The way my mind works is the way that (I hope) the mind of any
thinking and sincere Gambian works given our present predicament:
jawara and ppp are not the issue today but a tyrannical regime and the
burning urge for democracy to return to that land. Nobody is stopping
any other from criticizing jawara and PPP, but if  this is done only to
paint a better picture of the jammeh regime, that
will be resisted.

You decried: "The fact that your mind works this way brother, is one
of the major
reasons that africa and Africans are wallowing at the bottom of the
World's feet…"

First I don't understand what is meant by Africa being "at the bottom
of the world's feet". You have to disclose your measures, remembering that
countries or continebts you may consider to be on top are by some measures
or categories at the bottom. Second, I
don't think that  a single ordinary person like Abdou can be used to
throw aspersions on all Africans. By implication, you count yourself
among the "good, progressive Africans", but I would like to see your
postings here reflect that. You have in the past accused people of one
thing or another while you commit the same things you accuse others
of. Eg. Referred to some of Ebou Colly's remarks as "hint of
arrogance", but you audaciously called for former PPP officials to
engage in some "community services", rather than returning to politics
(to me that is condescending and arrogant); referred to somebody
else's recent remarks as "pompous", while you thought it okay to refer
to my posting as "simplistic" and "irrelevant" as if you are the
moderator of a debating session.

For me, the focus at present is on restoring and advancing democracy
in the Gambia and like Hamjatta I will support any party or
combination of any parties  committed to that objective..

AT







>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Attention Abdou Toure
>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:59:57 EDT
>
>When Abdou Toure was talking about those who benefited from the Jawara
>regime, and making allegations to scholarships sponsored by Lee Kolker, I
>finally figured out that he was referring to me.
>Well Abdou Toure, if Lee Kolker was the Gambian consul at the time I
>applied
>for and received a private scholarship to study in the U.S,, then this is
>news to me, and it is only now that I am aware of this.
>Furthermore, when I applied to college in the U.S, I did so because a
>family
>friend, who was at Princeton University at the time, brought me the
>application form. This family friend went to work for the United Nations
>after graduating from Princeton, and only went to work for the Gambia
>government years later, long after I was here in the U.S
>. Therefore, i was not assisted in any way by the Jawara regime.
>I think it is time we set the record straight on these allegations of
>people
>benefiting from the Jawara regime.
>
>When governments and individuals around the World offer educational
>opportunities to developing countries, they do not do so because of a
>specific person in power, but they offer it to a people, and there is
>always
>a government of the day to shell these out to the deserving students in
>their
>respective countries. If our affairs were in order, we would not have to
>depend on these handouts.
>
>I was not one of the people who was handed out anything by the Jawara
>regime.
>
>There were scholarships given to Gambians by other countries and
>individuals
>then, as there are now, and the Jawara regime certainly did their share of
>handing these out to whom they please, as opposed to who really deserved
>them.
>
>However, let us suppose for the sake of argument that I benefited from a
>scholarship that came to me via the hands of the Jawara regime, or any
>other
>government of the day. Does this the mean that I as a private citizen have
>been bought forever, and cannot criticize that particular government
>because
>of this?
>
>The fact that your mind works this way brother, is one of the major reasons
>that africa and Africans are wallowing at the bottom of the World's feet,
>and
>we will stay there forever so long as we cannot decipher our rights as
>citizens and so long as we see things thar are merely the day to day work
>of
>government as favours to buy allegiance or make us refrain from any sort of
>criticism of that particular goverment.
>
>My God, when will we learn to focus on the isues inmstead of using every
>occasion to attack and discredit people for speaking their mind and making
>rightful demands from our leaders? It is discouraging to say the least.
>
>Jabou Joh
>
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