>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: FYI: the door of reconciliation >Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2001 18:11:37 EDT > >Absjorn, > >Thank you for sharing this wonderful ideal. >However, while reconcilliation may be a noble and desirable thing, the >problem we have in the Gambia is that we are not dealing with people who have >a conscience, and who can be moved to do the right thing.In order to have an >atmosphere where dialogue and ultimately reconciliation occurs, you have to >be dealing with people who are motivated by things other than what this >regime is motivated by. > >Instead, it is documented by the actions of this regime that we are dealing >with robbers and people of very bad character who have one aim. They see >their positions as positions of proviledge from where they can enrich >themselves and live extravagant lifestyles at the expense of the people, and >which priviledge they will do anything to maintain, including killing. > >Therefore, the questions becomes, how does one appeal to a person without >conscience or the smallest iota of desire to do the right thing? How do you >bring such people who see positions of leadership as a ticket for highway >robbery to a position where they see their roles as servants of the people >which they are supposed to be? >Absjorn, you do bring forward some interesting points, but we are dealing >with a completely different animal where this regime is concerned, and I am >afraid that some of these approaches is the last thing we can utilize to >bring about changes in our country. >These are common criminals who never should have been in any positions of >responsibility, and who need to be prosecuted to the fullest, and the >evidence is mounting against these people from day to day. The sooner we can >get them out of there, the better for the Gambian people. One does not >bargain with criminals, you just put them where they belong forthe good of >society as a whole. > >Jabou Joh > >In a message dated 7/29/2001 3:47:42 PM Central Daylight Time, >[log in to unmask] writes: > > > > > > Friends, > > In early may I visited Dublin, Ireland. FYI: In St. Patrickīs Cathedral, > > Dublin you can see the rest of "the door of reconciliation". > > In 1492, public attention in Dublin was focused on the rivalry of two > > powerful Anglo-Norman families, the Butlers and Fitzgeralds. In order to > > counter the political dominance of Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, King > > Henry VII gave his support to Fitzgeraldīs rival, Thomas Butler, Earl of > > Ormond. Matters came to a head when Butlerīs nephew, Black James, arrived > > in Dublin with an army. Supporters of the rival factions fought a battle > > inside the cathedral. During the battle, Black James was forced to retreat > > into the chapter house. Despite Fitzgeraldīs feelings towards the Butler > > family, the Earl of Kildare could not be seen to stand aside while a royal > > servant was murdered in a cathedral. Suspecting treachery, Black James could > > only be induced to leave the chapter house when Fitzgerald cut a hole in the > > door and thrust his arm through to offer his hand in peace. > > It has been claimed that the idiom "to chance your arm" derives from this > > episode in the cathedral. > > A note in the Cathedral said, that there is a lesson for all of us engaged > > in feuds, whether brother to brother, nation to nation. If one of us would > > dare to "chance his arm", perhaps that would be the first crucial step to > > reconciliation we all seek. > > > > When I stood there and read the story of this door, I come to think of this > > whole idea of reconciliation once again. > > > > Just a comment on the situation in The Gambia inspired from a tour to > > Dublin, Ireland. > > > > Asbjørn Nordam > > > > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------