Monday, September 27, 2010

LIBERIANS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF LAWLESSNESS ...

TQ Harris Jr.
 The 2011 elections will be meaningless if Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and others listed in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) report are allowed to participate without first addressing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. If this issue is not properly resolved, it is likely that gains made thus far might be reversed. Liberians are sick and tired of dealing with individuals who have no respect for rule of law and we are not going to take it any more!!!



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                                                                      T. Q. HARRIS, JR.

In an airplane the yoke is used to steer right and left and also to increase or decrease altitude. Pull the yoke back and the plane climbs higher; push forward to descend. When speeding along the runway the yoke is pulled back which enables the aircraft to lift and fly. I personally, as a Pilot, always look forward to that instant when the front wheels leave the ground…it’s exhilarating!

There comes a moment when it is absolutely necessary that the yoke of life is pulled back in order to climb to higher heights. Liberia, for the past 163 years, has been speeding along the runway of time but never lifting off the ground. Perhaps we have been unwilling or afraid to pull back the yoke until now. This generation will lift Liberia above the cloud of mediocrity, backwardness, illiteracy, corruption, poverty, ignorance and disease. There will be resistance, but the forces of CHANGE shall prevail! Log into TQ Harris

Vision for Liberia: www.tqharrisforpresident.com/TQ_Vision.html

The 2011 elections will be meaningless if Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and others listed in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) report are allowed to participate without first addressing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. If this issue is not properly resolved, it is likely that gains made thus far might be reversed. Liberians are sick and tired of dealing with individuals who have no respect for rule of law and we are not going to take it any more!!!

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and those listed in the TRC report must be told in no uncertain terms that the issue of war crimes and crimes against humanity is not going away regardless of how many threats they make. They must account for their role in the rape, torture and murder of more than 300,000 Liberians!

Is there anyone who believed Charles Taylor would be forcibly removed from the Presidency and taken to jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone; while persons accused of identical crimes in Liberia not face justice? Is it conceivable Liberians could be restrained from taking action against those responsible for the carnage, now that Chucky Taylor has been sentenced to 97 years imprisonment by the U.S. Government? Did Ellen and the others truly believe Dr. George S. Boley, Sr. would be dragged into U.S. Court to account for his role in the atrocities; while they parade themselves as respectable political leaders? This is the kind of selective justice that often leads to all-out violence and impedes Africa’s progress.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been generous in giving Ellen Johnson Sirleaf an excellent opportunity to gracefully extricate herself from her quagmire. It would be unwise were she not to exploit it to the fullest. Not being allowed to hold public office does not prevent Ellen from serving her country if she so desires. By rejecting the TRC recommendations she risks a full blown trial and all that comes with it. If Ellen insists, she will be given the opportunity in a court of law to prove her innocence. However, I hasten to remind President Johnson Sirleaf of her predecessors - Presidents Doe and Taylor - who refused to heed the warnings and ended up facing disastrous consequences.

To those who believe all is well…that Liberia is back; I must warn you, there is likely to be severe turbulence ahead! The fact that those who wrecked this nation are still playing hardball is a clear indication we are a long ways from landing.

For much of this country’s history critical decisions have favored a few rather than the majority. As a result, illiteracy is high; unemployment is high; sickness & disease is high; poverty is widespread; corruption is rampant; and, Rule of Law is nonexistent. Those bearing the greatest responsibility for the mass destruction of lives and properties between 1989 and 2003 must face justice!!

If the cold-blooded murder of 250,000 defenseless men, women and children is not resolved Liberia will inevitably experience a repeat of the senseless violence. This we must not allow!

To the international partners, we ask; what is most important: protecting the interests of a select few, or ensuring the safety of the larger population? If the interests of the majority are paramount – as it ought to be - then you must support the formation of a Special Court, Screening of Candidates for the 2011 elections, and Funding the Opposition. Without this, Liberia will continue to be a violent, lawless nation and the epic center of instability within the West African sub-region.
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The Author: T. Q. Harris, Jr. is a member of the Free Democratic Party (of Liberia) who is expected to be a Presidential candidate in the 2011 Election. Mr. Harris in 1997 was the Vice Presidential nominee of his Party. He is currently the Chairman of Liberian Contempt UPS. To get more information: http://www.tqharrisforpresident.com/; http://www.friendsoftq.org/; liberia1@charter.net; and Phone: (562) 256-4271 Liberia: (231) 6 538827

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Inside Liberia with Bernard Gbayee Goah

Everyone is a genius

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein

Drawing the line in Liberia

Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah



Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause

They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.

If Liberia must move forward ...

If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's greatest problem!

While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah

What do I think should be done?

The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Solving problems in the absence of war talks

As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah

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