A Journey In The Mind Of A Conscientious Objector

Thomas Paine one of the founding fathers of modern America once stated that "T'is the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. The time has come for us Gambians to put emotions aside and reason with each other without ill will. Our nation needs the service and input of all to be counted in the league of nations that are striving for prosperity and progress.

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=thomas+paine

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=thomas+paine

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/conscience_2.html

If Gambia is our home land as ascribed by our solemn anthem then we MUST let justice guide our actions towards the common good. I deliberately used the operative word "IF" meaning that we hold the words of our national anthem to be sacred and self evident that Gambia comes first before anyone and any ideology. A lot has transpired in recent times in the land we all claimed to love and if the interest of Gambia is paramount then we all must be each others keeper. The Gambia has become a polarized nation where micro interests/issues has shrouded the bigger picture. As conscientious Gambians, we need to remind each other of our duty to country and our promise for man's brotherhood. 

That said, I will want to bring to light the trial of Lawyer Darboe and Co as it has climaxed. Naturally, it is believed that if one does a crime he/she must serve the time but equally, the punishment MUST fit the crime. The State has a right to bring ANY citizen to the halls of JUSTICE but also the JUSTICE SYSTEM based on our legal code endorsed by our constitution have created safe guards to protect the citizens from the over zealous reach of the law if they are not found wanton. For the Gambia to prosper, we all need to have a unity of purpose and common interest for an emerging Gambia. My citizenship in the going concern called the Gambia gives me a right that is equivalent to a shareholders right in a corporate entity. This right accords me the opportunity to vote during elections and to also voice my opinion reasonably in the interest of the greater good. Based on the foregoing concern, I plead with the custodians of justice and civil order to dispense justice without fear or favor or ill will. For our anthem tells us to " let justice guide our actions". Posterity is here to judge us all in the Gambian narrative and we must endeavor to be great citizens of the land we all claimed to love. This is not a plea but a solemn reminder to my fellow countrymen and women. On the auspicious occasion of Eid ul Fitr, the President and Commander in chief of the Republic admonished the elders to have the courage and conscience to dialogue with him in furtherance of the country we all claimed to love. I will go a step further by saying that we all as citizens of this blessed land called the Gambia have a duty of care to not ONLY speak the truth to each other but state our concerns and wants to the people that lead us. I pray for a unified Gambia that is not based on tribal lines and narrowly defined personal/political interest as our conscience MUST ALWAYS be our moral compass for our behavior and utterances. God bless Gambia and I can surely sleep at night for taking this heavy load that burdened my conscience for months. I am mentally free from my inner demons that asked me to speak. Love for country starts with being honest with self.

There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/conscience_2.html

Race! Race! Race! The Great American Tragedy

All is not well in the land of Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington and all was never well since the inception of these United States of America. Serious grievous harm was inflicted on the Native Americans and the imported African slaves who toiled the land that industrialized America to the marvel that it is today. Theoretically, America is the best country on paper as the men that sat at Constitution Hall drafted a masterpiece for what they considered America. For a start, the sacred document stated that “All men are created equal and do have an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Whilst this was enacted to law, the Negro in the US was not considered human and was therefore deemed property of farm owners who not only exploited them for their physical strength but were also exploited fiscally because the owners of slaves benefited financially at the expense of the African slaves.

Society cannot forge ahead without atoning for the sins of the past and creating a new paradigm whereby historical prejudices and racially based biases are eliminated. America has conveniently swept away race issues under the rug hoping that the ugly chapter of its infamous history will fade away quietly. Unfortunately, the ghost of Nat Turner, Denmark Vessey, and Django still haunts modern America in its attempts to move on without adequately addressing the issue of slavery.  Furthermore, the prejudices of yester years orchestrated by men such as Huey P. Long and the likes of Governor Wallace of Alabama shifted from the halls of power to a more powerful medium called the media. Right wing American media has over the years done a good job at dehumanizing the Negro and the reinforcement of the messages spewed on their mediums have solidified in the minds of most law enforcement officials particularly “White Policemen”. The Negro male is fast becoming an endangered sub-specie of the human race thanks to the systematic abuse of his fundamental rights of existence by the establishment. The Negro male has a high incarceration rate relative to the general population; he also encounters POLICE BRUTALITY more often than any other group within the general population and the highest fatalities in the hands of law enforcers. If all these statistical abstracts are coincidences, then I will safely say that there is a problem with the American social set up. Often times, we are uneasy to address or talk about the issues of race as we avoid offending the very people who perpetuate the very system that is oppressing the Negro (political/judicial) establishments.

