Haiti in 1969 was in a stifling political state. Their citizens were stripped of their basic rights of man. People did not have freedom of speech, or freedom of the press. People that tried to take back these liberties were severely punished (often by death.). Other problems with the Haitian government at the time were the macoutes. They were there to enforce the laws, but were most well know for breaking them. They raped and stole from citizens, and acted as lawlessly as any other criminal, because they knew the uniforms they wore would pardon them from their crimes. This must have influenced Danticat’s life in several ways. I feel like it must have made her a more fearful person, she had to learn how to avoid trouble because she knew the consequences, but …show more content…
Like Danticat I’ve also been shaped by my country’s political state in various ways. I have witnessed some of the racial injustice that still seems to thrive in our country. These injustices are demonstrated by person to person, business establishment to paying customer, or armed force to citizens they are meant to protect. When I was younger learning about politics and the political climate made me fear people, law enforcement and what could happen to our country if certain issues continued to be overlooked. I still have some of those fears, I feel like the government does a good job from protecting us from external threats, but that there is still much to be done here. I often think that we could band together as a population to solve race based issues but I’m not sure how, and neither are many politicians (so they just steer clear of the whole subject). I feel like the political state of the country has shaped me to be determined to survive, to take care of myself and my loved ones, and to make sure I’m properly educated because with knowledge I know I’ll have the power to change something’s for the