Where is Our Nationalism?

In 2008 a former senator noticed new bank notes in the public and was angry and immediately called the press. A former auditor general went to press and commented that a government was three times corrupt than a previous government and NGOs, as it has become a habit, write negative reports about this country and in most cases ignored the positive development… The list is endless. But is this maturity and are we doing any good to this country?

Must everything we do come out to the world and not have some kept to ourselves so that we work together in finding solution? Why do we talk too much in this country and take little positive action? Why do we love so much negative news about this country and love to look on the negative side of things than the positive side? Why do we most often emphasize the negative news only and not emphasize the positive ones?

Talking is good and bringing societal ills to the public is also good. But fellow Liberians I want to plead with us that we be more responsible in our approach and as well take a more concrete action by working together in finding solution and working collectively to making the change necessary. Our key focus should be on rebuilding this country and not tearing it apart. We need to focus more of our attention on uniting our efforts to building a prosperous and better Liberia for all including our children’s children.

Too many individuals and “so called” NGOs are crying out for change in this country when they themselves have no accountability partners. Why such hypocrisy? Why are we seeing Liberia to be less important and that we only care about ourselves?

Why do we think Liberia is under a curse that it cannot move beyond where it is or surpass countries we lavished our praises on especially countries within the sub region? Friend, we can become number one in Africa and become far better than other countries around us today only if we are united in our thinking and action.

On the part of the senator in my opening paragraph that was ignorance on her part. A critical investigation should have been carried out before becoming angry and going to the press. For our former auditor general, I say thank you for making us to know how entrenched corruption is within this country and I too am disappointed in the manner and form corruption has taken on in this country. I have seen corruption to be SO entrenched in our society that it has now become a culture-a way of life, but I believe there was still yet another way the issue could have been presented and that we work out a solution together in finding a solution.

For our NGOs I also say thank you for by your whistle blowing we as a people are alerted but I would suggest you do it more responsibly as well as work on programs that will compliment community and government’s effort or that you work on meaningful programs as it will be a good way to called government to attention. But if all you do is talking you will only be fueling tension and for how long must we live with tension and negative news in this country? Friend, why it is true that we want news or that we want to satisfy our funding partners, it is also important that we give our loyalty to this GREAT country of ours. Let us not despise this country. It’s a gift from God and it is all that we have.

Prince Harris, a few-month ago, was caught on camera naked with a female partner and there was no local press within the United Kingdom that carried the story except  some other press in the US, France, etc., and later the BBC and we all know that news about Prince Harris is a hot cake. Why didn’t the several hundreds of news media in the UK report such? George Bushes’ second term victory had doubts, but how many Americans did you see were sarcastic, make trouble or stir up violence? The bible is being used in the inauguration of US Presidents as well as used in court as a way of certifying one’s testimony when America has over a hundred religions and is a secular state. Have you ever asked yourself why?

During the recent gathering of world leaders in Monrovia, there were several appeals made to Liberians to learn not to wash our dirty clothes in front of strangers. Friend, must we be told that washing our dirty clothes in front of strangers is not good? Liberian refugees in both Ghana and Nigeria suffered discrimination, abuse and hardships. But there was never at any time local reporters, including those corresponding with the BBC, in both countries reported such negative experiences the refugees’ suffered. All reports favored the respective countries and governments. My fellow Liberians, where is our nationalism?

Fellow Liberians, there are much more terrible things including wide spread corruption, human rights abuses, bad governance and suppression of citizens that happen in other countries–some of those that we are enjoying here in Liberia today-and yet people in those countries have not made it their habits to negatively castigate their countries and government to the outside world or stir up violence but instead they work collectively to change the situation from within. What is wrong with us in this country?

(Chealy Brown Dennis is a motivational speaker and offers training in leadership and organizational development; strategic planning, and team building. He also offers on-location and train-the-trainer formats. He can be contacted through email at: dennisbc2011@yahoo.com or on phone at: 0886-264-611)