To say my blood is boiling since that hateful RNC VP nominee, JD Vance accused Haitians of stealing and eating the cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio, is an understatement. Let me make this clear. I am Jamaican; Haiti is our neighbor, but I have never visited that country. I have never met a Haitian face to face, but I am very familiar with their history, culture, and struggles with corrupt leaders over many decades. For decades, as they have grappled with floods, earthquakes, broken governments, and marauding gangs, several boatloads of refugees have landed on our shores. Some have gained asylum, and others have been repatriated home. We have also had our share of problems with the well-known “guns for drugs” trade. Jamaican criminals supply them with beef, pork, and goat meat in exchange for guns and ammunition. But never, ever have we received any reports of them stealing and eating or requesting the flesh of cats or dogs to eat. Those who live among us, have never been found to do this either. So, the current accusation from Vance and amplified by Trump – is a racist ploy, not too subtly targeting VP Kamala Harris, who happens to have BLACK AND INDIAN blood running through her veins. Yes, we have begun to hear the snide remarks of the aroma of curry permeating the White House corridors if she becomes president. So, this silly nonsense about Haitians eating cats, dogs, and geese is geared to enrage the animal-loving American public and energize the RNC base’s hatred for illegal immigrants on the whole. And, political fanatics are not in the habit of thinking before they act. If they did, they would see that almost everyone but Haitians, eat dog or cat meat. The fact is, on a list of 10 animals/reptiles/insects, that are edible, Haitians only featured in the group of countries around the world, whose people eat goat meat. The countries where people consume cat meat are China, Japan, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the United States of America, and others. Yes, Mr. Vance, remove the moat from your eye first! People from China, South Korea, The Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Northern India love dog meat. You might not believe it, but snakes are favoured by folks from China, parts of Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, and other parts of the world. Bugs are a treat for people in Mexico, China, Ghana, Australia, The Netherlands, Brazil, and Japan. Caribbean people especially Jamaicans, just love some delicious curried goat and so do our friends from Haiti, Nepal, Ecuador, the Middle East and the rest of the Caribbean. And frog’s legs are a delicacy for Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, Greeks, South Africans, the people of Slovenia and yes….AMERICANS! Horse meat is a favourite with the French, Belgians, Germans, Polish people, the Swiss, the Chinese and Indonesians. And though an endangered species, the iguana is widely eaten in Mexico and Central America. You might want to puke at the thought of meal of leptospirosis carrier – rats, but in Cambodia, Ghana, China, Viet Nam, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos, they are readily consumed. And who can forget snails? The French, Italians and Spanish certainly love them! I cannot blame them. I tried and totally enjoyed them in Paris. I ate reindeer meat in Norway and worked my way through roasted buffalo right here in Jamaica. So, I say to Trump and Vance, do your homework before you vomit up racist gravy on the already much maligned Haitians. By Jamaican journalist Barbara Ellington