The
TRC Comedy Hour Now Playing At a Pavilion Near You In
Monrovia
I
don’t know if I have any
more tears left to cry, or any
reasons to cry, to get angry
or laugh at the mockery and
ubiquitous circus-like TRC
events on display in Monrovia
that parades one monster after
another on the “judgment”
stand in what has become the
most sensational,
publicity-driven stunt and
one-sided non-judicial spectacle
to ever occur in
the history of the Liberian
nation.
Georgia
vs. South Ossetia: From Conflict to War
On
August 8, 2008, South Ossetia attracted the world's
attention when Russian military forces entered Georgian
territory, and seriously interfered in the Georgian-South
Ossetian unresolved conflict. This conflict is well known to
the world, yet, current Russian military intervention helped
amplify the dispute.
"Vote
of No Confidence?" Richard Tolbert Ought to Take His
Arrogance Elsewhere
In the wake of the sudden
suspension of Senator Isaac Nyenabo, President Pro Temporo
of the Liberian Senate for six months, for constantly siding
with President Sirleaf when he should have been trumpeting
the ideas of his hard-line colleagues, the Liberian
Legislature once again showed strength and courage recently
when they declared a ‘vote of no confidence’ in the
leadership of National Investment Commission Chairman
Richard Tolbert, whose naked arrogance and disrespect of the
body led lawmakers to do the unthinkable, unheard of in the
history of the Liberian nation.
We
Cannot Allow Death Penalty to Silence the Past
One of the worst evils
emerging in present day
Liberia
is rampant armed robbery.
The inability of government to create innovate
durable solutions to minimize armed robbery in
Liberia
is threatening the very existence of a peaceful Liberian
society.
"Rename
Stadiums After Wannie Bo Toe and George Oppong Weah,"
The Prejudice in Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh's Commentary
I
just read a Sunday, August 03, 2008 editorial/commentary, by
the editor/publisher of this web magazine“Rename
Soccer Stadiums after Wannie Bo-Toe and George Oppong Weah.”
After a thorough reading, I
have used all of the different critical analyses, including
theories, school of thoughts, such as psychoanalytical,
structuralist and post-structuralist, and Marxist readings.
Rename
Soccer Stadiums After Wannie Bo-Toe and George Oppong Weah
If
one were to take a random poll of soccer enthusiasts in
Monrovia about the most dominant player ever to grace the
Liberian sports scene over the years, probably George "Oppong"
Manneh Weah would be selected unanimously.
Liberian
nominated for European Commission Award
Francis Nyepon, an
environmental-cum-social, economic and political analyst,
and a prolific online media commentator has been nominated
by the European Commission’s Lorenzo Natali Prize for his
stupendous article on poverty reduction in Liberia.
Radovan
Karadzic: One Way Ticket to The Hague
On
21, July 2008, former 1st President of Republika Srpska,
Radovan Karadzic, was arrested in Belgrade by the Serbian
authorities after an alleged tip-off from a foreign
intelligence service. He was a fugitive since 1995 after
having been indicted for war crimes by the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
On
Liberian Philosophy - Part I
This article is
an attempt to contribute to how Liberians philosophize.
Liberia has had many of its own people who study Philosophy
as their way of life, or for professional purposes. I am not
one of them. With their knowledge, I have not read any
philosophy books - not just a book that discusses philosophy
as an area of scholarly inquiry - but a philosophy that
helps us live and survive.
Deceptions
of Elections
Election
is a decision-making process in which a population chooses
an individual to hold formal office. This is the usual
mechanism by which modern democracy fills offices in the
legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and
for regional and local government.
Now
That Sudan's Pres. Bashir is Indicted, He Must Be Arrested Immediately
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
is an African despot whose claim to fame is the 1989
Islamic-backed coup he led that overthrew Prime Minister
Sadiq al-Mahdi, the dissolution of political parties, the
introduction of Sharia law opposed by a cross section of his
people in the south, and the terror campaign he allegedly
fueled in Darfur since 2003.
Time
for Accountability: Sudanese Pres. Omar Al-Bashir Up Next
The International Comity of
Nations and the United Nations have increasingly turned the
heat on despots and their machines of war in recent times
and using the International Criminal Court, the ICC and
Interpol to indict some of these war criminals from every
corner of the globe.
