Dr.SAMUEL K. DOE: STILL WHELLS POLITICAL, CULTURAL, REVUTIONARY, NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE TWO DECADES IN DEATH... ######%%%%%%%%%% Sir McCarvent Levi Madison SKD! Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear, and another hand reaches out to take up our arms... Much like all of his predecessors who made history, the influence, relevance, and above all,the revolutionary ideologies of the late President, Dr. Samuel K. Doe, continue to gain momentum and reverberate across the panorama of Iberia and indeed the world decades after his transcendence to the great beyond....! SKD, one of the brightest lights to glow across the Green Coast has been extinguished now and forever...! SKD, the quintessential epitome manhood and the embodiment of revolutionary spirit is extinguished now and forever! SKD, the embodiment of unity, strength, intellectual pursuit, and the fearless voice of advocacy in our community, is now muted for eternity! SKD, One of the finest examples of what it means to be a Liberian and certainly the proudest expressions of the natives to self govern has crossed over to the land of our ancestors.... We miss you....! SKD, your death in the line of duty, in ransom for the salvation of your people, is redemptive! Amid the many challenges faced, Your many remarkable achievements, born out of the pursuit to transform Liberia into a beacon light of hope in sub-region by the erection of groundbreaking infrastructures, and your revolutionary ideas and policies ameliorated the living standards of ordinary Liberians, thus giving rise to the creation of a new middle, in less then a decade rule, are no doubt, unparalleled to any of his predecessors and stand tall in the annals of history. Dr. Doe, was the lion that gave the Liberian nation its roar of defiance in the teeth of abject poverty, a repressive hut/head taxation system, indigenous inferiority syndrome, and the one party political system that denied political participation, social interaction, and economic mobility to majority of the countrys population, for way over a century. He was the iconoclastic, selfless, visionary, and dedicated leader, without whom, Liberia would still been in the Stone Age hurdled by a segregated and elitist system, sadly alien to multiparty democracy. Amid the barrage of hostile rhetoric from vociferous critics of this widely celebrated leader, who vent out some of the most lethal and venomous decries of him for some of the mishaps of history that unfolded during his tenure, the light beams of his achievements and accomplishments shines across the social, political, economic, and cultural panorama of Liberia. Much like his many slogans that animated Liberian folklore, and his still distinctly insightful, empowering, and motivational voice that transformed the destinies of man and woman, who has lied dormant for centuries in productive citizens, still echoes across the decades. On one instance, he exclaimed..... In the cause of the people, struggle continues...on another he cried, towns trappings arent for rat alone....to convey his caution his followers. Indeed, when Discussing the life and legacy of the late president, Samuel k. Doe, it is befitting to reflect on His most profound, significant and historic legacy, the April 12, 1980 Event, a truly socio-political Revolution, which went partly wrong for reasons due to his lack of a rational comprehension of the social, intellectual, and cultural dynamics of the then Liberia…. Owing to ignorance, strong western influence over the regions and country at the time and various interplays of several factors that characterized the proceeding of the time…... Although the 1980 event was tragic, in terms of the unfortunate and unanticipated loss of lives, deep sorrow and pain it brought upon the nation and people, the 1980 Revolution or popular coup afforded the Liberian people a chance for “regime-change” if you will acknowledge, it awakened Liberia’s dormant, slumbering political, social and economic consciousness; it profoundly brought out and crystallized a new horizon of leadership challenges for change in our concept of nation-state; and the developed/developing, pro-democracy worldview and movement, now prevailing worldwide and in Liberia…. Wish I am sure you enjoyed to the fullest in Liberia…. Permit me to enumerate of the positive of the doe’s regime, which your profound hatred have beclouded your eyes from seeing!!!! First and foremost, this change introduced a new era or an epoch into Liberia’s socio-political thought and practice, consistent with classical democratic principles and values by a Constitution. Among the many “firsts”, the 1986 Constitution provides a meaningful multi-party, pluralistic, competitive, peaceful, electoral process with a tenured president on the African continent then notorious for one-party states and life-time presidents. Second, the significance and profound historic impact of the April 12, 1980 event upon the present and future of our country, was not only the socio-political emancipation of the indigenous peoples of our country, but also of our founding fathers, the so-called Congo- and Americo-Liberians. Today, Ethnic, Tribal and Gender Inclusion – or Diversity – has become a National policy, based upon merit. It is argued, reasonably, that almost all of our social, political and economic ills of the past, our national