Page 71 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 9

MY AFRIKA

energy and image, particularly on people speak to each other on so- character is disconcerting, to say
the domestic front. Where the head cial media would have earned them the least. That the people in charge
of state is so easily disparaged and very physical repercussions if those of leading their nations seem to ape
abused by his people, among them a words were spoken face-to-face. more and more what America says,
former head of state, for the whole wants and does, is utterly horrifying.
world to see. Where the image of Certainly, there is a false bravado that It leaves us open to the horrors that
unity has been replaced by one of surrounds many of the comments currently face that nation and instead
division, and that of prosperity, by that are hurled out on social media, of learning from the choices they
struggle. Where graciousness and but this tough talk emanated from made that brought them to this mo-
kindness appear to be in such short a wider socio-cultural context that ment in time, we are signing a guar-
supply and the words of many was given credence by politicians, the antee that we shall end up like them.
are used to injure, assault and tear entertainment industry, the fraying
down more often than build up. social fabric, the abandonment of But hear this: There is NOTHING
the walk of faith and inculcation of to stop us from changing course. If
It’s also heartbreaking because the values contrary to family, love and new economic policies are needed,
influence of the US on the global brotherhood in America. This is what let us create them and implement
environment is still felt. The disre- allows an elderly woman in a super- them. If new methods of educating
spect one to another, the disparag- market to point at a mother and her our children are required, let us de-
ing of leaders and elders, the threats little children and say to them that velop them and use them. If a new
and violence are all speaking a lan- she wishes they die, simply because approach to societal structuring is
guage to a global audience, influenc- they are not wearing masks during beneficial, then let us restructure and
ing thought and social direction for this season – or for a white woman speedily. There is no reason to re-
those strongly under the influence to threaten to call the cops on a black main on a course whose end we can
of the US. Freedom of speech has man and lie to them about what he clearly see is detrimental, more than
become a tool used to tear down and was doing. Something broke in the it is beneficial. The choice is up to us.
humiliate and cause harm; this trend society and it was given wings to fly by
has worked its way across various the same mantle that allows America For when the words of our mouths
parts of the world. Afrika included. to influence the rest of the world and and the meditations of our hearts
the world ingests this poison, blindly. yield for us abuse and hatred, murder
We have become a people who ap- and death, we know there is cause for
pear to no longer give heed to el- It ought not to be so. concern. When we can face those se-
dership or brotherhood but rather nior to us and insult them and tear
look for ways to minimize people’s This is clear evidence, for me, that them down with no regret or re-
positions using sarcasm and dis- blindly copying a culture along with morse, something within us is broken.
paraging words, rather than finding its social, economic and political
ways to build one another up. And practices makes no sense for Afrika, When we can misuse the resources
no, I do not blame America for this, indeed it makes no sense for the rest of those who are junior to us, who
I pray that they will find paths back of the world either. Many have spo- are in our care, something is mis-
to compassion and brotherliness, ken of the gradual decline of the US aligned in us. When we can utterly
where even if a leader is wrong, he over the past few decades, attributing disregard family and care for family
is not dragged out in shame before it well to an abandonment of their in the broader context of the en-
the entire world, but the nation – as a God-given purposes and the intro- tire nation or continent of Afrika,
family – would stand together to find duction of policies that have been then we are in a crisis. The time to
ways to correct the mistake, con- detrimental to the overall welfare of do something about that is now.
scious that his error reflects on them the individual, the family and the soci- Love, brotherhood, forgiveness,
as a people... but more so their re- ety as a whole. That the Afrika hasn’t compassion and care are paramount
sponses to his choices. That this will paused to consider this and urgent- to a thriving and successful Afrika.
impact the way the world sees them ly moved to separate itself from the
as a nation, that this will be the reali- trends of the US and instead unearth Let us rebuild that.
ty exposed, beyond the propaganda. and revive its own positive ways is
worrying. That the nature of Afrika’s
A meme doing the rounds on social citizens more and more each passing
media says, in effect, that the way year has taken on an American-ish

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