[-----Original Message----- From: Lamin Darbo <[log in to unmask]> To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wed, Feb 16, 2011 7:13 am Subject: Re: Listen to National Hero Chongan on radio. ATT Jr I note your points, and they are not necessarily unreasonable. My views on the PPP era is just one interpretation of a 30-year perversity.] JDAM. JDAM, I want to sincerely thank you for this consideration. I share with you that I am not oblivious of the gravity of the Jawara era and malignant deficiencies. That era spanned the critical growth points of any people. Let me explain: From 1960 to 1990, the life-span of Gambians was around 40 years old. (It is not much better today even given global advances in medicine and hygiene). This meant that there ought to have been what industrialists call a mid-course correction every 10 years de-minimis to reconnoitre right. Jawara and his hangers-on missed those opportunities, in fact they were so self-interested, they were gossly negligent and incompetent. When their treasures were threatened by a band of uncouth militiamen, none of them had the moral compass to defend Gambia against the equally uncouth militia. This is because none of them was working for Joe-Gambia. They had been too busy taking care of themselves and their collaborators. Amid all that rogue indifference, Chongan did attempt to stand up and defend the state. It is not up to me to determine what Chongan was defending. I merely defend the spirit within the man that prompted him to defend the nation against potential evil. This does not even argue whether the July 1994 coup was legitimate or not. Whether you are pro or against the that forceful overthrow does not really take anything away from the spirit that engaged Chongan to attempt to defend the nation. You will agree with me that the legitimacy of the discrete event of a forceful overthrow derives secour from the life of the overthrower. You were just denied the privilege of foresight to appreciate what Chongan attempted to do on July 22nd, 1994. No matter how odious the Jawara era was and for how long, its replacement, by force or usury, by an equally odious, if not more so, government, can never be legitimate. Do you agree. I am confident you will agree simply because legitimacy is a regime, and not a discrete act. I do thank you however for making room for different interpretations. That says more about your exquisite sense of justice and considered grace. I love you for that. Always will. [As to whether you should deal with Chongan on matters of life and death, my view represents the locus classicus, the standard, if you like, and you ignore my warnings on his character at your peril. Chongan approached me for a meeting, in writing, to discuss matters relating to Gambian public life.] JDAM. Thank you JDAM for this brotherly advice. I have not yet considered whether I should deal with Chongan on matters of life and death. That will require an entire slew of controlled considerations. It is not just Chongan. It is the same for any other person, brother, sister, etcetera, national hero or not. Advice from brothers like yourself form weighty portion to that calculus. Chongan was a national hero to some extent for his gallantry in the events surrounding July 22nd, 1994, as I'm sure many others like you were. Chongan also has qualitative ideas on the ware of the opposition which I admire. [At the meeting, he frightened me tremendously by incessantly bad-mouthing his so-called friends, and in their numerous numbers. There and then, I formed the view he is not the type I would like to deal with on serious matters.] JDAM. I appreciate this candor but I do not expect anything different from you. I am very much like you in that department. For that I am ever grateful. I am particularly repulsed by one who bad-mouths another for fancy. I must presume brother Chongan bad-mouthed these others in defense of himself? No? I have to take into consideration that Chongan's life history may warrant some impromptu self-defense, borderline paranoiac. I want you to sincerely consider that as much as Chongan may be a national hero, there are equally as many fellow citizens who consider him evil. Verily, it is that dichotomous contrast that elevates him to a position of relative honour. [As an inherently conspiratorial person, he sensed my disquiet and ran away.] JDAM. I understand. I don't blame him for not having sensed an ally in you. JDAM, I think what you did not consider is that your overwhelming belief in the power of justice and jurisprudence, particularly in a rural society like Gambia, is itself a source of fear for many of your fellow citizens. Of course I think it is saintly of you. But being in the narrower trenches like Chongan was, I have hightened appreciation for erstwhile conspiratorics. I encourage you to reconsider the wisdom, if eccentric, of brother Chongan to retire from your audience when he sensed non-alignment. It is not wrong for you to assess it as mere paranoia. I merely encourage you to consider mere's colour. [I didn't have to expressly disown him, although I decided that was the only rational course of action in the totality of circumstances.] JDAM. I don't blame you given your global views. I will encourage you to revisit Chongan's situational ironies that may warrant such seemingly rash behavior. [If you do not know Chongan, and he approaches you based on your membership of the Mighty, or the L, it would likely be occasioned by his irresistible urge to spew venom about someone else.] JDAM. If brother Chongan spews WANTON venom about other to me, I will inform him that I am repulsed by it. In fact if he ever engages in a conversation with any of my family members, friends, and associates, about me, he will have been forewarned of my intemperate affinity for such odious conduct. That will not take away from Chongan being considered a national hero. National heroes do have their deficiencies afterall. [Be careful is