Clovis Baptiste may have become a success story by escaping the poverty of Haiti and becoming manager of the Big Kmart store on Lodi's Cherokee Lane, but he longs to rescue his large family in his homeland.
Baptiste's parents and 10 of his 15 siblings remain in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. His family lives on a remote island without the simple convenience of a grocery store. To shop, you have to take a boat to the main island of Haiti, and it can be a very long trip, depending on whether there's any wind to guide the boat, Baptiste said.
Subscription Required
An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
Login
Online services
-
1
E-edition$9.75 for 30 days$28.50 for 91 days$52.50 for 182 days$99.00 for 365 days
If you do not have a current subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel but want to read the e-edition of the newspaper, please chhose this option.
-
2
Lodinews.com Subscription$9.75 for 30 days$28.50 for 91 days$52.50 for 182 days$99.00 for 365 days
If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view more than 20 articles per month, please choose this option.
Current print subscribers
-
1
Businesses with Print SubscriptionsNo additional cost.
If you are a business with a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, please choose this option for FREE online access. You will need to know your account number to finalize accessing this service. If you do not know your account number, please contact us at 209-333-1400.
-
2
Current Print SubscribersNo additional cost.
If you are a current print subscriber to the Lodi News-Sentinel (and are not subscribed as a business), please choose this option for FREE online access. You will need to know your account number to finalize accessing this service. If you do not know your account number, please contact us at 209-333-1400.
You must login to view the full content on this page.
Thank you for reading 20 free articles on our site. You can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 20 free articles, or you can purchase a subscription at this time and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information. If you need help, please contact our office at 209-369-2761. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
Login
Online services
-
1
E-edition$9.75 for 30 days$28.50 for 91 days$52.50 for 182 days$99.00 for 365 days
If you do not have a current subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel but want to read the e-edition of the newspaper, please chhose this option.
-
2
Lodinews.com Subscription$9.75 for 30 days$28.50 for 91 days$52.50 for 182 days$99.00 for 365 days
If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view more than 20 articles per month, please choose this option.
Current print subscribers
-
1
Businesses with Print SubscriptionsNo additional cost.
If you are a business with a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, please choose this option for FREE online access. You will need to know your account number to finalize accessing this service. If you do not know your account number, please contact us at 209-333-1400.
-
2
Current Print SubscribersNo additional cost.
If you are a current print subscriber to the Lodi News-Sentinel (and are not subscribed as a business), please choose this option for FREE online access. You will need to know your account number to finalize accessing this service. If you do not know your account number, please contact us at 209-333-1400.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 6:45 pm on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
Robert , that Viet Nam Trip with the Vets sounded remarkable... especially if it brought you peace of mind. When I go to Asia now, it is hard to imagine fighting with such kind people. Times have changed.
Robert Chapman posted at 4:59 pm on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
In 2009, I went to Viet Nam for, you know (wink, wink). I went with a group of 23 other guys. All American vets. We went for closure to a difficult chapter in our lives. I visited the sight where the aircraft I was assigned to was shot down and my best friend was killed. That trip totally changed my mindset and I am finally at peace with that part of my life.
Joe Baxter posted at 3:53 pm on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
Ms. Bobin, if your posts were merely debates or disagreements that would be one thing, You are entitled to disagree with other posters but you seem compelled to berate those who you disagree with calling them idiots, morons and any other adjective you feel like using. THAT, is disrespect no matter what you say. A classic sign of someone with low self esteem. When you come across the way you do I wonder just how intelligent you really are. When you post personal insults about others, be prepared to receive them.
Joanne Bobin posted at 2:55 pm on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
Mr. Baxter:
If you call "disrespecting" disagreeing, then I'm sorry for you. I have a low tolerance for ignorance and those who are ill-informed, misinformed, and bigoted, but refuse to educate themselves. For that I will never apologize.
I believe I have much more respect for people in this forum than you will ever have since you only have tunnel vision and would never even dream to take someone else's opinion into consideration.
Joe Baxter posted at 8:46 am on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
JOANNE BOBIN posted, "Mr. Baxter - when I become an associate of yours, you may address me as "Hey BOBIN." Until then, please refrain from using just my last name."
Hey BOBIN, perhaps when you cease disrespecting almost every poster on this forum, you might earn some respect. Try it, you might be surprised. You become an associate of mine? Oh my, that is probably the funniest thing I have ever read on the LNS blogsite. Fat chance of that ever happening.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 5:30 am on Tue, Dec 13, 2011.
Richard... there is always room for one more kind thought... You should have said what you were feeling... I know I would have appreciated it!
Merry Christmas!!!!!!
