*From*: [log in to unmask]
*Sent*: Friday, May 19, 2006 5:54 AM
*To*: [log in to unmask]
*Subject*:  Our Private Lives- Pa Nderry an observation please

Pa Nderry,

I am a visitor to your site. Congrats for setting up the online news
service. I enjoy alot going through it .However what is disturbing to me is
that people's private lives are constantly dragged into what seems to have
no links with issues that are relevant to national development. My first
example is mentioning who had a child with Tamsir Jassey and the second is
the said report on Ambassador Crispin Johnson. I don't know him but I think
it is unfair to disclose his personal life who he is living with, or who he
sleeps with, excuse my bluntness. It sounds so ridiculous to me. It makes me
wonder do we have some online saints? Really not. Talking about corruption,
politics and everything affecting us as a nation is right, but trying to
smear others just for the sake of it is something else. Whoever your source
is on alledged sexual harassmnet meted out to her by any one should have the
guts to speak out, without hiding. Keeping silent entrenches the problem. If
it is true, I know it is not only the said ambassador who is guilty of
sexual harassment in the Gambia, not only in government, it is every where
in our schools, in the private offices, in our houses, in the media. I am
presently working on a book to be published in some months ahead and one of
the themes explored is sexual harassment in The Gambia.. I am not trying to
defend the ambassador becuase I am a government officer but I am writing an
independent opinion and certainly as a journalist as well. I know his name
casually like the name of any other person of high portfolio in government.
Thats all but I feel it is not right to denigrate him on no grounds, I think
it is a matter of personal choice whether he lives with his family or alone.
In fact most of us are living away from our families outside the country. If
he is corrupt or kind of issues that concern us as a nation, why not, belch
it out, sure we all need to know, but otherwise, things like who drinks beer
or has a girl friend in the corner is not substantiate enough to use
valuable time on our newspapers that have such a lofty mission. We have more
pressing issues to discuss. I saw no link either with mentioning that Katy
Joh had a daughter with Tamsir to national issues.I dont know her but I feel
it is equally ridiculous to say that.
Most times i feel it so hard to figure out whether I am reading reports or
some personal opinions on freedom newspaper on line. A newspaper report is
not a page of fiction neither a chapter on a creative novel nor a summary of
a boigraphical tale.
Therefore Mr. Mbai, I am saying keep up the good work and congrats for
establishing the newspaper online. But focus on better issues, we have loads
of bags of relevant issues on national developemnt to unload.

Mariama Khan
Postgraduate student
Turin, italy

autho- Futa Toro

Coauthor -Juffureh Kissing you with hurting lips
and Proverbs of The Senegambia

Mariama Khan

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