MrGassama,
Thank you very much for the clarifications.
Good day to you.
Dave
Quoting MOMODOU BUHARRY GASSAMA <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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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