Before Lebanese Man Come

Yeah! I get two things and one other thing on my mind now. The first important one, I must find way to get the Akon ticket. The other one again, the Tubman girl now burn my heart bad way. I must look for way to marry the girl. Then I must not forget about my ma mattress business, what make it I not go in the interior for long time. I too shame to go there with my empty hands.

I move from Cellcom office I say let me go check to Lonestar. In fact self I more used to Lonestar cell phone from way Charles Taylor time, and the name sounding just fine, for national pride. But I now reach there, the people vex like hell. Cellcom bring those cheap-cheap bonanza phone, and their own of people all in the bush putting up cell phone antenna – so good network all the way to Guinea, then on top of that, they coming bring Akon again. The place what not get landline telephone in normal days, come see the people all in the bush carrying bonanza phone. The people not get electric current, but they there using generator to charge phone. I say!! Business competition can do good-good thing for the people o!

But the Lonestar people looking sorrowful; and no plenty selling phone until their own of cheap ones arrive. They get the same fine-fine girl them working in customer service. No man job. They just sitting down waiting for their own of cheap phone to come for them to sell to bring customers, but no job there for me. That what make it I say let me go look for one Lebanese friend I get, he get shop to Waterside. That my good-good friend from ever-since we sit we talk some kind of deep-deep something I learn plenty about the Lebanese people I not know before.

That one Sunday, I spy him, he just sitting down – he not want go to church. I not know what-thing come over me I just ask him say, "what you religion?"

He say, "I Druze."

I say, "Whattin?!"

He say, "move from here man, you not know the thing."

I just laughing, he can't speak good-good English, but when he ready, he can just put one-one good something inside.

I say, "Where you learn to talk that one?"

He say, "Move from here man, I born here."

I say, "But you Lebanese man. How you manage?"

He say, "Ever since – my people here. I was born here in Monrovia. But because I Lebanese man, I can't be Liberian. So I can just go Lebanon, I come back. If that was a different place, like America, I would have received citizenship a long time ago. All my children from Liberian women that I have here, they are Liberian. Some of them run away, some I sent America for the war. But I the pa who sitting down here throughout the war, I can't get citizenship."

I say, "Thank God for that self. You get citizenship, the whole country for you. That the best thing the people think to do, not to give y'all citizenship before y'all come control everything."

He say, "That kind of talking is the reason I don't invest any money in this country. I don't care who is in government, so long as I can dash them for whatever I need. I just fix my shop. I fix my house, but as soon as I make money, I send it Lebanon. During the war, most of the Liberian business people ran away. I sat down right here. Not for me, who is able to import?"

I answer him, "the Fula people."

He answer too, "but even the Fula people and the Mandingo people too. You hardly want to accept them because they are Muslim; even though some of them have been in this country since before the Americo-Liberians. Sometimes you can say they not true Liberians, even though you know they Liberian. But they are black, so you agree for them to have citizenship. Me I white, so no citizenship.

So I ask him again, "I say, you Muslim, that why you don't want go to church?"

He say, "No. I'm Druze."

I say, "What-thing you talking so. I not hear that one."

He say, "that's my ethnic group and my religion. That's something we don't like to talk about here too much."

I say, "Wait now; you want tell me say white Lebanese man them get tribe?"

He say, "You never heard about the Lebanon Civil War? We have plenty Muslims in Lebanon; Shiites, Sunnis, we even have Palestinian refugees, then we have Christians. All that one can call themselves Arab, and we have Druze — that one different."

I look at him for long time, I say, "What kind of civil war and refugees you get in Lebanon? That place where so-so money going at. I beg you yah! Don't come fool me man. Just say you Muslim."

He say, "The one that you want to believe is your business, but I'm telling you I'm Druze."

I ask him say, "What thing that-thing you call y'all believe? Y'all believe in Jesus or Mohammed?"

He say, "I don't know too much. I'm young yet to know the thing good, and our religion is a secret religion. We can't talk about it. Only the people that go into it deep can know all about it. The only thing I can tell you is that when we die, we can be reborn in a different person's body. But besides that, I can't say anything more; if you're not born inside, you can't join, and if you're not inside, you can't know. Even I myself don't know enough. Only thing I know, I'm Druze; but over here, the Liberian people can just say, I'm a Lebanese man. They can't see the difference between us.

