[Throw the rock, hide the hand]
This Haitian proverb speaks to the human tendency toward duplicity and evasion of responsibility. Philosophically, it critiques acts of concealed malice or manipulation, where harm is inflicted but accountability is avoided. It reflects on the duality of human nature—capable of both action and deceit—and warns of the moral and social consequences of refusing to own one’s actions. When retold as It emphasizes the importance of integrity and the courage to stand by one’s deeds, lest one erode trust within the lakou.
Usage in Haitian History
This is from Dr. Yveline Alexis’ book, Haiti Fights Back: The Life and Legacy of Charlemagne Péralte:
In public discourse—newspapers, broadsides, proclamations, and the like—the U.S. military engaged in doublespeak throughout the invasion. They fixated on controlling Haitian resistance and they tried to act as though Haitian resistance was nonexistent. They also promoted the invasion as a peacekeeping effort even as their documents declared otherwise. The U.S. military’s doublespeak always had the word “but” attached. For example, they held Haitian presidential elections in 1915 but acknowledged they controlled the Haitian government; they promoted the corvée as good but admitted to the atrocities committed against the workers, and they dismissed Péralte’s resistance as political but listed his political tactics. Doublespeak appears as mere lies, but the particular way the military masked these fallacies repeatedly is noteworthy. Doublespeak became the invaders’ strategy of justifying, excusing, and explaining their undemocratic behavior. Proverbially in Kreyòl, Haitians refer to this doublespeak method as Kouto 2 bò (a double-edged knife) and as Voye wòch, kache men, meaning one who throws rocks and hides their hands.