If not all, most in this 21st century must be familiar prominent German Protestant theologian and pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) about the Nazis. “FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE COMMUNISTS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A COMMUNIST. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE TRADE UNIONISTS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A TRADE UNIONIST. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS AND I DID NOT SPEAK OUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT A JEW. FINALLY, THEY CAME FOR ME AND THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO SPEAK OUT.” With respect to the above, Niemoller clearly confessed that he fail to do what he was supposed to do. He starts by confessing he did not speak out when he should have. Unfortunately, the relevance of this poem is as true today in Sierra Leone as it was in Germany in the 1930s. One only has to reflect on the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the current situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan. “First They Came…………I did not speak” should stand as a stern warning against complacency. If one person is discriminated against, we all suffer from that discrimination. If one persons liberties and rights are restricted, no ones liberties and rights are safe from the same action. It is up to each of us to realize that we are all just a whim away from being deprived of all these things we take for granted. The idea is simple: we are all connected. The phrase, never again has been in place since World War 2 was revealed to the world. Yet, genocide still takes place. Yet, the poor are still with us. Yet, corrupt governments are still in place. Who speaks? Who stands? Who gives voice? This quotation is still relevant today. It is a wonderful piece to challenge complacent behaviours on the part of society, and on the part of individuals. Obviously our country is facing the same and perhaps implying a collective guilt of all Sierra Leoneans. The status quo we’re facing reminds me of Martin Niemoller’s dilemma. Are we going to seat down, fold our hands and expect the Goods to happen overnight? Blind optimism? Where are the civil society groups, affected youths, the independent media, the good people, and biased-free journalists, and students’ bodies? Are we all blind to realities?? Unfortunately all democratic institutions have been destroyed. They people no longer trust the people they once trusted. Mere anarchy is everywhere, police killing innocent people instead of protecting them, students being marginalised and tortured, minority groups being attacked, mismanagement at all sectors, our natural resources being exploited, our minerals mine and no reflection, jobless youth marauding the streets, the state issues being politicalized, private companies taking over state companies just because it belongs to him, education dwindling, fees skyrocketing, attack on the objective press, hunger, utility cost chasing the sun, so many sacred cows, corruption at its peak, social injustices, tribalism, regional dynasty, poverty etc. BLIND OPTIMISM!!! BLIND OPTIMISM!!! I know the fear and humiliation we encounter, but we have to choose hope over fear. We have to liberate the next generation from such threat, by standing out in the face off opposition telling them their faults on their face. Tell them that things are bad and we are not pleased with it, also that we are not ready to give a 10% chance on injustices. We are living in an isolated space dead to the social realities. We should learn to take our history and future into consideration. Why should just some people toy with our fate and just be blind about it? Are we waiting till it affects us directly? Or till tomorrow they come for u? The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people! • Napoleon Bonaparte
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:58:52 +0000
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