The Editor,
“Power concedes nothing without demand; it never has and it never will”–Frederick Douglas.
“There comes a time in life when one must take a stand that is neither safe, nor popular, nor politics but you take it because it is right”– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Here in America, let a white government official call any black person a “Nigger” and see what happens to that official.
He/she will resign immediately or be fired by the Mayor, Governor or President. Blacks and others will protest until hell freezes over. You don’t insult the dignity of a race/tribe and get away with it.
Free speech has moral “red lines” that cannot be crossed.
When you insult a fellow citizen, a Mandingo Liberian by allegedly calling him a “Mandingo Dog”, there is no justification whatsoever for such immoral behavior by an official of our government.
Thus, Mary Broh needs to resign now or be fired from her position by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
We call on all good Liberians, the Christian community, politicians and presidential and legislative candidates to weigh in and demand that Mary Broh be fired from her job. It is the right thing to do.
What Mary Broh is accused of insulting a fellow Liberian is no different from what tribal/native Liberians endured for over 150 years under the ruling minority Americo-Liberians/Congau would insult and referred to tribal Liberians as ” country asses,” even to this day.
A recent example was in January 1998 when former Senator and now a presidential candidate, Congau Charles Walker Brumskine referred to a sitting native Senator Bedell Fahn of Margibi County as a “country fool/ass,” according to an official letter of complaint dated February 3, 1998 written by Senator Fain to his fellow lawmakers.
This arrogance and contempt for natives by the Congau resurfaced yet again in this 2017 presidential campaign when Mr. Brumskine rained insults of “nonsense” on native presidential candidate Joseph Boakai, ironically accusing the well-respected Mr. Boakai of “encouraging the Native versus Congau divide.”
A case of pot calling a tea kettle black.
And it is this same arrogance that perhaps has led the likes of Madame Broh to call a native Liberian by his tribe as a “Mandingo Dog”, obviously encouraged by Broh’s close friendship with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
But our Mandingo brothers and sisters must organize and use their votes as a political weapon in this election for candidates who remain silent and are supported by President if she refuses to fire Madame Broh.
Madam Broh has a history of unlawful behavior and recklessness because of her friendship with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
As Mayor of Monrovia, Broh reportedly slapped a pregnant woman who was also an aide to a sitting House of Representatives member and got away with the crime.
Madam Broh reportedly ordered the public beating of a Liberian journalist and other citizens in public view.
As Mayor, Broh, without court order or approval, Broh destroyed the homes and businesses of citizens in the name of city beautification. And it is this jungle justice behavior without consequences that led her to call another Liberian a “Mandingo Dog.”
But President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is Mary Broh’s boss was married to a Mandingo man, a marriage that produced four sons. President Sirleaf seems to value her friendship with Broh over Broh’ s insult of the entire Mandingo tribe.
We must not sugar-coat this grave hurt and insensitivity Broh has brought to the Mandingo community.
Today, it is the Mandingo; tomorrow it could be you and your tribe. A wrong is a wrong is a wrong.
We condemn in the strongest terms the deplorable action of a government official and the conspicuous silence of President Sirleaf. Let the protests begin.
Jerry Wetter Wion, Washington, DC, USA
[email protected]