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Democrat’s Managing Editor and Publisher, Tom Kamara has taken his share of the natural exit to the Great Beyond leaving not only the Democrat, his family members, friends and relatives in tears, but those whom he converted to love the power of the pen as the supreme power that preach freedom and human dignity.
Tom made the people to see how they are, where they are, and how the state in general is supposed to be. Like a salt to the soup without which the soup is worthless, Tom’s writings potentially served as impetus not only to the existence of the Democrat, but they helped to narrow the existence of corrupt practices in the minds of state runners. Hence, he was not respected out of love by state politicians, but one done out of fear. He made to pen to challenge the gavels because in his view the state was filthy, corrupt and abused. Indeed, the melody in Tom’s writings revoltingly seated in exposing ills of society. And Tom was right in the way he thought and approached issues that confronted the society especially when it came to corruption. He was right because the state as is evidently clear is abused, denied and kept decimal while its people are condensed to the status of the orphans.
In other words poverty if traditionally imposed upon the people although Liberia is unique in terms of wealth that had been made available by God. In God’s view the nation and people are rich and should not be dragging and squatting low under the burden of poverty. In God’s mind Liberia should be the unblemished star in Africa and the sub-region specifically in terms of economic strength.
But regretfully it sits like a rain-tormented hen engrossed by the coldness of the time. The other sad part of Liberia is that it remains seeking for social, political and economic redemption all of the time. Most of its politicians are people who have political ambition and passion but lack the corresponding qualification for the task.
It also regrettable to note that the people, including the younger generation have the tendency to follow blindly in search for leaders. The thirst for leadership in Liberia is the crux of the problems the nation faces. Hence, anything that sounds melodious and poses to be the true redeemer is often allotted seats in the hearts of the Liberian people.
In Liberia, and I stand to be corrected, the heroes and heroines are the hostile ones who create the stage for confusion. The corrupt ones who lack every tissue of patriotism are also regarded the men and women of the day. It can be measured then that honesty, sincerity and patriotism will continue to wait to wait for their share of award for a very long time.
The fact is that the state is often moved by those who sing rhetoric, those who blackmail, those who are willing to obey evils and those who know how to vacillate and those who are hard core crooks.
The telling examples are most of those who occupy positions of trust in government today. Most of them had been biting critics and corrupt individuals in the past. Critics are the beloved ones of the day.
The other sad part that must be mentioned is that nepotism, favoritism and tribalism for which thirteen government officials died on firing squad in 1980 when the military took power have surfaced in the society. Hence, Tom was right in his thinking because economic and political evils are to the nation like dust to the ground.
Let me pause here and bid Tom good bye because the story about Liberia including greed for wealth and the resurrection of past ills is an unending tale.
Indeed, one may be right to aver that the honest and patriotic people live with pains in their hearts while the wicked ones peacefully flow. I, like many others have come to realize that Liberia is a state where progressive people are hated. In Liberia the interest of the state lies under the rug while those of individuals are braced.
Hence, the nation remains poor while a few politically privileged individuals live in the kingdom of social and economic grace. In Liberia the justice system works but one that appears like the existence of the sun behind the dark cloud. The common people who seem to have lost confidence in their leaders seek to church for redemption. They love to be told by the pastors that their breakthrough is on the way and that they should fast and pray.
The mindset of the people and even those who steer the wheel of the ship of state is that God is yet to bless the nation. But God in his uncoerced mind has ever since created assorted wealth for the children of Liberia to live a socially and economically happy life.
The wealth was meant to establish road network throughout the country, provide job opportunities for the people, and make the nation a heaven in its own rank. But a state can never be a heaven in its domain when the mindset to squander state resources for selfish gains remains the way of life. A state is never free when the mindset of self-seeking stands likes a puss in a sore.
Let me again pause here and bid Tom farewell hoping that the emerging journalists would fight ills in the society like he did. I believe the pen is making desired impact. The pen is making corrupt people not to rest in peace. The pen is creating day for the people within the night. I believe this is why Abraham Lincoln once said, “ I prefer newspapers to a government than government to newspapers…” |
