CAUGHT MY EYE: Louis on the Papers, Week ending August 28th 2007

Gambianow – Two stories about Africans being killed trying to flee the continent for greener pastures in Europe. I’m glad the newspapers are writing about it and I hope our governments do more about this unnecessary loss of life. Rather than arrest those who get caught and deported I would focus on civic education to let your young men and women know the hardships and dangers involved in these trips. More importantly, more effort needs to be made in providing economic opportunities for our young and able-bodied. I’m sure most of them would gladly stay if they had something to do back home.

The Gambia Journal – Uh ooh, here we go again!!! HIV, Asthma, Hypertension and now Cancer??? I thought most doctors specialize in one area of medicine but I guess Dr. Jammeh is a general practitioner. While I have no evidence to accept Dr Jammeh’s healing powers, I have none to reject them either. I’m sure all mankind would greatly benefit if the cures work but equally great would be the damage if they don’t. I hope the president and his advisors understand this.

To the two newspapers above: As usual, thanks for informing us and representing us well.

And now to the rest – Brace yourselves people

Freedom Newspaper – reported on “Eboe Town Residents in Dire Need of Help as Flood devastates community”. Thanks for a good article. Good, malice-free reporting which only serves to inform. I hope Gambians in a position to help will do so. I’m sure the people involved will appreciate whatever you give no matter how small.

Also published the writings of journalist PK Jarju giving ways to get rid of the current government. Among PK’s methods was a military intervention by the national army. I am relieved to hear that PK’s email was bombarded with emails condemning his idea of a military intervention. He says its from APRC supporters but I say its from supporters of Gambia who value human life, peace and development. As the editors of Freedom Newspaper already touched on, any military intervention is unwelcome in our country so whoever is even remotely thinking about it needs to take a chill pill. Take a look at our neighbors like Liberia and you’ll see that we’d rather live the way we do right now than take our country back to the 19^th century. I recommend Sorious Samora’s “CRY FREETOWN” to you PK and all others who think military intervention is solution to anything. In addition, as one writer already mentioned, if PK was willing to talk the talk he should have been ready to walk the walk. While in Gambia, PK could have written something or joined the army and led this “intervention” if he had the courage he’s now trying to show. Instead, he fled and began talking in the safety of his room. Don’t try to lead people to what you wouldn’t do brother.

While I commend Freedom Newspaper for their disclaimer stating that they do not support any military action, I must say that if any, these are the kinds of articles you need to censor (instead of Louis Friend’s ratings). Any public speech or writing inciting violence is irresponsible and illegal in most societies and should not be tolerated even if it is from a “friend of the Gambia” like PK.

Senegambia News – Briefly had a headline about a “despicable former daily observer editor”. Who or exactly why they call the person despicable, I have no idea. They said the person studied at Forah Bay College but did not name names. The only reason it caught my eye is that they pulled the article a few hours later and I’m sure their readers are just as curious as I am as to why they pulled it down.

Also highlighted a thousand dollar donation from a Gambian. The Gambian spirit of “giving” is reaffirmed. I know what they do with the donation is none of my business but I’ll still go ahead and suggest that college tuition will not be such a bad investment.

The Gambia Echo – Published Mr. Omar Saidy-Khan’s reaction to my ratings entitled THE FOURTH ESTATE. I have since issued a response to Mr. Saidy-Khan called “ADVERSE CONDITIONS???”on this blog and have not heard back from him. To the Gambia Echo I ask, “why would you publish a reaction to an article you refused to publish in the first place?”

Also published a story on “Jammeh violating Sir Dawda’s Amnesty” http://www.thegambiaecho.com/Homepage/tabid/36/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/714/Default.aspx This, if true, is indeed a worrisome subject that interests Gambians everywhere. Even more worrisome would be the act of taking 5 miles of land from villagers anywhere in the country. The problem I have with this report is that the Echo did not claim to have investigated the story. In a typical manner for them to jump on anything negative about the government, they seemed to have rushed to publication. I’m not saying they did not investigate it. Just that they did not tell me they did. Instead of just taking the word of the “Jawara family member”, I would like to see them at least try to interview a chief, alkalo, someone at local government or even one of their sources in Gambia like the famous “Officer X”.

The echo also sought at the end of the above article, to respond to their “critics” including this writer. I would have responded to them in a full piece but I’ll exercise restraint for two reasons.

1. The fact that they tried to hide their response in an article totally unrelated to what I spoke about shows their cowardice. I’m sorry but it’s the only reason I can think of that would warrant them hiding their reaction behind a completely unrelated article. They can’t argue that it wasn’t worth a heading of its own because the reaction was almost as long as the main story itself. My aim is not to “rattle the resolve” of our journalists and I hope refraining from giving a full reaction will help stabilize their resolve.
2. The second reason for my restraint is that I wouldn’t know where to begin responding to the echo. In the immortal words of the caveman on the Geico commercials…”WHAAAT???” Bro, you sound just like Miss Teen South Carolina when she was asked why a lot of Americans can't locate the USA on a map. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII) I am an educated man but will someone please go to the Gambia Echo website and translate that passage to me? What on earth was that? I sought the help of a friend, a PhD holder who taught English at University level and she was as confused as I was. That passage made NO sense at all. It made me realize what Mr. Saidy-Khan said when he spoke about “my intellectual prowess”. Brothers please, I DO NOT HAVE ANY INTELLECTUAL PROWESS so please stop trying to match what does not exist. I now wish I never quoted Carlyle and Burke because like my identity, it seems to take attention away from the real ISSUES I’m trying to discuss. Just because I quoted Carlyle doesn’t mean you have to do the same and if you decide to do so, the quote needs to MAKE SENSE and be at least SOMEWHAT RELATED to what you’re writing about. You don’t just go quoting for the sake of it.

To the Echo, yours is not to compete with nonentities like me. You don’t need to quote Carlyle to prove you’re also “students of Literature, History and Political Science”. Yours is to inform the Gambian people and this needs to be done in the simplest of languages so even the youngest and least educated reader can understand what your message is. You’re right, I was wrong for starting the rumor that you write good English. You’ve proven that beyond any reasonable doubt and I sincerely apologize. Please get back to informing Gambians and quit whatever it was that you were trying to do with that “thing”. Use of big words, jargons and irrelevant quotes is impressive but only to the uneducated who think the only reason they don’t understand it is because of their lack of education when the reality is that it doesn’t make sense to even the most educated.

As I said, I’m not interested in editing your papers. However, if the editors of the echo decide to argue that their “thing” makes sense then I’ll be left with no option but to prove what I’m saying. I will, as an example, explain to their readers how the use of the word “Dickensical”(in the above article about Jammeh and Sir Dawda) is inappropriate and inaccurate in more than one way in the context it was used. Till I hear a rat squeak, I rest my keyboard.

Again, feel free to send your comments on this and all stories for publication.