This is to inform the list that Kebba Jobe is bowing out and Pamodou Gassama
is coming in. Hamajatta, the dubious character is being re-packaged. As they
say, the same old wine in differrent bottles. As Kebba Jobe has done for me
most of what I expected, he is retiring. Yes Mr. Makaveli, Pamodou Gassama
is indeed Kebba Jobe. So neither jubilate nor despair.  You will still be
dealing with the same old S***. Nothing more, nothing less.

When I first joined the list I was motivated by the range of topics being
discussed and some of the personalities, whose writings I really enjoy
reading. Shortly after however, some began to find my writings unagreeable
and wanted to know my true identity. I made it plain that I was writing
incognito and that I was only interested in the issues to be discussed and
not the personalities involved. Some accepted this as fair others with
reservations. However not long after, the unwritten rules began to surface.
No, you cannot think independently, no you cannot see things this way, no
you are looking at things differently because you are using the wrong
criteria to look at the issues. It became more like you are either with us
or you are against us. There is no middle ground. Here we live digitally.
Everything is either good or bad, black or white, right or wrong, ones and
zeros. This is madness to me. Therefore as time went by those would not
accept my devine right to be different and to think different began to
agitate and started calling me all sorts of names.

Another example of this digital forum (sorry list managers I am not
referring to GL) is the reception given to "Kats" when he joined the list.
No dis-respect to you Kats. The reception he got was to say "you guy you
better watch out. Here you must think and see everything like us or we would
be down on you like a "tonne of bricks". What rubbish is that? No sooner the
guy informs the public that he is apolitical and wanted to discuss issues
concerning our country, he was given the stack choice of either joining the
club or risk being demolished. This was totally unacceptable to me. If I can
express my views openly in both the Gambian media and in public, why
shouldn't I enjoy the rights in cyber space? Yes guys, I do participate in
the phone in programmes of Radio 1 FM and do write to the newspapers about
my own opinions and under my own name. Saiks's friend was not kidding when
he told him that I do attack the Government sometimes. I have these same
arguements that I have on the L with people like Mohamed Sillah of Amnesty
international Gambia, brother Emanuel Joof of the Africa centre for human
rights, and many other progressive thinking Gambians every time. If anybody
wishes you may ask them. For the record, I am not a fanatical supporter of
the APRC to the extend that I will be blinded to see some of their
shortcomings. I am not even a member of the party nor do I attend any of
their meetings. It is not worth my time.

I will conclude by saying that no matter what our political differences are,
no matter the disparity of our intellect, let us discuss Gambian issues from
a Gambian perspective, with decorum and respect. None of us has a monopoly
of ideas or solutions to our problems. Only, and only then, will we forge
ahead and create a better Gambia. Narrow mindedness, arrogance and lack of
tolerance will not do it for us. I wish to end this piece by quoting Stephen
Spender. He wrote: "A SUBJECT thought: because he had a verb with several
objects that he ruled a sentence. SUBJECT, the dictionary warned, means
someone ruled by a person or thing! Was he not having's SLAVE?" (Subject,
Object, Sentence). Let us not allow ourselves to be "KNOWING'S SLAVE".

Take care and have a good day, Pamodou.

PS. I have never denied Kebba Jobe being Pamodou Gassama, I just didn't
acknowledge it. Ansumana, I just turned 40 this December so I have every
reason to see Gambia attain higher hights in all that will benefit us all.
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