Richard Turner posted at 7:27 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Mr Baptiste, I hope all your dreams come true !! I was going to chime in on this discussion but, I cant ....this is just getting too old !! It sucks all that is good out of a very nice story !! I wish each of you a very merry Christmas and may God bless you !! Remember ...." Aint no time to hate.... barely time to wait "....
Joanne Bobin posted at 6:05 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Great for you, Mr. Chapman - you were able to quote Wikipedia!
Interesting statistic I happened upon last night - over 104,000 Vietnamese have been killed since 1975 by land mines - no comment on whose land mines they were, only deaths. And funny, Vietnam happens to be one of the big destinations for Americans these days, in addition to Thailand. But we all know what the big attraction is in Thailand (wink-wink!).
Mr. Baxter - when I become an associate of yours, you may address me as "Hey BOBIN." Until then, please refrain from using just my last name.
Good comments, Mr. Baumbach. Mr. Baptiste is certainly a great example of our country's kindness and opportunity for political refugees. I do not wish to detract from his remarkable story and wish him and his family all the best this country has to offer.
If this story was about an "undocumented" individual who sent all their money back home to their family, I can guarantee that you and your comrades would be less than generous in your comments.
Robert Chapman posted at 4:11 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Having served in VN, I witnesse first hand what the communist NVA did to people who sided with the fight for freedom. Of all the VN refugees that were brought to the US, LEGALLY, over 72% of them, through hard work, became naturalized citizens and were proud of that fact unlike illegal border crossers who choose to thumb their noses at US sovereignty and laws.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 1:31 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Actually ms Bobin.. I am so impressed with someone like Clovis Baptiste, that I am will ing to let you have the last word into to get the attention back on his story.
Mr Baptiste, who works hard and is a family man, has sacrified. He sends money to his family overseas and I am sure he misses them espeically during Christmas season. In my view, I wish more people like him decided to migrate here as our country benefits from him as he benefits from United States. Win win situation
Joe Baxter posted at 1:19 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Hey, BOBIN, if you are going to quote my posts, do it RIGHT. I said "SOME of those cases are suspect". Of course with your reading comprehension skills, you read ALL instead of SOME. Like someone else said, you have the ability to read something and come up with the stupidest conclusions. Sad to go through life that way. Bless your little heart.
Joanne Bobin posted at 12:49 pm on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Mr. Baumbach - I believe that it was Mr. Baxter who initiated the "Bah, humbug" with his claim that those who have claimed political asylum were "suspect" in his eyes. I just asked if he was including the SEA refugees in his list of those who he suspects are gaming the system.
Perhaps you should have rushed to judgment with HIM, not me, with his comments about the above and his insistence that I am collecting all kinds of public assistance.
You wouldn't dare cross your brothers in crime, though, would you? If you had one, you would realize that your comments demonstrate a clear lack of character, don't you think?
Robert Chapman posted at 11:44 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
DARRELL, Ms. Bobin be nice? Whoaa, that's rich. She is so full of hatred she wouldn't even know where to start to be "nice". Life must have dealt her a bad deal for her to spew the venom she conjurs up. Oh well, better her than me.
Joanne Bobin posted at 11:30 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
I've already told you - ALL of them!
But contrary to the chiropractor and his wife from Seattle who were collecting all types of public assistance and living in a million dollar mansion, I've been able to fly under the radar by living in a van down by the river.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 11:24 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Bah.. Humbug says Ms Bobin...
I think Political Asylum was appropriate for these people who would have died at the hands of the communists Ms Bobin... that is a legal form of immigration... which is what Mr Baxter was advocating....
In the spirit of this letter, I hope Ms Bobin withdrawls her political fangs and lets the goodness of this situation be celebrated during this Christmas season.
It is so unfortunate that this quality letter and outstanding personal story was not allowed to shine as Ms Bobin's so negatively entered the fray.
Joe Baxter posted at 11:15 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
JOANNE. I even have suspicions of YOU collecting welfare, SSI, financial aid and other taxpayer funded programs. Tell me, which of those are you currently enjoying?
Joanne Bobin posted at 11:02 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
So, Mr. Baxter, do you have suspicions about the hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian refugees who received political asylum in the US after the end of the Vietnam war and collected millions in welfare, food stamps, SSI, financial aid and other taxpayer funded programs? You should.
Joe Baxter posted at 9:26 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
I have dealt with Mr. Baptiste at the KMart store. He is pleasant, charismatic and very helpful. A true immigrant success story. America does, and should, welcome immigrants as long as they enter the US legally. Immigrants that come to America and expect to be supported by taxpayer programs need to be deported unless it is an extreme political asylum situation and even some of those cases are suspect.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 6:48 am on Mon, Dec 12, 2011.
Immigration at its best... Mr Baptiste is honored to have his job... and in turn
Lodi is honored to have a good person in it's mist.