I look at him for long. I say, "Oh! That kukujamaku something. You want tell me that so-so all of the Lebanese people in this country that this thing, what-you-call-it?

He answer, "Some of the people yes, but not all, you have different-different groups here, and two main ones, the Shiites and the Druze."

I look at him for long time again. I say, "You brave. I not understand why Lebanon war you not able to sit down there, but Liberian war you able to sit down here. But you part, you my friend. The way how your own of religion thing sounding, that just like my society bush. That one self, we can't talk it. But from today you my brother. From now-now, anything happen, just look for me, I your friend, yah?

He laugh at me. He say, "I spent a long time in this country. Anytime Liberian countryman says he's your friend, he's coming to ask you for something. But I like your business! I agree, anything Kato, you're my friend.

African Insurance

As a young child I had a great fear of death, but as I grew older that fear subsided. I realized the Lord had a time for me, that was not immediate but at some point would come, and I decided that before it happened, I should try to live a good life and do my best to prepare my soul by good deeds.

As I grew older my next great fear was of embarrassment; I was so afraid of being ashamed that I hardly spoke for fear of saying something inappropriate. My religion, however, teaches that he or she who is shy will not be a good student. The logic probably being that the person will be too afraid to ask questions, or to read, write and speak out loud and stand to be taught and corrected. So I strove and learned to overcome that fear and studied and worked hard to gain an education. Working nights, I put myself through school and today have a college degree. Hallelujah!

As an adult my next great fear was for the protection of my family, and it is one I doubt I will ever be able to overcome. What if God forbid my wife or child were to fall ill and I not have the ability to pay for the medical bills? I also worried very much about my parents, and how to help care for them. To manage the fear for my family's welfare I took out a medical insurance policy, and to my absolute astonishment, not long later my wife was diagnosed with an incurable medical condition and the best option was a new experimental medication that cost over US $500 a day, which they said might have to be paid every day for the rest of her life.

I witnessed several miracles. First, the insurance paid for the treatment. Second, we can throw the diagnosis of two years life expectancy the doctors gave out the window, it has been more than ten years now and the lady is looking and feeling even better today than before we even knew she was sick, and she is no longer on the medication. Third, the doctors said she could never have children and survive, and that we should forget the prospect altogether. Well, later they changed their minds, and she has given birth to a beautiful smart girl who is now seven years old and very playful. Praise the Lord!

However, eventually there comes that time when Our Heavenly Father comes to call his children to return, the mission they had for their life on earth complete and passed on to others. Having fallen on financial hard times, I am not financially prepared to handle the cost of a funeral, or even the return ticket back to Liberia, where thank God, my father is alive. Then I hear about a dear friend, upon whom the very thing I greatly fear has befallen. Right now as I write this, he is stranded in a snow storm in America, without the cash to buy a return ticket home, or to pay for the funeral. Life's tests never cease.

Thank God for African insurance. I did what I could financially, and now I am using the abilities I have been blessed with to pass on this message. Those of you that are willing, and are touched by the situation of my friend have an opportunity. Please find it in your heart to make a contribution. So far about $700 has been gathered to assist him and his family. Any small amount you are able will help. If many of us contribute even $1 each, we can be proud of helping one of our brothers. It is also your own insurance and ticket to Heaven you will have purchased.

I will not be handling any of the money, but details on who to contact are given below. I trust the person and have since we were in elementary school and if otherwise I would not be recommending him. There are good people. Praise G-d!

To get updated information or to assist join the: "Support for John and Dorcas Tamba" facebook group. You can find it among the groups I am a member of. Veteran missionary and longtime friend Alan Shea will be managing the collection.

Proposed Ideas for Discussion Concerning Education in Liberia

Preliminary Discussion on the State of Education in Liberia

It is recognized that the task of developing an appropriate educational program to address the needs of the public in Liberia is overwhelming. Like many developing nations and post-war countries, the Government of Liberia has relied heavily on UNICEF and other NGOs to assist in setting the tone, but their efforts have focused mostly on perceived basic humanitarian needs rather than on addressing education. This policy should not be criticized as the needs specified are indeed dire. A list of challenges facing the children of Liberia and relevant statistics can be found at the following site: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/liberia.html . What should be challenged is the haphazard implementation of the UNICEF in its work on the ground, and the great disparity between the allocated amounts devoted to feasible projects, educational materials and local training as compared to expatriate employee salaries. In spite of this, one must be extra careful when criticizing aid from a foreign source.

