For weeks now, I have been reading so many threads on Facebook related to views on the direction of our country as we reached a critical crossroads to render in a new administration, signaling to the world that we as a people remain committed to a democratic process and lasting peace. I remain grateful to all the political parties for their maturity and commitment to peace.
They have shown leadership. However, while we may never see the dark days when our people will spend their days running from place to place with their loads on their head;, where our young boys high on drugs will dress in wedding dresses and celebrate the slaughter of their own brethren; where our girls innocence will be raped from their existence while the so-called leaders make it a business to stay in fancy hotels and drink drinks in celebration of their egos under the guise of negotiating peace – today we have a new war.
I am not sure, but sometimes I have said to friends and colleagues that this is the price of an evolving democracy.
Our new reality – the war of our tongues, where we exercise our franchise to speak freely on any topic.
This is a good thing, but oh oh, oh, it is quite heartbreaking that we as a people, how soon we forget from where we have come, that we resort to in our quest to “speaking truth to power,” we so often forget that off our tongue lies the impression of our nation.
When in our differences we show our disappointment with utter disrespect of the rights of other, we taint the brand of a new Liberia, one no matter the struggle, is at peace with itself and its neighbors.
We are ONE, with no other home like this ONE. Want to see a nation going in the right direction, see its people in action.
We must understand, in a few days, we will go to the polls, and soon thereafter we will have a newly elected leader. Today we are blessed with two leaders who have emerged in the front of the race.
These are individuals supported by two deputies. These leaders, regardless of opinions of what they have to offer to our ONE country, currently hold official offices and are Liberians and as such commands our due respect for constitutional authority. We have a current leader who is exiting the stage after 12 years of service.
They too command the due respect for constitutional authority. It is absolutely important that our children today see that we as a people can exercise restraint agree to disagree, and do so in a discourse cognizant of the fact that others (our children) are watching, and those impressionable others who may not know better, may see our actions as the new “normal.”
I believe we as a people today can go to the polls and elect a new president, and can celebrate that victory as a victory for Democracy.
I believe that the new administration can come out victorious and reach across the divide and bring the opposition at the table as they ALL, have a vision for our beloved Liberia.
I believe our young girls can have the privilege to make it to Julejuah to sit at the feet of our wise one as sponges to absorb and be inspired to lead by the stories of our outgoing leader.
I believe for once, Liberians when asked where is your former President, we can say she is working as election monitor or an elder for another nation going through the election process, inspired by us.
We must tell our story of a Liberia transforming for the better of all of our people. It does not matter who comes next, an individual does not make the nation, and the people do.
Whomever God will bless us with will be blessed for this time in our history for a lesson we are to learn as a people, and patriotic citizens of a transforming nation.
I woke up some two weeks ago to work and got caught in the reading of the various elections debates, dialogue, etc.
But truly, I was saddened by the lack of respect for one another. I read and read for hours, and I kept on getting this phrase in my head “Peace be still.”
Not being sure what the meaning was then, I decided to do a search on google. I found this verse and the lyrics of this James Cleveland song.
I thought well maybe being disgusted by what I was reading, God wanted me to write something that reminded us that we are ONE, and no matter the storm that comes our way as a nation, we will be OK, peace be still.”
He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” —Mark 4:39
Axel Addy, Contributing Writer