tragedy of the fifteen-year, civil war and the current “failed-state status” of our country are traceable to the past, irrational Policy of Ethnic/Tribal/Gender Exclusivity. I am not here to pass judgment on this matter as to whether was the best or the worst, as a fast consistent history will judge all of us…. However, the challenge lies in the socio-political will to build and submit to enabling capacities for the resolution of conflicts through rational, peaceful approaches. Modern, self-achieving, democratic societies provide mechanisms or institutions such as efficient/effective police; transparent courts; free, fair and open electoral systems, etc. to manage and resolve conflicts, maintain law and order in the effort to promote justice, peace, unity and national security. This group tends to be fiercely anti-the so-called “informed” or, “book people” and now the “re-cycled, old-age politicians” who must “sit down” and blamed for all the historic ills that earned our country the designation of a “failed state”. This younger group tends to reject or refuse to accept and be guided by our traditional, moral code of behavior which requires or demands humility, cooperation with and respect for elders and their advice or counsel, based upon years of training, experience and wisdom, a subject that is not taught at any school – college or university. Some of this group’s socio-political “leadership” is beholden to the belief systems of our old Traditional Society (characterized by superstitions, secrecy, rumors, fear, jealousy, antagonism, discrimination, etc.) and dominated by “fire-brands”, some of whom were child-soldiers and graduates of our civil war who became “men & women” overnight, came from refugee camps and now “educated, socio-political activist-politicians”. It is apparent that these young, “new breeds” lack or refuse to accept or study the history of our nation for comprehensive knowledge, understanding and appreciation of our turbulent past, its significance and relevance to the present and future of our nation, people and generations yet unborn. Meanwhile, the present Modern Society, in which we find ourselves, is deeply grounded upon transparency, facts, evidence, the search for truth, concern of and care for one’s fellow human beings and society, the Rule of Law and educated decision-making. In this context, we have often wondered, in the light of our apparent, prevailing political activities, whether we still have one foot in the old traditional society and the other foot in the new, modern society. Some Liberians tend NOT to confine debate or critical analysis to issues raised or at hand – the precise premise of a given ideological encounter. They confuse arguments by irrelevant grand-standing – personal attacks, character assassinations, mud-slinging, ethnic-tribal profiling, guilt-by-association, etc. Opposition is indispensable This adage is a rational concept not only because opposition contributes clarity of thought, but also because it exposes one’s possible murky-thought process and fallacious reasoning. Notwithstanding the reality of these truths, Liberians tend to regard opposition, political or otherwise, as an “eternal enemy”. Moreover, some Liberians will not even meet, face-to-face, with ideological opponents for engagement in an unrestrained, candid dialogue to discuss and resolve, quite possibly, ideological disagreements. In our opinion, this hard-line, closed-door approach is unreasonable; for, whoever one is or whatever is one’s level of socio-economic and political standing, all of us want and have the same objective in life – freedom, justice, equal treatment and opportunity for growth and advancement. Therefore, by getting together in a friendly, close and free exchange of ideas, it is often possible to eliminate or eradicate deep-seated differences through educated discourse. The students of conflict resolutions maintains that in order for there to be a genuine or lasting peace anywhere: Home, country, professional setting, church, etc. following periods of conflict, each of the parties involved has to acknowledge the magnitude their role(s) in initiating, protracting, and complicating the situation.. Therefore, they should accept their responsibilities; sincerely make amends by exhibiting a real sense of remorse by transferring than same magnitude of negative force to foster a peaceful coexistence.....We must not retire our quest for lasting peace! Furthermore, I decline to embrace this myopic assertion that Liberian are tragically doomed to this state mindless engagement in unending war and that the jubilant morning of peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, love, brotherhood manifested in healthy peaceful coexistence will never become a reality in Africas oldest Republic...Let us all commit our time, resource, scholarship, and vocations to the undeniable truth that someday, peace and unconditional love will be the condiments in creating a flourishing democratic society in Liberia. Yes we can!!! I have a resounding certainty, however, in the face of prevailing sentiments of deep-seated hatred and hostility, is that our “unearned suffering’ as a people, will be redemptive someday. Rest in peace Gbassi.. Geesayfannohkoon.. Ninneh.. Soulbue...!
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 22:30:47 +0000
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