Good one mawdo Yero. I have the same opinion for Burama. He made the point, defended his position and we should move to more pressing issues. Just insisting on this point is just going to alienate more people. Of course everyone of us is entitle to our opinion and each must be respected as well. 

I just think we have a road block right now in Gambia that is even preventing us from honestly and openly discussing what was flawed in the first republic and how we can improve on that. Right now we are not able to freely have that national dialogue because majority of Gambians who we should have this dialogue with are on the ground and are afraid to participate in this discussion. Even those present on social media on here on the L are afraid to speak.

I look forward to discussing how we can regroup around some of the ideas Burama is presenting and how we can convince more people to participate in moving these ideas forward. The choice is ours we can either continue to dwell on this issue with tempers rising or we can find a common ground and try to move the dialogue forward.

Thanks

Demba

On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 9:36 PM, Y Jallow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Comrade Burama -
 
It is nice seeing your opinion as always. I have no doubt that you are loaded with a sincere motive to see the Gambia and her citizens liberated from the clutches of tyranny, and to that, I just wanted to say keep on patriotic citizens. To where I live to witness the new Gambia, I would like to see all citizens being respected for their opinions...a nation of active and responsible citizens who are aware of their environment, and who will champion the rights of citizens, to live and exercise their freedom of everything, without being subjected to terror.
 
That said, here is some advice for you, which might not change your beliefs wholly, but it will help structure your argument, a bit better, if not for your readership, at least for posterity reference. I know your iron is very hot right now and you would just rather vent out on your feelings...and many probably fail to realize that this claim of yours is only an opinion, and it doesn't mean the man was in fact a dictator. Consider changing your tone a little bit...the whole idea of Jawara being branded a "dictator" in the real context of dictatorship, might not befitting the man in my view, at least going by the standard measurement of dictatorship in real context. Changing the choice of words just a little is very rewarding and it will also give you the opportunity to continue the path of democratic movement, something that you have a hobby in pursuing.  Yes, there wasn't a term limit. Yes, there were some human rights violations. Yes, there were some system defficiencies. etc...you name it. But Dictator, he wasn't. The man was a victim himself, of a "maslaya" culture that came to define the system of Government, to which the end result was "connections" that saw others to light, and others kept in their struggling spots for survival. Such is not rare in our cultures. We know who we are, a people whose circle of friendship and family give great "connections" which end up shamefully making it to govt quarters.
 
The new Gambia will be a Gambia of true citizens; one that will put the bondage of family and frienship away to reconcile the nation.
 
I checked the meaning of a dictator on dictionary (www.dictionary.com) and here is what it says. This meaning doesn't truly picture the real meaning of dictatorship.
 
www.dictionary.com....
(1.a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.

2.

(in ancient Rome) a person invested with supreme authority during a crisis, the regular magistracy being subordinated to him until the crisis was met.

3.

a

--
"Be the change you want to see in the World"

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