Specifically regarding education, the following information is quoted: "Half a million children do not attend school. Two thirds of students are being taught by unqualified teachers. Girls’ enrollment rates lag far behind those for boys." The last quoted sentence is questioned by this author and likely results from UNICEF's overzealous pro-gender equality orientation, however, it must be stressed that these points quoted regarding 'education' are not the most severe of the challenges facing children in Liberia; nonetheless, education must be focused on as part of a comprehensive solution. The Herculean nature of this task makes it auspicious to propose radical and creative solutions specifically customized to suit the Liberian setting. That is where a movement for CHANGE can have a relative advantage.

For the record, it should be stated that 11% of the national budget is allocated to education, which is a reasonable percentage by international standards, although the majority of nations tend to spend more. However, the amount of national budget is so low, that to use an analogy — it is a cup of water where at the very least a bucket of water is needed. The situation being so grave, one might suppose that use of the budget has been focused on a single locality in the country, for example the capital city Monrovia, as has been done in the past. The current Minister of Education must be praised for conducting a very balanced distribution approach, taking into account all 15 counties. Since 2006, the Ministry of Education has been trying to get a comprehensive grasp of the situation, formulating a network of regional administrators, developing a salary system, gathering a list of existing schools, and the names of salaried and volunteer teachers in each one. Many volunteer teachers were put on salary and selected schools renovated which was a moral boost throughout the country, particularly in the interior. However, the process is painfully slow and does little to promote the existing standards.

To keep to my self imposed 100-200 word limit for educational proposals I must be very brief and schematic and specify general ideas that can be developed. Below are listed three programs we can consider promoting to supplement what currently exists.




Proposed Liberian Educational Programs

1. Promote a national service program that enlists the aid of educated exiled Liberians, with guaranteed renewal of passport for citizens residing abroad in return for service. Many nations have mandatory national service programs (or military service) and these are usually 1-3 years for each participant citizen. A good example for the structure of this program can be that of the US Peace Corps. This would be a good way to strengthen the connection between exiled Liberians and their country, provide return opportunities and could even encourage Afro-Americans and Afro-Europeans to consider the prospect of a renewed idealistic "Back to Africa" movement. The idea of uprooting and returning to Liberia once settled abroad is a scary prospect for many Liberians; but many of a nationalistic nature would flock to contribute 1-2 years of national service to the Liberian people and gain a cultural experience for basic low salary if a well organized limited program were to be promoted. Many who participated in the project might chose to return of their own accord.

2. Promote the study of writing in indigenous languages as an intermediary step to teaching English writing skills. Many have not considered the fact that English is in fact a second language to the majority of Liberian citizens; therefore it has gone largely unnoticed that this is one of the major reasons the ability to teach writing skills to the majority of people has been so stunted. Another stumbling block is the fact that the English the majority of people do speak is based on pidgin grammar and pronunciation. To begin to teach someone to write in a foreign language without first bothering to teach them to write in their own is to skip a step and cognitively makes it much more difficult for the prospective student to gain the skill. I was fascinated by how much quicker a Dan child could learn to write in the written script developed and taught by LIBTRALO and how much better he performed than average when later taught to write in English from others who had not previously learned to write in their own dialect. The same would probably hold true for the majority of indigenous language speakers.

3. Promote a radical new curriculum that diverges from that of the rest of the world including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). We could chose to be bold leaders and develop a curriculum uniquely suited to a people with 60% illiteracy, a historic culture based on oral literature, and a modern age of technology that renders the ability to 'write' largely unnecessary. If we so decide to do, let's be proud of it! Writing was developed before such technologies as cellular phones, photography, the Internet and the possibility for tape-recording and webcam video interaction. For sure writing and arithmetics has its uses and should be taught as well – as special courses, but 'universal curriculum' can focus on our cultural heritage and subjects such as chemistry (alongside traditional healing), environmental studies, oral poetry, music, the art of debate and conflict resolution, practical electronics and mechanics (or physics), sports, and any number of issues historically addressed by the Poro and Sandae Societies. Thus our citizens could achieve self defined and advanced international scientific and artistic achievements without the need to write a single word! Illiterate indigenous people could be hired as instructors, and we could soon teach interested foreign student delegates, rather than vice versa.