When I hear emotionally charged right wingers especially the political elite pompously talking about the Negro being a burden to the state as it relates to welfare, I realize the ignorance displayed by the law makers that are charged with drafting laws to build an equitable America based on merit. The Negro was NEVER a BURDEN to the State as they are the underwriters of modern America and the halls of justice has drafted a bounced cheque for the sweat and tears of the Negro by failing to adequately protect and offer restitution to them. Once again shame on the collective psyche of modern America for not taking the bull by the horn and deal with the issue of race conscientiously with sincerity. The American system needs a complete overhaul as it continued where slavery and segregation left off without adequately handling the very issues that plagued the Negro since her forceful importation to the United States. The Negro needs equal protection under the law like any other United State citizen.

When Strategic Interest Overwites Economic Interest

First of, I must renew my Pan African credentials by praying for closer political and socioeconomic ties for the people of Africa particularly the people of SeneGambia. The recent pronouncement for the construction of a bridge at the Yelli Tenda/Baba Tenda crossing to cement closer ties with our sister country (Senegal) is a welcome move but I will qualify this milestone with a caveat “Buyer Be Ware”. This implies that the State of Gambia need to know fully what it is getting into and to have adequate legal cushion to exercise a force majeure as and when required to protect first and foremost the national interest of her people.

There is nothing wrong with opening up our territorial space to Senegal for the ease of commerce and movement of her people as this will boost our economic dividends and broaden the fraternal ties that bind the two countries. Furthermore, it is my humble opinion that such closer ties will rectify an anomaly that has been the creation of the colonialist who divided one people into two countries. However, the financing and construction of the bridge MUST BE entirely a Gambian initiative as the issue of equity can compromise our sovereignty. Senegal being a co-financier of this noble initiative accords them an irrefutable stake for an unfettered right of access as long as the bridge is operational. The Government of the Gambia should have sourced alternate financing initiatives that will efface the issues of sovereignty and this could have been addressed through a public/private initiative whereby by private capital would finance the construction of the bridge and the capital investment will be recovered through toll charges.

Political expediency has always been the corner stone of future disputes that could be averted if proper due diligence and strategic national considerations are factored in the decision matrices for the adoption of major public goods. Having co- financing being the model applied, the two nations have inadvertently diluted the respective national territorial space into one thereby creating one SeneGambia. Therefore we need to accept the symbiotic nature of our existence and forge a meaningful coexistence that will usher in a dawn of a new day for the people of SeneGambia. Border closures and trade impediments should not be a way of life for the people of SeneGambia. We Demand from our political class to foster closer bilateral ties that will culminate into common market. The construction of this bridge has paved the way for the Government of the Gambia to look into the funding and construction of a more ambitious project (Banjul/Barra Crossing). This project in my opinion will be the Suez Canal or China wall equivalent for the Gambia.

