Generational failure...as Gambia goes to the polls.
Posted by ousman ceesay at Wednesday, November 23, 2011
I am in my mid-thirties and for most of my adult life, lived in the comforts of the west; the United States to be specific. I am the diasporan that politicians in the Gambia recoiled at when we lobbed criticism at their lack of strategy in getting rid of 17 years of Yahya's authoritarian rule. They are grateful for our remittances, without which that place will be a basket case, but never lose a beat in reminding us who has skin in the game. It is a sad spectacle coming from seemingly and by every educational measurement, very smart guys.
In a few hour's time, Gambians are going to engage in another sham election. The outcome of which unless you live under some kind of rock, is obvious. The mechanism needed to rid our nation of a cancerous dictatorship was derail due to petty squabbles amongst men who should know better.
This has left a sizable sector of my generation puzzled, at the intransigence of our parent's generation of opposition politicians. These men of healthy age couldn't put away idealogy to save a nation. Personally, I have lost faith in the leadership of my parent's generation. I speak not literally of our parents -- I have two loving ones --one died (my Dad) more than a decade ago, but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. they have failed us over and over and over again. Remember, when Yahya ordered his goons to use live ammunition on my generation in broad daylight and murdered fourteen of them? My parent's generation didn't rise up to demand justice for the fallen. They cowered and hold tightly onto their rosaries, praying to a deity, to rescue them from the clutches of tyranny. Well, I got news for them, it ain't gonna happen. God said to help thyself and he will bless your endeavors. Freedom ain't free and until Gambians cleanse ourselves of the delusion, that we are the most peaceful people on God's green earth, we will be takers for bullies like Yahya Jemus Jammeh.
Our parents’ generation has balked at the tough decisions required to preserve our country’s sacred trust in standing up for the sanctity of life, especially for the young and vulnerable. They preach peace without calling for justice for the fallen. We still grief for the fallen and hope to hold the perpetrator to account for his deeds. All we asked of our parent's generation of opposition leaders, was to make this possible, by coming together and that becomes an insurmountable task for them to carry out. Instead, in a matter of hours, they will legitimize a tyrant by participating in a sham that even ECOWAS had to pull their observers from.
Well, like they say in my neck of the woods, the deed is done. These crop of our parents generation have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations. We have to take our country back before it reaches the abyss.Time for plan B.
In a few hour's time, Gambians are going to engage in another sham election. The outcome of which unless you live under some kind of rock, is obvious. The mechanism needed to rid our nation of a cancerous dictatorship was derail due to petty squabbles amongst men who should know better.
This has left a sizable sector of my generation puzzled, at the intransigence of our parent's generation of opposition politicians. These men of healthy age couldn't put away idealogy to save a nation. Personally, I have lost faith in the leadership of my parent's generation. I speak not literally of our parents -- I have two loving ones --one died (my Dad) more than a decade ago, but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. they have failed us over and over and over again. Remember, when Yahya ordered his goons to use live ammunition on my generation in broad daylight and murdered fourteen of them? My parent's generation didn't rise up to demand justice for the fallen. They cowered and hold tightly onto their rosaries, praying to a deity, to rescue them from the clutches of tyranny. Well, I got news for them, it ain't gonna happen. God said to help thyself and he will bless your endeavors. Freedom ain't free and until Gambians cleanse ourselves of the delusion, that we are the most peaceful people on God's green earth, we will be takers for bullies like Yahya Jemus Jammeh.
Our parents’ generation has balked at the tough decisions required to preserve our country’s sacred trust in standing up for the sanctity of life, especially for the young and vulnerable. They preach peace without calling for justice for the fallen. We still grief for the fallen and hope to hold the perpetrator to account for his deeds. All we asked of our parent's generation of opposition leaders, was to make this possible, by coming together and that becomes an insurmountable task for them to carry out. Instead, in a matter of hours, they will legitimize a tyrant by participating in a sham that even ECOWAS had to pull their observers from.
Well, like they say in my neck of the woods, the deed is done. These crop of our parents generation have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations. We have to take our country back before it reaches the abyss.Time for plan B.
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