I am sure Mr.Colley is a humble and peace loving Gambian. I can understand, that he want immediate change, and I am sure thats what the majority of this forum wants as well. Well, however, despite the need for change I dont think the military would be a structural option to effect changes. We shall even be with the opinion that their dead machine guns be destroyed for good! they just cost us nothing but trouble. Although, the nature of politics, economy and social life in the Gambia has been experienced as no exception to one of the must babaric rules of the era; intensity and violence. Its socioeconomic deprivation of those in the "surbodinate class" is absolute! Absolute power corrupts absolutely!The gab between the poor the and few rich is getting bigger and bigger!With the ostentatious wealth of a tiny minority, and all the more inhuman for sapping the very dignity of the poor, the Gambia is left at the mercy of corrupt class of thieves, very arrogant, agressive and selfish. social unrest and conflicts becomes the authomatic order of the day! Gambia is at a very delicate and fragile moment of political and social unrest. We must handle the situation with care. Certainly, the desire of the average Gambian is to effect change.However, it is important to understand that change only become effective if the reason for change is understood by memembers of the society. Political maturity and understanding is a greate tool for the people to be sensitive to changes affecting them. Therefore with collective efforts we shall try to adjust the level of political maturity and understanding of civic rigths and duties in our soceities; to make the bulk of the people understand that politics is a very important part of their lives, that it is the steering wheel of society. As long as that is not understood, there will be little sucess in change,and most probability there will be many of its kind; Change!Change! and Change!!!! The desire to forward change in the Gambia is the primary will of many and this shall take a systematic process effective and beneficial for the mass. To understand the scenario is of significant importance. What good will it make to use the military for a change of government? In my opinion, that would not do any good if the people are are not oriented to the changes. We should learn from the experiences of the 1981 coup which gave birth to the 1994 coup.A posible transition of a sucession of coups and violence!Even with the corrupt and incompetent class gone, the system will pass way down through decays of political and social intacts. It could only pave way to endless coups and scrifies of live, wealth and public property! It is up to society to openly acknowledge their opposing interest, and establish mechanisms for dealing with the situation. That is why,it is important to make the society understand why there is a need for changes. If the majority is able to realise the malpractice and the agressive govenance style of the regime, they will be able to react for repressiion, and will not even tolerate openly negotiation.In a way repression of conflict does not eliminate the opposing interest, like wise if the military takes over in the Gambia, it will not change the culture of political maturity and understanding. Therefore, without explicit mechanisms for resolving or negotiating opposing interest, the underlying antagonism will continue to exist, sething beneat the surface of relationship; the state of mind of the people and style of govenance. A posible consequence of repression of this situation is the deflection of hostile feelings from their real source and the development of alternative channels for their expression.Such alternatives, are a kind of safety value through which hostile or agressive impulses can be expressed in ways that do not threaten or undermine the peaceful and democratic will of the people. We are at a "mental production" process, contrary the regime is at a "imotional production" process. The distiction is signifant to recognise.The government who controls the means of coercion has the potential and will to impose their will on the people through the threat of violence. This is a very significant point for those realable to make changes. What is their role? To determine change, it is universally agreed that military action has only did more bad than good.Violence will only lead to more violence! and making changes with violent without the people being concious of the effects of changes is prelude to insernity. It is therefore important to communicate with the people, mass information process! Events and perceptions that are important to the society are to be expressible. As soon as the concept of an ideal society is inserted in the minds of the people, then the concept becomes important.The meanings conveyed, should not not be underextimated, when they correspond with the concepts, which to action, and what relations applied between concepts and actions, shall eventually result to a persive value of deciplined and independent minds that are capable enough to realise changes effecting them. I believe, the choices of a rational decision maker are determined primarily by expected values associated with possible decisions, the probablities of the events, and the payoffs and penetalties of various outcomes.In this regard, we must be considerable to what the outcomes of military entrvention can entails. May the Almighty heal the Gambia with more blessings, peace and love. Yahya >From: ebou colly <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: YAYA MUST GO >Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 15:24:28 -0700 > > YAYA MUST GO > >I just can’t believe that there are Gambians out >there, still trying to treat Yaya’s government as a >reasonable establishment. How could anyone think that >the APRC government would provide the logical answers >to the contradictory questions raised in the latest >Point Newspaper publications? If you think the >government would come up with the reasonable answers >about why Yaya is pretending to look fair and good on >one side by trying to comfort the families of the >victims of the massacre, but on the other side he >continues to act like the devil he is by illegally >detaining several other poor students, you must be >living in a dream world. What most of you fail to >understand is that Yaya measures the mentality of >every Gambian by the degree of the inept head he >carries over his shoulders. He is not at all >intelligent; thus he treats every person by his level >of thinking. Unfortunately, those around him would >keep on telling him that he is way in the sky even >when his tail is on fire in a hole below the earth. >All I have to say anyway is that the idiot is living >on borrowed time. He is already finish. > >Having said that, I still want to add a few lines by >answering few questions. While we were in the army we >could not overthrow Yaya because there was no apparent >reason to do so. We were professional soldiers who >served with all those military ethics, codes and >principles well respected in the job we did. Yaya knew >that he could not have been crazy in our time to give >us such unlawful orders to shoot and kill school >children. That would have the order toend his >administration. We had conscience and strongly >believed in god and Yaya knew that very well. If Yaya >had ordered us to shoot kids as young as three, we >would have smoked him instead rather than commit that >heinous crime in the name of soldiering. That is why, >like every reasonable person, we think that he belongs >in jail and not to head a nation. Child killers cannot >be allowed to roam civilized streets much more heading >the nation of god-fearing humans like Gambians. So >don’t disturb us with what we should or should not >have done in our past careers. > >To also think that Yaya would easily relinquish power >in the wake of losing in a general election is another >sad dream nurtured in some naive heads. For some of >you who still cannot get the point, you need to now >understand that Yaya is among those foolish dictators >who have the absurd notion that the country belongs to >them and them alone. Beside, he would certainly be >reluctant to leave because his hands are seriously >steeped in blood and his pockets full of booty. He >knows that all his past gory misdeeds would be >exposed. Hence he would cling to power regardless of >the cost or consequence. That therefore leaves no >choice but to dislodge him in the very manner he got >himself that seat. Historians on African politics have >long codified the statistics that between 1957 and >1990 there were 150 heads of state in the continent >but only six had ever relinquish power voluntarily. >Discount Yaya from the honorable category of the >legacy of those six. > >Landing Jatta and Kebba Dampha, I must commend you for >your courage and determination. You are admirable >heroes in my camp. You must never lose sight of the >fact that we are the last hopes. Arguments of various >kinds would continue to be forwarded to dampen our >spirits but you must maintain the positive position. >We are definitely on the right track. YAYA MUST GO BY >ALL MEANS!!!! > >Ebou Colly. > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. >http://invites.yahoo.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------