Haitians Finally Free of Silsby

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Laura Silsby, the zealot leader of a group of misguided individuals who tried to "rescue" a bus load of Haitian "orphans", was freed earlier this week by the Haitian government and has reportedly flown home to Boise. Ms. Silsby, who has run afoul of the law in this country as well as in Haiti, spent 15 weeks in a Haitian prison while the local judiciary tried to figure out what to do with her. In the end they slapped a nebulous charge of "irregular travel" on her, found her guilty, and sentenced her to "time served."

The phrase "ugly American" used to be bandied about somewhat more regularly than it is today. There was a time when we as a country seemed to ooze moral superiority over the rest of the world, and seemed to regard those living in foreign lands as children in need of our love and guidance.

Unfortunately, there are still a few, like Ms. Silsby, who can't seem to shake that mantle of superiority, or righteousness, and believe that they have all the answers, or, worse yet, that God acts through them and therefore they are morally right, even if the laws don't comport to their actions.

Those kids in Haiti weren't orphans, and Ms. Silsby didn't have any government authority to try to move them out of the country. She was essentially running a snatch-and-grab. She hoodwinked their parents into giving them up, and she bamboozled her cohorts into believing that they were acting under the color of law.

Laura Silsby was caught in her nefarious act and thankfully the children were returned to their parents. She spent fifteen weeks in a Haitian prison. The Haitians, who have been struggling under the worst of conditions since the devastating earthquake of last winter, could ill-afford to waste time dealing with her, or waste resources housing and feeding her. But they did.

Ms. Silsby returned to Boise as some sort of conquering heroine. She is undoubtedly happy, her friends and family are happy, and Haiti can scratch one more mess off of its to-do list. Hopefully Ms. Silsby will now be able to find contentment and fulfillment in Idaho getting her own house in order - and leave international relations to the U.S. State Department.