Mr. Njie,

This is one hell of a piece! Your forensic analysis of Jammeh and his
cronies is superb. I was the first to endorse Katim's proposal of a deal
that would see Jammeh handing over power. But after reading this piece, I
agree with you that that proposal is at best very utopian. We just need to
accelerate our attacks on this criminal govt. Some of the proposals Katim
made like disseminating info on Jammeh to his hosts where ever he goes, and
the Radio  Free Gambia idea are wonderful. For the Radio idea, I agree with
you that Senegal will be the best location.

Regarding this notion that it's "un-Gambian" to tell liars and hypocrites to
go to hell, I couldn't agree with you more. I've always regarded that
sentiment as absolute nonsense. I try to totally ignore such people. My
writing bears testimony to that. And any time I hear or read someone saying
such rubbish, I assume it's just how they've been brought up. Or maybe
there's a genetic component to it. See, my grand father was illiterate, and
dirt poor. Yet that man NEVER compromised the truth for any one. He used to
teach my brothers, cousins, and I Quranic lessons, and he would always
conclude his sessions with the same advice: "No matter where you people go,
or how rich you become, you're nothing in the eyes of Allah if you cannot
look at people in the eye and tell them the truth. Look at someone like me.
I don't have any worldly things. What do you think will happen to me if I
don't always tell the truth? Lose my position in Al-Jannah! blah, blah,
blah." I thought he was senile till I started to interract with all sorts of
phonies. And talking about Gambian, my grand father belongs to the twelveth
generation of descendants  of Mama Yorro Khan, a Fulani cleric who left the
Futa Jallon highlands to settle in what we now call The Gambia. He was just
one of many. So, uncompromising truth telling is "un-Gambian?" Give me a
break!

Besides, and I should have pointed this out in my endorsement of Katim's
proposal, respect in my book is something you EARN. In other words, one's
behavior has to COMMAND respect. We'll really cheapen this very virtuous
attribute by according it to every fool that DEMANDS it. The operative word
therefore is "command." And unless basic decency has been overthrown, I just
don't see anything respectable in the behavior of the likes of Tombong, Essa
Bokarr Sey, or "that woman" (Prince - you make my day! Keep giving us that
type of wisdom) regarding this student massacre cover-up.

I agree with the analogies or parallels you drawn regarding what is going on
back home and what has transpired in other countries. Just for lack of time,
I agree with you on all the main points of your article. And by the way, the
List could use more of this type of analysis.

Saul.


>Dr. Katim Touray wrote:
>
>"Hi folks,
>
>"First, I would like to apologize for my long period of silence in the
>a

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