Greetings, all,

Haruna, well, while I may not have a good idea at all times what's
going to ruffle anyone's feathers, I can definitely say that Gambian
politics is one thing that I probably shouldn't discuss on this list.
Or any list for that matter.  Even if we're talking about Yahya
Jammeh's latest act of oppression of The Gambian people, you won't
hear anything from me, at least if I can possibly help it, because
sometimes if I hear/see something that is so agregious or angering to
me, I just simply can't help myself, and I write or say something
without thinking.

Because one can't be expected to yell and scream and rail against
Yahya Jammeh on one hand, yet be expected not to speak about, or to
only speak in certain terms of, other political leaders in The Gambia.

In short, I don't think this is, or was, my problem to solve, and it
isn't, and probably never was, my issue to get involved with in the
first place.  Even if I had good intentions, and all of that, I fear
that I may have, in the end, probably come across as arrogant,
conceited, and just another white person who thought they knew what
was good for others, even though I neither felt arrogant, conceited,
nor superior to anyone else.

All I can do is speak for and look out for myself, and for some
reason, I have come across in a way that I had not intended.  Thus,
the political situation in The Gambia, right down to the witch-hunts
and the extra-judicial detentions and killings are topics that I'm
just simply going to stay away from.  Because frankly, I find it
hypocritical for people to expect me to speak out, speak up, tell
everyone else about, give money to, etc., when we're talking about
Yahya Jammeh and how bad he is, yet, members of the opposition are
supposedly off limits for any kind of criticism.  Thus, I'm staying
out of the topic altogether, so as to keep from offending anyone.  Or
at least, I'll do my best.

Because somewhere along the line, I've upset people, or worse, I've
gotten it all wrong.  Thus, I'm just taking myself out of this issue
altogether.

Perhaps if I were living in The Gambia, then I'd be more qualified to
participate, but a white woman sitting in America just simply isn't
qualified to speak on this issue.  This is not my issue to solve or
make better.  And that doesn't mean I don't have my opinions, I just
wont' be sharing them here, or anywhere publicly, if I can help it.
And if I remember correctly, Haruna himself has shared with me that
part of the problem I might be having, in why I anger and upset so
many on this list, is that I am a white woman (white and a woman), and
some just simply have a problem with someone like me, who is viewed as
an outsider, speaking on issues they consider to be their own, and
that was a good deal of the problem that I was having.  And Haruna, if
I've misquoted you, feel free to correct me, which I'm sure that you
will.  I most certainly don't want to come across as a neo-colonizer
who's just trying to tell people how they need to run their affairs.
Because if that's how I seem, I most certainly would rather just keep
silent, even if Yahya Jammeh continues killing and detaining people.

Ginny

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