Normally, I would have just dealt with this situation behind the scenes in
my own way as I have done on many occasions with issues arising from the
list. However, on this particular incident, I feel that it is important and
hopefully helpful to share with you what I have had to deal with in the
past 48 hours. I hope that you will learn from, as I did, the following
facts pertaining to some uncanny, uncalled-for, spiteful and meaninglessly
insincere slimy personal attacks I have been subjected to lately on this
list.
As most of you probably noticed lately, a person calling himself “Ousman
Badgy” <[log in to unmask]> decided to start a string of attacks on my
style of writing which, as far as I could see, were gradually escalating
from simple criticisms to more personalized slimy comments pointed at me in
his response to other people’s postings.
Thanks to some useful information and upon further research I came to
realize that this “Ousman Badgy” was none other than a person I have always
treated as a brother and friend. This is a person I had never known, for
the life of me, until I met him three years ago, here in Bellevue, Nebraska
through some mutual friends. Since then, I have always shown him and
treated him with respect for the decent and respectful person I thought he
was. This is someone who is in no doubt of the type of person I am and the
kind of feelings I have for what is going on in Gambia. For we have had
countless debates on issues. A person with whom I have exchanged many good
favors, all in good faith – at least on my part. A person whom I have
inconvenienced and has inconvenienced me, much to my wife and family’s
chagrin, all in the name of brotherhood and solidarity. Someone I would
have never thought would hesitate to tell me in my face if I had done
something wrong. I would have never thought that this person would resort
to such tactics against me on Gambia-L.
Folks, this incident goes to strengthen what many of us have said here
about what needs to be changed in our society. Spiteful, meaningless and
insincere hatred for our fellow brethren has no place in a society that
hopes for the best. What is there to be gained in treating others in ways
you would not want to be treated? What is there to be gained from smearing
the names and images of people you live with and deal with as a community?
What is there to gain from such uncalled-for acts against someone whose,
successes, as little as they may be, has no bearing, whatsoever to your
personal success or achievements?
Thank God, I realized this as early on as it is. A lot more damage could
have been done to my person, for he is virtually a part of my family. And
this, I thought, is what I was missing for living in Nebraska -away from
large Gambian Communities!
I am much wiser now than I was 48 hours ago and I hope you are too.
Abdoulie A. Jallow
(BambaLaye)
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
-M.L King Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
