Let’s dispel false doubt: let the dog and cat friends breathe. Haitians in Springfield do not eat pets. The utterance of this strange sentence reflects the chaos that has devastated this small town in Ohio. A man-made hurricane caused by Donald Trump. During the televised debate with Kamala Harris on September 10, the former president relayed this urban legend on Facebook, thus sanctifying Haitians as the viral embodiment of the migration threat that, in his opinion, weighs on the United States with the complicity of the Democrats.
The results were immediate. Nearly thirty bomb threats were recorded in the city, the source of which was unknown. A cultural festival planned for the end of September was cancelled. Schools were closed, and university classes were held online.
Rose-Thamar Joseph, operations manager at a small community center in Haiti, said 280 emails were delayed. Messages of support and solidarity have been pouring in from across the country. “We focus on the Haitian community, but it is the entire Springfield community that is suffering. This Amazon employee says in perfect French: “When I heard about Trump, I was shocked, I was astonished. Coming from a personality in this category, perhaps educated… These people have everything they need to verify the information, but they did not do it.”
The center’s general manager, Viles Dorsainvil, is overwhelmed. The thoughtful 38-year-old, who works in the city’s social welfare office, acts as a contact for the authorities. Viles Dorsainvil, along with other volunteers, sent messages to the community. Those who can afford it are encouraged to install alarms and cameras in their homes. It’s better to leave the lights out at night. Always go out in groups. Funny times.
“I love the diversity of Springfield, said the director. But there is a small group of supremacists who are not in favor of integration. Last month, there were five to ten people who were parading with guns and hoods. It was just to intimidate. We also got negative comments, houses and cars were vandalized. It’s very unfortunate, but we’re holding our heads up high. » In reality, the problem goes beyond a handful of extremists. The transformation of a city has transformed itself into America’s laboratory, a mirror of its anxieties and white-hot polarization.
The virtues of growth
Springfield, located between Dayton and Columbus, surrounded by gas stations, warehouses and chain restaurants, experienced a turmoil beyond cliché. In the 1960s, the city’s population was 80,000. Industry employed a large number of people; Springfield thrived like the Northeast, the industrial center of America, metallurgy. But from the 1980s on, displacement devastated the local economy and decimated households. The population fell to 60,000. And then came a new upheaval.
There are 70.67% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
