AMS,

The unfortunate truth is that most of our people have no idea that government
is supposed to be a servant of the people and that they have the power. The
reason is that throughout our history, first there was colonialism where we had
no voice, followed by so-called independence where the colonialists were
replaced by brutal and greedy men who acted as if they were demi gods who were not
answearable to the people, treated their political positions as birthrights
and the state as their private property, and acted as if they were infact doing
the the people a favour if they dropped a few crumbs of what they steal from
the people to them every once in a good while.

For the average citizen to benefit from the services that a government
provides from their tax money, one has to have connections with so-called insiders.
The politicians' aim being to stay in power forever and their relationship
with the people is based solely on how to control them so they can accomplish
their goal, which in turn consisted of mainly violating the rights of the people.
Their most ardent tool in this entire process being the fact that the average
abused African does not know they have any rights and that these people are
working for us and we can replace them if we are not satisfied with their
performance and behaviour. The politicians make certain that this ignorance
prevails and they hijack the democratic process by the utilization of various well
oiled tactics.
Our struggle is not only to fight the corrupt and roguish politicians, but it
must by necessity be also an attempt to re-educate our people so that they
know they have rights and that the power really belongs to them. In the process,
we have to exercise patience sometimes with our people. This sister may have
said she was apolitical, but at the same time she was complaining  and
commenting on some of the same issues we have been complaining about. She may have
considered herself apolitical, but given time and what she saw and heard around
her, she has started to talk about it and question it. You also heard her talk
about the excesses of Zainab Jammeh and the rising cost of goods back home in
view of the hard times Gambians are experiencing.
If all of us were politically aware, believe me brother, we woud not have the
problems we have now, but we work to bring about changes as well as educate
at the same time, and patience with people while trying to change their minds
is much more productive that antagonism which will probably draw a negative
reaction. If more information is made available to people like this sister, she
will no doubt be able to put two and two together as she has already started to
do.
Just my opinion.

Jabou Joh

In a message dated 2/17/04 6:23:55 PM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:
>
> This is the reason why I got a little bit pissed with sister Mariama, who,
> in
> light of all the facts available to her, still calls herself concerned
> Gambian but apolitical. She tends to miss the point by stating she doesn't
> owe the
> government or the government don't owe her a dime? What a travesty. We are
> the
> government. Just that, we tend to abrogate all our rights and privileges to
> the rulers or leadership and forgot to keep them in check. Our problem is,
> most
> of us, when asked: How come you don't participate in the struggle? The
> answer
> always is: I need to get a good job at the plantation and make much money;
> after making mucho money, will start a family; after the family, I'll enjoy
> the
> Vita Dolce [good life]; While enjoying life, I'll participate once in a
> while.
> What folks got to understand is: as long as you are a
> walking/talking/thinking
> creature on this planet, every move you make is political i.e. from the day
> you're born to the day you pass on, politics rule

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