Sinoe
County Ass. in the Americas: Convention '08 Should Be About
Financial Accountability, Transparency and Finding Lasting
Peace
In the beginning, there was
one Sinoe County Association in the Americas representing
the people from that part of Liberia residing in the United
States. Years later, it became two associations with
co-presidents, (Elijah Tarpeh and LaVerne Jones-Williams),
and two annual conventions, a result of a bruising and
almost non-stop fight over money, which started many years
ago and continue to this day.
If
Found Guilty, Execute Roland Kaine and Charles Bennie for
Margibi Massacre
Since the end of the civil
war in 2003, Liberians often would whisper among themselves
about the high crime rate in the country and the obvious
lack of value placed on human life years after the war,
especially when the life of another person can be taken away
senselessly by individuals who believe it is their right to
do so.
"Iron
Ladies of Liberia"
-
A Review
A gentleman whom I have known
for decades asked me this question the other day during a
conversation I had with him about politics and the role of
Liberian writers and filmmakers at home and abroad. “Why
haven’t any of you written a book or made a film about our
Liberian leaders and celebrities, the living and the
dead?” he asked.
Liberian
Truth and Reconciliation Hearings Conclude at Hamline
University in St. Paul
Today
marks the conclusion of the six-day meeting of the Liberian
Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Please consider
covering the last day of the proceedings, either live at
Sundlin
Music Hall
on the
Hamline
University
campus in
St. Paul
or via the live web-cast at www.trcofliberia.org.
The
Thin Line Between Hopelessness and Rule of Law in West
Africa
The cruel vestiges of the
Liberian civil war and inhumanity of some Liberians have
again been manifested in the recent massacre in Margibi
County, allegedly carried out by loyalist to a former rebel
commander. This callous act of savagery often seen during
the country's descent into insanity in the last decade took
the lives of 12 farm hands and score of others over a
"land dispute."
Let
Us Keep Sex Out of Our Schools
Most
of us who follow the news from Liberia may have read of the
escalation of pregnancy of students allegedly by teachers.
This shameful and unethical practice, if not illegal, is not
new in Liberia. However, with value now attached to gender
equality and education for all Liberians, outcries against
the rising pregnancy of underage girls and students are
rightfully taking center stage.
Bodioh
Wisseh Siapoe, A Fighter to the End
First, it was
D. Sumuwoi Pewu, a friend whom we lost in the United States in
2005 due to illness. Now it is Bodioh Wisseh Siapoe on life
support in 2008, in a Colorado hospital fighting for the life
he always looked forward to living during good and bad times.
Challenges
of Healthcare, Hygiene and Bio-hazardous Wastes
Bio-hazardous
waste poses a public health threat and environmental problem
to many Liberians, who are unaware of the severe nature of the
danger they present. Healthcare waste (HCW) for instance is
usually disposed of in the municipal waste stream, although
most facilities have gone the extra mile to ensure that their
particular wastes are treated safely and appropriately.
What
Should Be the Definition for a Millionaire?
Millionaires,
millionaires, day after day we watch and read about
millionaires, actor's millionaires, singer's millionaires,
heiress millionaires and others. Every day the number of
millionaires in the world is rising with incredible
speed.
Guinea:
The Potential for Continued Stability in West Africa
Guineans continue to witness
the festering of a potentially explosive and disastrous
anomaly to the State, with the serial rioting of military
personnel who are demanding
back pay and better conditions.
Air
Pollution and Public Health
Worsening air
pollution in the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA), is
seriously threatening the health and well-being of the
region’s estimated 1.5 million residents. Many residents
especially the young and elderly are facing serious air
pollution challenges, which is fast becoming a serious and
visible health problem.
"Not
Guilty" Verdict Reveals What's Wrong With Sirleaf Administration
Charles Julu and Andrew Dorbor
finally proved their innocence in a court of law in Monrovia
recently, a little over a year after the duo, together with
George Koukou were arrested and charged with treason and
jailed after an informant told the government the individuals
were conspiring to overthrow the Sirleaf administration.
Sustainable
Solutions to the Solid Waste Crisis
Liberia faces
enormous difficulties in sustaining solutions to its solid
waste challenges. Solid waste management has been a persistent
problem after 14 years of brutal civil war. As a result, the
general health and quality of life of many Liberians have been
reduced. Inadequate solid waste management (SWM) impacts
negatively on morbidity and productivity throughout the
country.
