America is by no means a perfect society by any standard. But clearly, like democracy is the worst form of government apart from all other forms of government, the United States is a beacon for many things progressive in the world. Freedom and liberty here can hardly be surpassed. Love of country can hardly be bettered anywhere else. Service to nation here is almost beyond reproach, even if some of this sometimes comes with madness.
Imagine Joe Wilson, the lawmaker from South Carolina, shouting “You’re a Lie” at President Barack Obama during a prime time joint session of Congress addressing the vexed but crucial health plan on which hangs the survival of a country whose leaders do not blink in their determination to defend, protect and seek the welfare of their people. And President Obama looked really touched by it as was evident in him developing a face longer than his natural one. But he quickly recovered to go on with his address without even responding to the Congressman’s apparent stupidity. In a matter of hours, Wilson’s rival in South Carolina had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in pledges from ordinary citizens who disapproved of Joe Wilson’s rudeness. And those who pledged included some red-blooded Republicans, his party.
In the health plan, President Obama publicly praised part of what his predecessor President Bush had proposed for a health reform, and some of what had been proposed by Senator John McCain during their campaign. Back home, while some novel things done by previous administrations are dismantled, proposals made by rival candidates are thrown to the dustbin once they lost the elections. They are sometimes denigrated and bad-mouthed. I remember when, in 2002, Ernest Bai Koroma the opposition leader made some nice proposals in tackling the problems besetting the education sector. Even though some of his ideas, such as his intensifying girl education, were absolutely brilliant, they died with him losing the election in that year. Now look at the depth of the problem that out-of-school is creating especially for girls in the country.
What about those things Solomon Berewa said regarding addressing the youth issue and the water situation in Freetown including even having more boreholes. Not only were those proposals laughed at by his opponents as bringing back medieval times in this age of technology, and as providing odd jobs only for young people, but they were thrown overboard once he lost the election in 2007. The consequences are all too obvious for anyone to be told about them. The recent water crisis in Freetown and the rising idleness of the youth which has posed serious security consequences with armed robbery being the order of the day are classic case studies. Political bigotry, plain and simple; even if at the expense of nationhood.
But back to that “You’re a Liar” yelling at President Obama, which some would say is very untypical of America’s democracy which lays so much emphasis on respect for the office of the president even without calling for people to worship it. Shortly after the address, Senator John McCain the man Obama defeated at the polls, appeared on CNN and condemned the act of his fellow party member and asked that he “apologise immediately”. Joe Wilson did apologise in less than an hour after his misbehaviour, and referred to his action as “unacceptable”.
But one thing has been interesting in all of this. Even some Democrats have not taken away the fact that Wilson has something to be proud of especially after he apologised to the president. The congressman is the father of four sons, all of whom serve in the U.S. military. Alan, his oldest, is a Major in the Army National Guard who served for a year in Iraq. Addison is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a physician who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Julian is a Captain in the South Carolina Army National Guard who served on a peacekeeping tour in Egypt; and Hunter is enrolled in Army ROTC at Clemson University and is a Cadet in the South Carolina Army National Guard. It is not common to see children of the high and mighty serving in the Army here. But it does not diminish the respect they have for the army and fire fighters, two professionals that most Sierra Leoneans despise and prefer instead to admire or even worship thieves in politics.
Anyway…On Friday, 11 September, the entire nation of America and I am sure its citizens throughout the world came together to mark the attack on their country eight years ago that killed over 3,000 people? The circumstances may be different but does not take away the fact that they are genuinely thoughtful of those compatriots that died and their government is providing the necessary leadership in this. This year, President Obama has officially declared the day as Day of Remembrance and National Service.
But eighteen years on, what has Sierra Leone as a nation done to mark 23 March, the date on which eighteen years ago the war that ended up killing hundreds of thousands of our people not 3,000 people started. Successive Governments have lacked ideas so much that they do not think that day even exists. Even the brave and heroic action of students on 18 August 1997 comes and goes away with only students’ unions marking it in any way at all. But the sacrifice those students made on that day, was for love of country, no doubt. We have not been able to draw a line between our parochial partisan, tribal or regional interest and the good of our nation. We have been simply enmeshed in bigotry we call a political ideology that does not exist.
You know the last one week has really busy for Americans in general, evident above, but especially for President Obama. Last week he spoke at a memorial for “The Most Trusted Man in American”, the late journalist, anchor and managing editor of CBS, Walter Cronkite. So did former president Bill Clinton. Cronkite died a happy man as he was revered by all regardless of their party affiliation. Meanwhile Sierra Leone is allowing its own version of Walter Cronkite, Sam Metzger to die without recognition let alone reverence. Even though President Clinton disclosed of how Cronkite came to his personal succour and comfort in 1988 during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which could be regarded as siding with an embattled president, people just smiled at it. Back home, they would have derided him in the papers and in Poda Podas, even in death.
And at a time when our Governments are wining and dining with Muammar Ghaddafi and telling him to sip and munch more, President Obama is scolding British Premier to register his country’s disdain that the Libyan bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was let go by the Scottish government. And when I was in London a little over a week ago, the British Government and opposition and public were moving to get more compensation from Libya for supplying explosives for the IRA and all but hardliners in Government sounded shameful that such a man would have been let go of. And in Sierra Leone, the Libya support for our rebels came with even training and more. Yet none of our leaders are asking for real compensation not the pocket money that has probably been going into the pockets of leaders past and present even if we cannot get an apology from Tripoli.
For now, let us end on a bizarre note. Such is the extent to which America’s freedom and liberty stretches to that an Arizona pastor, Steven Anderson gave a sermon recently titled “Why I Hate Barack Obama.” Quoting passages in the Old Testament of the bible talking about the kind of people that God hates, the pastor said they apply to President Obama. He went on to call on his congregation that he doesn’t advocate taking up arms, but he does pray that Obama will die for the good of the nation saying “somebody should abort Obama”. Coming from the state of the Republican presidential candidate who Obama defeated, you may think Senator Mccain will be rubbing his hands with glee. No! He has condemned the statement. This is America indeed! Speak to you soon.
By Umaru Fofana