Mr. Small, Regardless of your interpretation of the Gambian political process, the stubborn fact still remains that President Jammeh won the elections, and he is granted a legitimate mandate to run a government. I am not saying at all that your observations are wrong; and I am glad that you have read some of my poems prior to the AFPRC. I guess you can figure that I will definitely concur with you on some issues- Public accountability is a litmus test for good governance. It breeds a conducive atmosphere for trust to thrive between the rulers and the ruled. However, there is a fundamental conditionality that seems overlooked by most of us here on the G-l. I recalled once reading Pindar, a classical Greek poet who wrote: “But human excellence grows like a vine tree, fed by the green dew, raised up, among wise men and just, to the liquid sky” I believe what Pindar was trying to teach us here is that for human virtues to reach its apotheosis, “wise and just” men and women have to create the conducive environment for these virtues to grow because human nature is laden with foibles; all of us are very fragile when our morality is but the test. We are all sinners! Now here is the relevance of Pindar to our concurrent problem: President Jammeh proffered an olive branch to everyone who disagrees with him- you, me and the entire Gambian population. A symbolic gesture of peace without which no justice, civil liberties nor rights are possible- the very stuff that this G-L has been dreaming ever since. A wise and just respond from us would certainly consist of a strategic reconciliation with him and not the unnecessary insults and futile sanctions. This respond serves neither to endorse or contradict but to lay the very foundation that shall consolidate justice and social virtues in the future. What is done can never be undone without a price, and I believe the road that most of our colleagues on the G-L are heading shall lead to the nadir of depravity. Vengeance is not a virtue. Thanks again my good friend. ===== Ebou Jallow Georgetown University Washington, DC __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>> To 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] <<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>