DECISION #GM22O 2016

Soul searching and reflection are introspective human traits that often realign our thoughts once we get off track. Is the Gambian off track? I dare say that we are far off tangent and this is a malaise suffered by both sides of the political divide (GOP & INCUMBENT). Our short comings are many like most ordinary humans as they embark on their daily chores and routines. What's missing in our national discourse and interactions are sincerity and courage of conviction. Opportunism has eroded our sincerity and a spine less human cannot stand tall. Politics is not a vocational nor a carrier to make a living out of. Most respected politicians have a carrier or profession outside of public service. Indeed public service is a noble endeavor but we cannot leverage our lives on it. My wish for the Gambia is to see young vibrant able bodies to partake in the political life of the country we all claimed to own. Our participation must not be passive but a deliberate active participation backed by conviction and devotion to duty, honour and country. The retardation of our beloved Gambia is underpinned by the youth folk (me & you) whose personal interest often override the greater good. Decision 2016 for ##GM220 is months away and the youth folk are deal makers and Game changers depending on what their franchise means to them. We must do away with politics of personality and for the first time in the history of the Gambia vote on a score card filled with issues that have a socioeconomic compass and entrenchment of people's rights. The interest of the Gambia is bigger than any demographic segment of society and or any special interest or agenda. Our conscience must be our moral compass once we enter the booth to make a choice. The ultimate responsibility of a citizen is to pay taxes and vote and these two duties must be executed without fear or reprisal. The trajectory of our national solely lie in the hands of the polity not the political class. Lets scrutinise our politicians and force them to work hard for our coveted votes. I love Gambia more than any politician and my vote is for the best amongst the lot. Therefore I am shopping for a candidate and I must be convinced. Leadership is not only about vision but a resolute and firm character to galvanise our devise people. Please let us not vote on tribal or economic/ social interest but on the basis of cultivating a vibrant Gambia with abundant economic opportunities and social equity and justice for all. Just my thoughts as Decision 2016 draws near. My allegiance is to Gambia and my vote is personal and dear to me in furtherance of a progressive Gambia. Having domion over a prospective political office seeker, I reign supreme as the words "we the people" is priceless and a lethal weapon of the polity. God bless Gambia.

THE MISEDUCATION OF THE GAMBIAN

The yolk of colonial bondage and subjugation have been crushed but colonialism and its excesses have surely taken a toll on the Gambian mentality. A good number of our population are post Independence Gambians whose interaction with the colonials are non existant but yet still, they suffer from a colonial hang over. This existential threat has delayed our collective progress particularly in the sphere of nation building and national cohesion.

Our social elite particularly the political class have continued where the colonials left off. It is normal for the colonials to ransack and loot us as this was not a hidden agenda but a deliberate policy of acquisition and accumulation by the unconscionable British Crown. Having our own looting and plundering from our common wealth is not only disturbing but a perpetuation of the colonial agenda of under developing the homeland. The reason our forebearers the Maba Jahou's, Sait Matty, Musa Molloh and Foday Kaba put up a formidable resistance against the tyranny of the British was to restore dignity of the indegenous. This agenda was further agitated by the architects of Independence. Therefore having our political class subjugate our inalienable rights reserved and protected by not only our sacrosanct cononstitutional instruments and generally accepted universal rights amounts to regression from Independence Gambia to pre independence. The colonials made us believe that power lies with them and this was not only a fallacy but a tool of repression and misinformation. Once again, the political class since independence failed to educate the Gambian of his/her rights within a constitutional framework. "We the people" is a force bigger that the political class or anyone for that matter. Power lies in the polity hence our prerogative to elect representaves and leadership.  We are the custodians of power and the political machinery MUST work for our common good or we revolt against it in the form of elections. The English language is very clear about the position of politicians and public officials.They are deliberately and accurately referred to Public servants and civil servants respectively as they receive their mandate from us (we the people). Any well meaning leader will re educate the Gambian and address the deliberate anomaly that witness a servant usurping the power of people. Power must return to its rightful owners the people. The divisive political maneuvers of the colonials prolonged their stay and welcome in our homeland as we lacked a common resolve and unity of purpose to see our common enemy the British but we bicker and destroy eachother. Equally our political class continued with this devisive political weapon and this significantly contributed to the non Gambianization of the Gambian whose anthem called for unity and brotherhood. This ugly vice delayed our March towards the common good. It's time we sanction our political class for they have ushered the flock  to obscurity and destitution. A well meaning leader will restore power and dignity to the owners of power by educating and empowering them. We the people is cast in stone and we should not fear to ask for what is rightfully ours. We are the installers of rulers and the final arbiter with regards to where power lies. Booker T Washington in the MISEDUCATION OF THE NEGRO highlighted ignorance as an impetus in the advancement of colored folks. Equally ignorance is a road block for the upliftment of the Gambian at home and abroad as we export our vices to distant lands. School has gone through most of us and we have achieved the pinnacle of academic success but we have not gone through school because our mindset is still colonised.  Freedom starts with purging mental slavery. Happy Independence to all. Lets take stock of our colonial hangover to fight corruption, inequality, tribalism and nepotism.