Focus
on Education Could Bring Back The Glorious Days
I
caught myself trying to recite 's-o, so' the other day as I
traveled on interstate 285 East on my way to visit a friend
whom I have not seen in quite a long period of time.
Why
Do We Still Use The Words "Country" and
"Congo," and Disparagingly Place Liberians in One
Group or the Other?
For
the past several months, I have contributed articles/letters
to numerous online news media. My articles have been tailored
to cover issues of interest to Liberians. In each article, I
have advanced ideas that I consider relevant to the
development and safety of our destroyed country.
What
Are The Candidates Saying? Can They Really Save ULAA?
When he visited Atlanta
recently to attend the 25th marital renewal
ceremonies of a mutual friend, Anthony V. Kesselly, who is
running to be the next President of the Union of Liberian
Associations in the Americas (ULAA), was courteous enough to
call and inform me of his arrival in Georgia, and wanted the
two of us to at least meet before he departs the state, I
guess, to discuss among other things his presidential campaign
and other critical issues regarding the country the both of us
share as our birth home.
Talks
About Possible Boycott of 2011 National Elections Sign of
Mounting Frustration
I can imagine how frustrating
it is to live in a country where there is a weak press, zero
political opposition, a powerful presidency, countless
fly-by-night “human rights” organizations operating in
name only and for grant money, and a feeble legislative branch
of government that has no clue of its role and what is going
on as the interests of the people and the nation are being
ignored daily.
Armed
Robberies, A Scary Thing When Thinking of Returning Home
The escalation of armed
robberies in Liberia is troubling. Many of the online media
that cover Liberia are regularly reporting robberies and other
vicious crimes, including physical injuries to the victims. I
recently read on one of them of series of armed robberies at
Popo Beach, located on Bushrod Island and another in Caldwell.
Effects
of Growing Rice Shortage on the World Market
Rice
shortage on the Liberian market is very likely, as
rice-producing nations cut export of the commodity due to
spikes in global demand and poor harvests. Global rice stocks
are at their lowest level since 1976, and foreign sales
restrictions by many producing nations have removed about a
third of the rice traded in the international market out of
reach of poor and medium income countries.
Rice
or What...?
Hooray! It's
a new world order! It's time that rice, the common diet of
Liberians is changed. As the American economy staggers and
lawmakers contemplate alternatives over gasoline, so is the
rest of the world suffering the direct or indirect waves.
God's
Mafia
Kemah, an innocent primary
school girl from the once flourishing city of Sanniquellie,
did not find it easy growing up as a child, constantly
recounting the painful memories of that fateful hour at the
Lutheran Church. It is a day in 1990, one of such days that
leave unfading horrors in one’s life.
Truth
and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Digs Its Way Into Chaos
and Credibility Problem
It is a public relations
nightmare when an organization like the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC), that is asking weary
Liberians to forget about the past and forgive those that
trespasses against them during that heinous civil war is not
at peace with itself, is fumbling all over the place; is
having credibility problem, cannot get any kind of traction,
and is also having problem defining its mission and reason for
being.
Government
and Organized Crime, A History of Co-existence
Government is the governing authority of
a political unit, the ruling power in a political society, and
the apparatus through which a governing body functions and
exercises authority.
The
Graves Are Not Yet Full
Walk
me down memory lane. The time: 1968. In 30 months, one million
dead. The setting: a dusty camp in Biafra where survivors
waited and hoped for peace. The survivors: Refugees fleeing
from the Dance of Death." My mentor: One of the refugee
camp directors, whom I called "Teacher" out of
respect.
*Caution:
Graphic Photos*
What
Are They Doing in Ghana?
If
I had a guest staying over at my house, I expect that
particular guest to leave my home at the time specified, so as
not to wear out his or her stay or wear out my generosity. If
a natural or man-made disaster struck, and my wife and I were
asked to take into our home one or two persons until the
crisis stabilizes, we will surely agree to host that displaced
person or persons, but expect the individuals to honor their
end of the deal because we don’t expect them to stay in our
home forever.
Goodbye
to Kendaja National Cultural Center? Why?
The last
thing any president would do to a national treasure
such as the iconic Kendaja National Cultural Center is
to tamper with it, demolished it, and then sell it, (the talking point is) “lease” the ocean-front
site to the highest bidder to construct a 4-star, some
would say a 5-star hotel that in no way resembles
Liberia’s rich cultural heritage and the warm
memories of the 44-year old institution that once
occupied the spot.
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