de Saint Exuperey, "If others impart to our children, our knowledge and ideals, they will loose all of us... Let us bring up our children. It is not the place of some official to hand to them their heritage.”

I hope the senseless death of young Lucien Christalin will set an impetus for the adult community to provide for our  Haitian youth. I strongly believe if  we had structured programs to collectively teach our Haitian children our culture and that of our adopted country, we would not have lost so many Haitian youth in the justice system or through premature death. Too many Haitian parents are saddened by the loss or the outcome of their children.

One more Haitian kid passing and three young Black men under 18 imprisoned for Lucien's death could have been prevented.

The  front page article can be found on the past Thursday's February 13. 2008 Cambridge Chronicle.

Rest in Peace, Lucien and my condolences to your mother Ginette. My heart goes to the parents of the three minors who are now in the hands of the justice system.

Nekita