Gambia @ 51

My status bar updates these past few days have been deliberately inundated with narratives and retrospective redirection and focus on the people who brought us this far. In the beginning there was a land called Kambi Bolongho and God said let Gambia be and the nation state called Gambia was conceived. A lot of consensus building and compromise culminated to February 18 1965. Not everyone got what they wanted but they mustered their resolve to usher the birth of our nation. My heartfelt admiration and respect to our founding fathers. Like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Nkrumah, Sedat Senghor and others before them, our founding fathers meant well but their short coming was that they were not cut out to be nation builders but they have performed diligently given the development tool kit at their disposal. That said, life has to go on and there is still room for improvement and it starts with love for country, respect for each other and a society that respects what people bring to the table. We harbor insidious mistrust and stereo types that puts us at odds with the common good of the average Gambian. 51 years and counting, and we are still struggling to create a Gambian identity devoid of tribal, class and regional nuances that deter our common aspirations. Our history has been defined by people (the colonials) who had a vested interest in our disunity. The sentiments we harbor towards each other is a consequent of that narrative brought about by the mischievous colonialists. Their narrative for men like Edward Francis Small and PS Njie is not only inaccurate but perpetrated to sow the seeds of discord. To call Edward Francis Small a trouble maker or a bad son of the soil is to dishonor his selfless attempts to emancipate the mind of the Gambian particularly the peasant folk. Associating PS Njie with tribalism tantamount to being a political and historical novice. These men had conviction and wanted to regain our dignity and right to self determination. That said, we need to embark on a journey of self discovery through educational reorientation as the old adage “Man know thy self” is pertinent to the Gambian experience.

I may not be around in 2065 to celebrate our centennial but my dream is to see a country led by Gambians in all spheres of life. A country that is economically buoyant and opportunities created for the entrepreneurial class to be captains of industry and employment generation. A country where poverty is eradicated and opportunities for upward mobility are presented to people who want to excel. In the political space, I will love to see a country where politics of personality is replaced by issue oriented politics and the electorate are not hoodwinked by the political class. Cronyism and opportunism which are parasitic traits of modern Gambia curbed. A country with a social contract that tolerates non conventional views. A hub for and launch pad for all things Africa. This can only be achieved if we commit to serious attitudinal change and dedication to the common good. The interest of the sum total of Gambia is greater than the interest of one and we must be god fearing and conscientious in deed. Gambia can't sink and will not sink because our collective resolve is insurmountable. We should be a law abiding nation with equal opportunity granted to all. May god guide and protect our mother land and may we live to witness our dreams and aspirations attained in furtherance of the nation we love to make better. May our leaders have the vision and fortitude to work towards the common good. For the Gambia ever true and we need to rededicate and work for the interest of the home land. Independence day is not about politics but finding our common resolve as Gambians. No one person or group will be victorious as we are all in the same boat and fear the same fate if the boat sends a distress signal. We will all walk to the gates of the promise land called Gambia if we toil for her. Lets all take a moment and pray for the architects and founding fathers of  our beloved Gambia. Gambia at 51 would not have been realized without the efforts of men such as Edward Francis Small, JC Faye, PS Njie, David Kwesi Jawara, Sanjally Bojang, St Clair Joof. IBM Garba Jahumpa, M.E Jallow and and many other unsung heroes. Going forward we need to dedicate a public holiday entitled “Heroes Day to our fore bearers for the gallant work of ushering a dawn of a new day that reinstated pride and dignity in Gambians. Happy 51st Independence Anniversary and let’s get back to work in the service of the state. Gambia sunu reww ligaay mou natt. Divisive politics and subjugation MUST NOT BE TOLERATED as our forebearers have sacrificed for generations yet unborn and we must jealously guard the gains they made to gave us hope for a better day. Happy Independence to all irrespective of political affiliation. 18 February is a day of brotherhood. One Gambia, One people

