KB and Mr Colly,
The political correctness to be found on this List is the stuff of legend!
OK....Colly might have made certain remarks which interpreted or dramatised
in a subjective manner is likely to be perceived of as dismissive and
condescending towards others - especially those with politically correct
sensibilities. Having conceded that much, i doubt very much if Colly intended
his remarks to hurt any or such politically correct sensibilities. It seems
to me what made Colly look all the more smug and arrogant is the excessive
melodramatic effects that has been added to this wholly un-necessary fracas.
The result is two weeks of wasted time, energy and resources on an issue that
could have been settled by our understanding that general remarks are
fundamentally flawed when they are the focus of subjective analysis and or
interpretation. Hereupon, we have to spend another week reading Colly
defending his self against the unfair perception some seem to have of him;
instead of the July 22nd. Coup Series.
To Colly, i say to you: my Brother there is no way you can answer every
frivolous distraction and or query, especially if they happen to be the
politically correct type. The ultimate aim of some these frivolous
distractions - wittingly or unwittingly - is to insidiously cast aspersion on
the integrity of not only your person but also on your account of the July
22nd Coup. Gauging by what i've read so far, this has already begun. Where
this becomes the case, it is absolutely necessary to defend your integrity.
But, as Brother KB points out, where subjective opinions attempt to paint the
wrong picture of you with unsavoury adjectives, kindly give these objections
a deaf ear and deal with the issues that will ultimately decide where we head
in our struggle for better in the Gambia. More should be your nonchalance
when the objections act as a Trojan-horse to bring up all sorts of
politically correct demurrers and frivolous objections that have little or no
bearing on the task ahead.
Like Dampha, its been a disappointing week for me - and i guess for the vast
majority of your readership who keenly await your weekend slots of how the
July 22nd Coup chanced - as i keep reading these claims and counter-claims on
your person and the totally un-necessary distraction it has generated in our
endeavour to turn things around. Colly, there is absolutely no need for you
to persuade subscribers of this forum that your are a good bloke and have no
political ambitions whatsoever. Even if you try, our enemies will do their
damndest to preach to the simple-minded within the ranks of the Opposition in
the name of "fairness", "the quest for the whole truth" and "objectivity"
that you were part and parcel and parcel of what strengthened Jammeh. This is
why it is no use re-assuring those distracting you on frivolous issues;
whatever you come up with will not help their politically correct
sensibilities.
More to the point, some of your detractors are merely nursing childhood
grudges that have no bearing on today's realities or the realities of present
Gambia. What is most laughable and ridiculous about some of these charges
against you and Chongan is that they are not only anecdotally frivolous, but
where they carry a grain of truth, are based on youthful indiscretion and
zealotry. And, of course, the subjective inferences they infer from these
instances of youthful indiscretion and zealotry, they use to engage in
self-righteous moralising. Fancy someone like Samba Lingeure self-righteously
and menacingly prowling the corridors of Gambia-L with charges against Colly
like "tyranny" and "arrogance" without a shred of evidence; except those he
managed to configure in his head based on a warped interpretation of a video
he watched. Is this Samba Linguere well? To add insult to injury, he declared
in oxymoronic terms that he still holds you in "high esteem"! Hold you in
"high esteem" after smearing you with all sorts of venomous diatribe and
unsavoury epithets? Where is this Samba Linguere from? After enjoying his
undeserved fifteen seconds of cyberspace fame, the man can't even come up
with relevant issues or ideas to help the struggle! All he keep rehearsing
and harping on is the same froth which is but a figment of his warped
imagination. Reading the likes of Samba Linguere only informs us that the
greatest impediment in any struggle that aims to right wrongs is the moral
indignation and self-righteousness of querulous and petty individuals.
Suffice for me say that the road to hypocrisy - to paraphrase Milton Friedman
- is paved with self-righteousness and moral authoritarianism.
Like KB, i hope you will seize the initiative and engage us on the crucial
issues; and simply ignore the snide remarks from your politically correct
detractors. I look forward to the point where you will fruitfully engage
those of who are pragmatic pacifists and remain sceptical about the future of
the army as an institution of the State. Hopefully, when you are done with
your narration of the July 22nd Coup, you will start a discourse whereby you
can tutor those of us who are largely ignorant on military matters,
especially in developing economies. That way, we can all share insights about
how or whether the army can be transformed into an efficient, modern,
professional and responsible institution that protects not only the sovereign
integrity of the Gambia but that of its citizenry as well. Until we reach
such a moment in your series, i implore you again to concentrate on the task
ahead; we simply can't afford another week of frivolous distractions and
engagements.
All the best,
Hamjatta Kanteh
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