Radical, true! Bold, yes. But is the current reality really any better?

The Trouble with Snowe

Okay, at the risk of making a grave error and tarnishing the name of one of Liberia's senior politicians, or several of them, I have decided to address an issue head on that has been bothering me for a while. It may surprise you to know that corruption is not the issue. While Liberia certainly does have a lot of issues to deal with, and not the least of which is indeed corruption, let's ignore that well chewed topic for today and focus on a different one, inefficiency.

Before returning to Liberia in 2006, one name I had been hearing a lot was that of Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr. His name was usually not related by the media in a positive context and I came to associate it with corruption, power politics, and behind the scenes maneuvering of a negative nature. Pictures of him dressed in a black suit and wearing a top hat did not do much to improve his image in my opinion.

Then one day to my great surprise, as I was walking by ELWA junction, who should appear at the gas station to address the people as the market people were being driven back from the road by the police? Snowe. The very same man I had only previously seen in newspaper pictures was there in his black suit (minus the top hat) yelling and sweating profusely for the whole world to see. Nobody that has recently been in Liberia can question but that those market people and their stalls needed to be driven back from off the road, but needless to say, Snowe was not very popular on the street that day. Nonetheless, he was there. No other politician was. At the time I did not know whether to criticize his outlandish appearance or be impressed by the fact that he dared to appear there at all.

Another day I was on Tubman Boulevard trying to catch a taxi to Broad Street. I don't need to explain to people in Liberia that you need to be able to run and physically force yourself in to be able to get a space in a taxi nowadays. Who to my absolute utter surprise should stop for me and offer a ride in a large fancy black vehicle? You guessed it. Snowe. One would think I am trying to promote him, but I am simply stating a fact without being judgmental about his motives for stopping.

Having acclimatized myself to many of the changes undergone in contemporary Liberia and with his name fresh in my mind I started to notice that the few bus stops and taxi stations actually constructed (and with cement!), had "donated by Edwin Melvin Snowe and 'wife'," painted on it. Forgive me, I no longer remember which wife, but her name was at the time painted there, not the word 'wife.' Suddenly it hit me, the government can't put together decent stations for public transportation, or even form a public transportation system, but the best looking stations in the country that people were standing at trying to catch taxis all had the name of a specific individual painted on it. Two questions came to mind: what kind of publicity stunt was this and where did the money come from?

Not long into 2006, the great hope I had for the then new president gave way to familiar exasperation and downright apathy. Again, it wasn't the corruption that had me so deflated. First, I was astounded by the inability of the government to assess the national and international situation and take appropriate measures for the benefit of the people and country. The best they could do was through its incompetence try to hold the United Nations personnel in place for as long as possible with little thought as to what would happen if and when they decided to pull out. I wondered that the people in government did not seem to realize the United Nations has never been dependable anywhere in the world. Did they not realize that at the first sign of serious conflict the UN would pull out all non-essential personnel and business people would be running behind them? And if things got worse, the UN troops themselves would leave in a hurry? How many countries would let their troops die on Liberian soil?

Thank God the people themselves were tired of fighting and after so much destruction it was no longer productive, even to the warlords. The general consensus among them seemed to be: why fight when your position is secure and you have a more safe and dependable source of income in government, even as the opposition? Don't get me wrong, anything that can keep the warlords and the rest of the people from fighting is good. If we must bribe them and keep them in government to put down arms, so be it.

The problem was not only the incompetence of the government but what I viewed as very misguided policies and even worse implementation. The policy of globe trotting when there is an acute need to roll up one's sleeves and do work at home is just plain wrong. The excuse for it was the need to generate international support and encourage influx of business and investment. Has that been forthcoming? I venture to suggest more would have been accomplished by investing in better websites, slashing the bureaucracy involved in opening a business, establishing a better tax system, simplifying the procedures for importing, or best of all, establishing the necessary infrastructure for internal transportation and industrial zones. With the exception of establishing an infrastructure, all the above would have cost far less than the budget for traveling abroad and would have been far more productive.