Tribal Affiliation A Wedge Towards A National Identity

It is evident that the passage of time has not changed the Gambian psyche and sociopolitical norms. We do still have a hangover from the colonial era. The English did a good job dividing us in units we called tribe and our loyalty was based more on the tribe than the nation state we identify with. My previous post about PS Njie and his political ideology has reaffirmed my belief that not much has changed in our state of mind. Colonialism has done considerable harm to us and decolonizing our minds has been a futile endeavor and our collective progress is deterred by our inability to think as a national unit. Therefore Gambia@51 is still reminiscent of Gambia 1965 when our national interest was secondary to our tribal allegiance. This has nothing to do with a particular tribe but all of us as a collective. We still harbor stereotypes and sentiments that will only delay our common aspirations. 

The opportunists amongst our lot prey on the social vulnerabilities we possess particularly the political class. If we want to be a successful nation we need to see ourselves as a common entity with a common purpose. It baffles me that the 2016 Gambian still behaves like our ancestors who were just transitioning from communal living into modernism. Our intolerance, prejudice and harbored anger serves us no good. My assessment of Gambia@51 is that we belong to a State that is not at peace with itself for some of us believe we were not at the dinner table in the last republic and therefore have all rights to enjoy the spoils of office and social mobility whilst another group feel like they have been victimized by the new entrants. No ONE has an absolute monopoly of the Gambia and this is where our problem starts as some see Gambia as their fiefdom. Morality and consciousness cannot be legislated but it should be inculcated in us through sensitization and moral suassion. I am a Gambian whose allegiance is to country not tribe. Our behavior is not in conformity with modernism and this sentiment impedes our growth and development. The time has come for us to have frank discussions about country, attitudes and perceived entitlements. Our main problem is not politics but prejudice and perceived entitlement. Secondly our leaders are a function of the society they govern therefore we need to be introspective and do a deep soul searching on our convoluted psyche. Most of us DO NOT believe in a cause but join the band wagon as it serves our personal interest. This is whats scary about the "Gambian" a beast of burden whose personal interest supersedes the collective and therefore impede the development of the nation state we claim to love. The face changes we see in the political arena and switching of political allegiance have been here for the longest because dignity, loyalty and conscience is somehow absent in our personal decision matrices but we tend to talk about these values often but rarely practice them. For the Gambia to change we first need to change then we can hold our leaders accountable. The destruction of social order (value system, merit based society and collective good) has been kicked to the curb for personal gain. 51 years of hog wash cannot take the Gambia forward. We need to be sincere, authentic and stop the maslaha as that is not only hypocritical but inhuman. Lets face our demons and take the bad in us if we want to prosper as a state. Sibohru, Dogoh dogoh, boleh wanteh, envy is the cancer that has disintegrated our national fabric or what was left of it. Imagine an entity that is less than 2 million people and cannot find consensus on the most mundane things. I am a mandinka but not only a mandinka but Kiangka, badibunka ets, A wollof but not only a wollof, Saloum saloum, Fana fana etc. A messed up state of affairs that suits the political class but goes against the grain of nation building and national cohesion. What is a Gambian? A Gambian does not exist because we do not share common ideals as a people. Gambia@51 needs leadership that can galvanize us around common ideals not tribal affiliations etc. Sorry for my rants I AM JUST SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED