Monrovia – Liberia celebrates 169 years of independence on Tuesday, July 26 amid harsh realities characterized by unemployment, devaluation of the Liberian dollars against the United States dollars and unfavorable economic conditions.
Ahead of the high level of hopelessness, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, political leader of the opposition Liberty Party is encouraging Liberians that the country can do better when Liberians work together.
In a prose marking the country’s independence, Cllr. Brumskine called on Liberians to build rather than to tear apart the country.
“We must take hold of the time and season, as ours; let’s build up, not tear down; we will stand as one people, or fail as divided ethnic or religious groups; we, nevertheless, hold this as true: “Together, We Can Do Better”, we are Liberia!”, Cllr. Brumskine stated in the prose.
Cllr. Brumskine indicated that Liberia is a great country because it dismantled the wind of colonialism across Africa, setting the stage for other African countries to follow.
Stated Cllr. Brumskine “we were, when it mattered; we made a difference; we can do it again; we blew the ‘Wind of Change’ across Africa, dismantling colonialism; we were a significant ally during the two great Wars, even the Cold War, we are Liberia!”.
On the issue of reconciliation, Cllr. Brumskine said Liberians are forgiving people and as such the people will reconcile and carry out reform.
“We are a forgiving people; we will reconcile; we will reform our ways, recover our ancient values, rebuild our society, we will rekindle our Liberian values, for which we were Lux in Tenebris”.
Cllr. Brumskine recollected that Liberia has not always been at the receiving end but also giving hope to other countries and fighting for change.
“We have not always been on the receiving end, an object of benevolence; we have given much, even at times when we needed most; we led the fight against apartheid; freedom fighters, we supported”, he noted.
Courageous people
Reflecting on the early days of the country, Cllr. Brumskine said when stateless societies were collapsing, Liberians came out of slavery to the Land of Liberty.
“We came as Kingdoms fell and stateless societies collapsed; we came as refugees; we came fleeing persecution; we came out of slavery to the land of liberty”.
Liberians, he said, are loving people and even welcome the Dutch when they arrived here.
“We were, before the Dutch arrived; we were at home; we received the British and the Portuguese; we were here; we welcomed the American Colonization Society, with our returnees”, said Cllr. Brumskine.
According to him, Liberians are one people whether blacks, Africans, Negroes.
“We were met here; as “stranger fathers,” we were treated differently; we are brothers and sisters; we are one people—Africans, Blacks, Negroes”.
The prose was written in commendation of the 169 independence of Liberia.