Very well intentioned but probably worse was the decision to radically alleviate Liberia's debt problem at the expense of national development. That comes from over-identifying with the bank's perspective. In effect, it killed all prospect of generating much needed influx of capital for development projects. So the United States goes hat in hand to China to beg for a loan to save their economy, the Chinese take years to build roads they promised in Liberia that they potentially could have overnight because funds they hoped to receive were not forthcoming, and we Liberians stand there looking helpless and stupefied. The up side is the president actually kept her promise — no loans.

So much has been said about the high number of educated and qualified young Liberians that have studied and gained experience abroad. Let me put that case to rest quickly! If you are not on the ground, you are not relevant. The Jewish people have been in the Diaspora for 2,000 years. It is only when the doctors and lawyers among them decided to brave the malaria, drain the swamps by physical labor, get dirty and formed little agricultural settlements called kibbutz's that the modern State of Israel was formed. In 65 years, see what they have achieved. However, that is an exception to the rule. Most exiled people vanish within a few generations. How many of those living in the US truly believe their grandchildren will be going back to Liberia? As for prospective politicians living in the US that plan to return home only after winning elections — just stay there. It is better you invest your money and energy to form a US Liberian lobby and rally for your proposed country's financial support.

I am not criticizing lightly. I do believe the President tried her best, and she certainly did not receive all the international or local support she needed and deserved. But the world is a harsh place and lessons must be learned fast. I am proud of the president's public appearance and that of her cabinet. Her visual image is nothing less than spectacular and she has definitely earned her place in the history books. Just by virtue of being a woman, she has earned headlines. Unfortunately, for other reasons, so have Samuel K. Doe and Charles G. Taylor. And poor George Weah who I considered a superstar has managed to descend from superhero status to the pits of a swamp by his totally inappropriate bid for the presidency, and his appalling behavior in the aftermath of the election results that just confirmed he was not the man for the job.

So we have a president and ministers that are all very impressive looking, well spoken and highly educated. Unfortunately, not one of them knows how to change a leaking facet or how to wire an electric circuit. That in itself is not a problem; the problem is they don't want to know how to do it, and they have not provided the country with people who do understand plumbing and electricity. Our leaders should be effective, not just well spoken and impressive looking.

In anticipation of the election fever that will soon be sweeping Liberia. It is time for some hard questions. So what does that leave us to depend on? I suggest a very questionably educated new class of local intelligentsia that are practical, have risen through the ranks and are fully invested in the country. The more successful among them are the most likely candidates. Snowes and such: hence the problem. I heard the rumor that Snowe is afraid of international indictment which is why he won't leave the country. That is certainly food for thought, but the fact of the matter is that the new leaders of Liberia will probably be people that you run into on the streets of Monrovia, not Harvard lecture halls and international conventions. Hopefully they will also be people that know how to fix the plumbing and electricity and not just those who know how to fire weapons.

Rabbi Eliezer and Elijah the Prophet

Today I would like to relate to you a story I recently reread, that I had not thought about in a long time, but immediately brought to mind the Liberian situation. It is a story that illustrates the Kabalistic philosophy that everything is for the best, even though it often doesn't seem that way. Sometimes, all you need is a little more information, and you can turn the incident inside out and draw a very different conclusion.

* * *

One day, Rabbi Eliezer prayed to the Almighty for a vision of Elijah. Elijah the Prophet appeared before Rabbi Eliezer and said to him, "What can I do for you?" Rabbi Eliezer said, "I'd like to follow you around. I'd like to watch you do your work in the world for the Holy One, Blessed be He. I just want to follow you around and watch you do your work."

Elijah the Prophet said to Rabbi Eliezer, "Sorry, you can't follow me around. You'll have too many questions, and I don't have time for your questions." Rabbi Eliezer responded, "I promise I won't ask you any questions. Will you allow me the honor of watching you do your work?" Elijah the Prophet agreed to that condition, and off they went.

That night, the two were looking for lodging and saw a dilapidated shack. They approached the shack and discovered a young, poor couple, impoverished and owning little else besides one cow, living there. Elijah the Prophet and Rabbi Eliezer approached the couple and asked them for lodging, and the young couple greeted them warmly, welcomed them in, and gathered some straw to make the two strangers as comfortable as possible. They offered their guests whatever they had, and Rabbi Eliezer and Elijah the Prophet spent the night.

When he awoke the next morning, Rabbi Eliezer overheard Elijah the Prophet praying to the Almighty, asking that the Almighty kill the cow. No sooner had Elijah the Prophet expressed this prayer than the cow suddenly died.

