Alva James-Johnson: Journalists no strangers to danger
In 2004, I traveled to Haiti on three occasions as a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
It was the year of the country's bicentennial and should have been a time to celebrate. But President Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been ousted from office and the country was in a state of political upheaval.
The first time I went to Haiti was just a day trip to witness United Nations peacekeepers take control of the Caribbean nation.
The next time, I stayed about 10 days covering the impact of violence on the lives of civilians. And during my final trip, I spent another 10 days covering the aftermath of Tropical Storm Jeanne, which killed about 3,000 people.
This week, I reflected on all those experiences because of the brutal beheading of James Foley, a freelance journalist who was killed by ISIS militants in Syria. His videotaped beheading hits too close to home, and I can only imagine what his loved ones are experiencing.
I remember the last time I went to Haiti. I was given the assignment only a day before hopping on the plane. I hardly had time to prepare, and the night before leaving I hugged my children tightly, not knowing if I would ever see them again.
I had reason for concern. Michael Laughlin, a photographer who was accompanying me on the trip, had already been shot and wounded in Port-au-Prince a few months prior. The incident occurred March 7, 2004, when gunmen opened fire on a large demonstration in the nation's capital. Five people died in the incident, including a Spanish journalist based in New York, and 26 people were wounded.
As I've written before, I'm not really an adventurous person. I like comfort and security, and I don't usually take too many risks. But I went to Haiti because I had been covering the growing Caribbean population in South Florida. The Haitian immigrants were still very connected to their homeland and wanted to know what was happening.
It was also important for the rest of the world to know the plight of people living in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
So as a journalist, I felt it was my duty to tell the story. It's a risk most journalists would've taken. Many put their lives on the line every day to keep us informed.
Foley is just one example.
On my second trip to the country, we had a little scare. I was at the United Nations headquarters when news broke that armed ex-military officers were surrounding the Hotel Montana where we had been staying. (The Montana, by the way, collapsed in a 2010 earthquake, killing many people. I've often wandered if I would've survived if I had been there.)
When we went to cover the incident, the commander of the group offered to give us an interview. So we met him at an apartment complex where women and children peered over the balcony, while ex-military soldiers stood guard of the compound.
In a dimly lit room, the commander, surrounded by more armed men, explained that they didn't intend to hurt anyone and just wanted 10 years back pay from the government. That was certainly a relief, and I was able to tell their story.
We also had many rewarding experiences in Haiti. After reporting on the story of a 16-year-old blind girl, Nathalie Jean, we made arrangements for her to come to the United States for surgery. Nathalie is now in her 20s and living in South Florida as the adopted daughter of Michael and his wife, Kathy, a sports editor.
They have also taken in a Haitian man who was injured while trying to save Michael's life in the 2004 shooting and the man's teenage son. True heroes in my book.
Like most journalists, we're all just trying to make a difference in our own little way. So, I pray for all my colleagues risking their lives to cover important stories all over the world.
May Foley's life be an inspiration to us all.
This story was originally published August 21, 2014 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: Journalists no strangers to danger."