all I wish to offer by way of advise in dealing with Chongan] JDAM. I understand and thank you for the advice. Now if I can give you a brotherly advice too; I encourage you to consider Chongan's life and pre-disposition in a more global context. What you just advised me about Chongan, I can advise you about any number of our fellow citizens, brothers, and friends, albeit my experience with Chongan is not as acute as yours. You will discover that Chongan is tame compared to some others. Surely he has some redemptive value even for someone as apparently repulsed as you were by him. I want to thank you for sharing your opinions with me. I want to suggest that we continue the conversation off-maelstrom because I want to seek your understanding in certain areas with the hope that you may afford Chongan some relief for eccentricita. --- On Tue, 15/2/11, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Listen to National Hero Chongan on radio. To: [log in to unmask] Date: Tuesday, 15 February, 2011, 23:03 JDAM, I have read and understood your anxieties about Jawara and our friend Chongan. Might I suggest that because you admit diffused gore and graffignette during the Jawara and PPP government, and that you admit the inevitability of a forced overthrow at the time, acts of gallantry from within that same graffignette must be commended on their particular merits. I understand that you query the sanctity of resistance and the discrete legality of a forced overthrow of an elected government. I merely encourage you to consider that in states of diffused indifference, gallantry would be a rare attribute, particularly coming from one of the actors of a "status quo ante". You will agree that the national conversation that accrued extant decrepitude is as intractable as the diffuse number of culprits thereto. It is out of a vortex of decrepitude and general malaise that National heroes emerge. No matter their color. If I agree with you on the repulsive nature of the diffuse (your charactrerization) decrepitude of the Jawara government, will you consider encouraging singular acts of gallantry, no matter how benign? Please refer to the Jasmine Revolution. I do remind you that apparent over-running of CHongan and his men on July 22nd, 1994, need not have meant the total success of the violent overthrow of the Jawara government. I understand that you are not suggesting that a forceful overthrow of elected decrepitude is malignant in itself. We can save that for another conversation. Another time. I respect your opinion on Jawara and Chongan. I do suggest that it is malignantly inflexible. I will attempt to reason with you. Off-maelstrom. Haruna. I hope you haven't succeeded in melting Karim. On Joe Joe, I agree with you, the man is made of resistant stock. Do not therefore mistake wanton resistance for integrity of character. I think that is your extant beef with Chongan. Yes you need to say more about Giuseppe. May God bless you. Its good to hear you again nonetheless. I think I know how to bring you back here when GIuseppe kidnaps you again. In a message dated 2/15/2011 4:28:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: ATT Jr Please see my response to Karim and lemme know if you require an expended version of my views As to Joe Sambou, and despite never meeting him, the man is high grade character and integrity through and through. Need I say more? LJDarbo --- On Tue, 15/2/11, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Listen to National Hero Chongan on radio. To: [log in to unmask] Date: Tuesday, 15 February, 2011, 16:39 JDAM, I want you and Chongan to call each other and hash things out. My affinity for Jawara's era has nothing to do with Chongan. Like Jawara, Chongan is a National hero to some Gambians. I admit he cannot be a National hero to every Gambian because we each have our perspectives of his term at the security department and what he may have done to fend off Yahya's uncouth band of idiots. I'll tell you what, If enTreaty between you and Chongan includes the revision of certain statements and perceptions from Chongan's book, I will lobby for a revised edition. Where have you been anyway? Joe Joe and I have been missing you here. I will call you to see if I can discern your anxieties about Chongan and see how I can ventilate those with Chongan. I think my work for 2011 is to have JDAM and Chongan reunite. I admit Jawara and Chongan had some debilitating deficiencies but all National heroes have deficiencies. National heroes generally are best known for their gallantries variously, not their deficiencies. If we assume that all citizens of Gambia have deficiencies variously, then we begin to appreciate those who seek to break from the deficient pack to demonstrate glimpses of gallantry. It is by celebrating relative gallantries that we elevate the consciences of a critical mass. Haruna. I am not holding brief for Jawara and or Chongan JDAM. Infact I don't know either very well. I am only conveying the view of some of our fellow citizens. If you and Joe Joe can be bosom bodies, I see no reason why You and Chongan couldn't be twin National heroes and the best of coleagues. Here are two great people who can't stand each other. Surely there must be a misunderstanding somewhere. -----Original Message----- From: Lamin Darbo <[log in to unmask]> To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Mon, Feb 14, 2011 5:18 pm Subject: Re: Listen to National Hero Chongan on radio. ATT Jr "National hero"? How did you arrive at such utter rubbish? Drop your love for the failed administration of Dawda Jawara and his flunkies. LJDarbo --- On Mon, 14/2/11, Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Listen to National Hero Chongan on radio. To: [log in to unmask] Date: Monday, 14 February, 2011, 18:21 Thank you beautiful people. Haruna. http://senegambianews.com/radionews.cfm ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subsc ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