Rabbi Eliezer was outraged and said to Elijah, "What did you do? Why did you ask the Almighty to take the life of the cow? They were such lovely people. They have next to nothing. Why did you take their cow?" Elijah the Prophet looked at Rabbi Eliezer and said, "See, you have so many questions. Eliezer, though confused, quickly responded, "Please forgive me. I want to follow you. I won't ask you any more questions." Elijah gave him another chance, and off they went.

The next evening they were looking for lodging and arrived at a big mansion. They knocked on the door, and the owner of the mansion came out. Greeted them coldly, and agreed that they could stay down in his cellar. He offered them no human warmth, no physical warmth, and no food, and down to the cellar they went. During the night, Rabbi Eliezer awoke upon hearing a commotion. He watched as Elijah the Prophet patched up an area of the cellar wall that was unfinished and crumbling.

The next day, they continued traveling and arrived at a synagogue of wealthy congregants. The pews were made of gold and silver, and the people in the synagogue were cold and unfriendly. When Elijah the Prophet and Rabbi Eliezer entered the synagogue, nobody greeted them, and nobody performed the mitzvah (good deed/commandment) of welcoming guests. In fact, they noticed people whispering about them behind their backs. Before they left the synagogue, Elijah the prophet looked at the congregation and said, "I pray that you should all become leaders."

They entered a neighborhood that was impoverished. The people were living in squalor, but they were very lovely, sweet, warm, gentle people. Elijah the Prophet looked at this neighborhood, looked at these people, and said, "I want to bless you that one of you should be a leader."

It was at this point that Rabbi Eliezer couldn't hold his questions in any longer. He said to Elijah the Prophet, "I know you are going to send me away. I know that you required me not to ask questions, but I beg you, please can you give me some understanding of what you've been doing? I don't understand anything that you're doing. I beg you. Can you offer me some kind of explanation?"

Elijah the Prophet looked at Rabbi Eliezer and said, I'll offer you some explanation, but then you'll have to leave. Remember the first night when we encountered that lovely yet poor couple living in their shack with their cow? And remember how outraged you were the next morning when you heard me praying to the Holy One, Blessed is He, that he should kill the cow? What you didn't know was that it was time for the wife to die. But I pleaded with the Lord; I beg you don't take the wife, take the cow."

Elijah said, "You recall the next night when we were put in that rich man's cold cellar? And you woke up puzzled when you saw that I was repairing his walls and fixing them up beautifully? I wasn't doing that. I knew that there was a treasure buried within the walls. The man who owned that mansion didn't deserve the mansion, let alone the treasure buried in the walls, so I patched and finished up the walls nicely so that no one would ever discover that treasure."

Elijah the Prophet went on. "Remember the next day, when we went to that synagogue that was so wealthy, with the gold and silver pews, but all the people were so unfriendly? I noticed how confused you were when you thought that I'd offered them some big blessing by saying that they should all become great leaders. That wasn't a blessing; it was a curse. Anyone who has ever been in an organization knows the chaos that results from everyone thinking that he or she is a leader. I prayed that they all should become leaders. And then we went to that poor neighborhood, and the people were so sweet and so lovely, and you wondered, in comparison to the earlier so-called 'blessing' why I would just say, 'I bless you that one of you should be a leader.' You see, that indeed was a blessing. All that neighborhood really needed was one good, strong leader who could take the people out of the poverty and squalor that they lived in."

Elijah the Prophet then said to Rabbi Eliezer, "Yes, you have to leave now, but please don't forget that what you see in the world is not the whole picture. It's only part of the grand picture in the mind of the Almighty."

Why We Can't Engineer a Sewage System

Okay, another break to my semi-real self.

If you have not watched VBS.TV's The Vice Guide To Liberia — it's time you watched it!

Every phrase uttered in their 8 series program warrants thought and commentary, but I am going to skip all that and let you think about it for yourselves. What I will do is post part 3 of the series for you to watch here on this blog and below that a comment I posted on their board.



