Hi Mr. Manneh!
 Thanks for your post. You wrote:

"Well, reading your piece one cannot fail to clearly notice that you have categorised GambiaLers into two distinct groups: - an "everything or nothing group" or it's opposite"

No, I think you misunderstood me here. I have not categorised Gambia-l into two groups. There are many members of Gambia-l who have never sent in a post but who only read. There are also many members of Gambia-l who send other types of posts and have never been engaged in issues that have to do with Gambian politics. There are also those who send in posts about Gambian politics but are not that forceful about their positions. These were not under consideration in my post. So the purpose was not to divide Gambia-l into two distinct groups. The discussions regarding the government are in many instances dominated by those who are totally in support of it and those who are totally against it making it difficult for those who want to stay in the middle to send in posts without being labelled. This is not conducive to creating an environment where people can openly share their views.

You also wrote:

"Notwithstanding that though, I would like to take up a few issues with you. This being your allusion that the GambiaL is just a talking shop and as such does not play much in the democratisation process back home. I'd like to differ."

I know that Gambia-l can be a very important tool and I know many projects that have been started through this medium in some of which I have participated. What has happened in the recent past is that the medium has basically become a place where we discuss issues, argue and then go about our businesses. If many of the issues that we feel passionately about are collected in a structured and objective manner and ways and means found to bring about their realisation, we would be in a better position to influence issues back home. Yes, the political parties and the government back home cannot afford to dismiss Gambia-l because of the relatively large Diaspora Gambians subscribed to it but now that we have their attention, what are we doing about it? 

You wrote:

"The other issue being that, though meeting and knowing people through GambiaL is important, it is not an overriding factor (it is not and should not be an overriding factor). I am here to chip in my penny now and then when I think I need to, but I really cannot give a toss if I make friends or foes in the process. If someone send in something that i agree with, then I think, "well am not the only person that thinks along this lines afterall", but would that mean
that he/she becomes my new found buddy, NOPE. If we think along those lines then inevitably there will be this danger of one worrying about how he/she will be perceived if he/she writes her piece on vital national matters, so he/she may decide to keep mute in order not to offend a mate/family member."

I wrote that some of us don't engage in histrionics when we engage in debates because we take the human factor into account. What I mean here is that some of debate and argue our points without getting emotional and engaging in insults, hysteria and other types of charged behaviour. That however does not mean that we do not debate and defend our points of view. However, at the end of the day, all we can do is present our points and if the readers are convinced, they buy the arguments and if they are not, they don't. We cannot force people to buy our points of view. I believe that when we get personal and start insulting each other, the purpose of the debate gets lost. That is why I do not engage in such. I am however not saying that we should not engage in debates and have different viewpoints. I have engaged in debates with people like Hamjatta, Yus, Sidibeh, Karamba and others and even though we end the debates with different points of view, I have a lot of respect and admiration for them. I therefore did not say that people should be guided by considerations that I take into account. That is why I wrote: Some of do us not employ histrionics to argue our positions not because we do not feel passionately about them but because we choose to put the human factor into account. These considerations do not a thing to others. They are also within their rights. At the end of the day, to each his opinion." 

I hope I have answered your concerns. Please feel free to ask for clarifications if there is anything that is not clear. Have a good day. Thanks.
     Buharry.

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