"Dear VBS team,

I am a great fan of your journalistic work! I want to praise you for going to those locations that even we Liberians (of slightly better circumstances) try to avoid. However, I would also like to correct a slight misunderstanding of our unique culture and practices. You may follow my blog to learn more. Jdkato.blogspot.com

Ghandi came up with passive resistance and Martin Luther King Jr. with the civil rights movement. Not to be undone, we Liberians have come up with collective-public-shitting as a means of protest. Some of us would rather do it closer to the central symbols of national and international authority but we can't afford transportation fees.

Thank you and please keep up the good work!"

* * *

VBS.tv is an online television network owned by the Vice media conglomerate. The network produces original, short-form, documentary-style video content. Subject matter includes humanitarian issues, music, insider travel guides, and news. I recommend signing up on their site and watching their programs. And it's FREE!

The producers of VBS make no claim to being objective; in fact they stress the fact that they are subjective. In my opinion, this in no way negates their relevance. Although the picture they present is dramatized and grim, I for one am happy they took the trouble to visit Liberia. It shows several sides of Liberia many of us never take the trouble to see. What they don't do is make a constructive argument as to how to remedy the situation. But then as Liberians, that is up to us.

Although this program tarnishes our image, at the risk of much criticism I will state plainly it exposes 2 issues I completely agree with.

1. The UN is NOT doing a good job.

2. Neither is the current Liberian government.

Both of the above claim that they lack sufficient budget and I am sure they are right. Still, that does not excuse them from not doing more with the little they have. The people are unemployed. How much does it cost to have them dig a sewer and fix a military style mass latrine with 20 planks of common wood? Even those small limited funded NGO's in the interior are doing it in dozens of towns and villages. It doesn't take a doctorate degree. Instead of wondering why the inhabitants don't do it for themselves, educate and put those poor hopeless people living at West Point or put those useless troops and their heavy machinery to work before they pull out.

Either the UN or the people themselves if properly organized could do it. And please, PLEASE... I beg you, PLEASE don't think of opening a national bid, so that you can waste a lot of time, and somebody can be dashed to spend even more government money, so that more people can eat the money and worst of all - the job still not get done.

Before I Meet Tubman

So I thinking now, eneh that Cellcom them the one bringing Akon? Let me go look for job there. Anything, I not make it, I can beg them for ticket. But one thing, I not like to pass that way in taxi. Right to the junction there, soon you pass National Police Headquarters, that the place the police can stop every taxi car them for eating business. When the cab-man not want pay straight, the thing can waste too much time. This time the police them looking too scary to take the cash just like that; they can make you fold the thing small-small, then they doing just like they shaking your hand, they take it. But he not want let you pass until he see what-thing he get, so you got to wait for them to open it. That's another more wasting time again.

I now reach inside Cellcom office, come see the place yah! The place fine past the NGO office self. And soon you reach inside that so-so fine girl them working to customer service. To see man there hard, except for the technicians and the Cellcom people own of customer. But for job business I not want go to customer service area; I go straight to the big white man manager office.

I not know what-place the man come from his own of seree not sound too correct, but the man very friendly. He say I must wait small I see he talking to one fine-fine Liberian girl and some different other people, they in meeting. The girl too fine! When they say fine! That it there. The girl looking all right in the body. I just looking at her I hear the customer them talking say that the granddaughter of President Tubman from normal days. Just like to say my heart coming jump from inside my body. I thinking say that good-good thing to marry, but eh! Where I coming find the dowry for that kind of thing? I go Guinea I buy cow, I put Akon ticket and put ten lappa suit over it self, I not know if it can make it.

World War I II & III time simple machine gun business, you know somebody who controlling the area, I collect the girl, she for me. But nothing like that this time with the UN people all around; and I want the girl bad way. The respect I get for Tubman, haya! I just thinking how in ever-since time the big-big chief them used to marry the Congo people them daughter? What-thing they used to give, I not know. And what-thing the chief them used to get too when the Congo people used to carry their own of daughter?

When you not get good-good education you not able to make it this time. When you get correct education any kind of girl you want it for you. This time every thing chakla chakla. Everybody get tribe. But nobody want talk it plenty. They call that one ethnic politics. When you not get tribe who will vote for you? So-so of the Congo people when you ask them their tribe – one can tell you say he Vai, the other one say he Kpelle. Old Ma self say she Gola; and then she white woman on top of it – they say her Grandpa that one German man. Way in America, the Oprah Winfrey woman, I not see her she not come Liberia self, the people talking say that big woman she Kpelle. Then the educated people what get real tribe and know the society bush – small time they go America - they come back just like to say they Congo now. But for election time everybody get tribe.

So-so for nothing confusion. Since the war, the upcountry people packed up in Monrovia. So-so of them just sitting down in Monrovia doing nothing good. Everything they supposed to teach them in the interior, Poro and Sandae Society, they now forget it. The same thing what happen in the school system in Liberia, that the same thing happen in the society bush. No good education! Those young-young people not know small snake medicine self. How to respect their elders and how to protect their women, all that one they forget it. Just to sit down in town. That what make it those small-small children smoking all kind of things follow behind the people for gun business and acted that kind of wicked way. For what? Just looking for money and no plenty money in town. The real money in the bush. White man and all know that one, but black man not want hear it.

I thinking all this things, for the fine woman business it leave small I almost forget about the Akon ticket. But soon I see the white man give me chance, the woman and other people now go, I jump inside the man office.

I tell him say, "the woman too fine, it for you?"

He laughing at me. He say, "no, she's working here on a project."

I ask him say, "that President Tubman granddaughter?"

He say, "I have no idea. What does that matter." He looking at me confused.

Then I ask him, "then what-thing you hire her for? You not know that big woman?"

He say, "that doesn't concern me. I'm not in government and I don't care about politics. I hire the best person for the job. I don't care who she is connected to or where she is from, or her color, or even whether she is a woman or a man. This lady is very professional and has good credentials. She was the best person for the job. She does her job very well. I don't care about anything else."

I thinking say, yeah, white man real different for true. It not like that in Africa o. But the Tubman woman real clever for true and do well for herself, if she able to learn book the white man hire black woman over white man – even self she Tubman.

I say, "myself come here to look for job."

He say, "I don't have any available positions right now, but what are your credentials?"

I say, "I able to work hard."

He say, "I'm sure. But what are you able to do?"

I say, "I able to throw shovel, I able to make farm, I can able to build house, I can even able to do diamond work. Security job and all – I can able it. I able to read and write self – but it not too correct – for the war business no good school, but I now get two double promotion and pass to the sixth grade."

He say, "that is impressive. Unfortunately I don't need any of that right now."

The way he talking fine to me, he convince me no plenty way there; so I say let me just beg him for one Akon ticket. I ask him for the ticket now, he look at me he smiling.

He say, "I'm happy you asked me for a job first. Most people in Liberia just want free things, but the answer unfortunately for you, is still no.

I ask him say, "What for? The way you looking good so. And I know you get plenty ticket."

He say, "that is not the point. Suppose you came here for a ticket from a far away place, and I didn't give it to you. How would you feel?"

I say, "I will feel bad. In fact I coming from way Red Light."

He say, "I'm sorry to hear that, but just imagine I came from very far away. Even further than Red Light. In fact I came here by airplane from a great distance - just to get money. So I'm selling tickets. Suppose I don't get the money, how will I feel?"

I look at him for long time. I just feeling weak in the body. I see the man alright for talking, but for money business the man get real dry face. He too sabe.

A Weird Thought Occurred to Me Today

As I was thinking through some issues I was dealing with on one of my other blogs, in fleetingly considering this one, I suddenly felt quite the opposite sentiment I felt when I wrote the last log entry here. Suddenly, it was not very important to receive response. The act of thinking things through was satisfying in itself.

One of the problems I sometimes view myself having is that I can think a lot faster than I can type or even speak. That in itself is not a problem; the problem is that if I don't grab a thought and slap it down, it often slips away fleetingly before I have a chance to give it flesh and blood. The writing process helps me breathe life into it, so I can file it away for later purposes. The thinking process helps me do the same thing, but I often have such a gush of thoughts, it is like trying to catch a river with your fingers. Writing down some of my thoughts to an imaginary audience gives me a bowl to capture them, whereas discussing it verbally, either a thimble or bucket, depending on the intensity and depth of the conversation itself.

I love writing. Although I am often both fascinated and ashamed to read what I wrote in the past. As I grow more mature, and arguably wiser, my thoughts evolve. So much so that sometimes I wonder at how much wiser I was before; but more often the case, at what an idiot I used to be. Luckily, I used to lose a lot of what I wrote on scraps of paper. This new computer and Internet age and the ability to save and distribute so much material so widely and quickly is something I am probably going to regret.