INDEX

• TOM WOIWOYOU MUST THINK AGAIN

• NOW IS THE ANSWER

In what was obviously a disgraceful TV appearance recently on CNN, Mr. Tom Woiwoyou, a Liberian businessman turned Senator, embarrassed not only himself but also the entire intellectual field that most people had previously associated him with. "TOM" fell completely below every mark of intellectualism. He was not only confused, and tongue-tied but also very nervous. Lies are difficult to maintain.

In this interview, TOM ran out of justifications for his master, Charles Taylor’s insistence for a "cordial and smooth transfer of power" and began dangling around for defamatory words (against other people) with the hope of gaining mercy for Charles Taylor. TOM’s digression from the essence of the interview resulted to his being CHASED off the air by the interviewer. Did he think that the use of now fashionable label "ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM" against one group in the ongoing crisis would win America’s sympathy for "their elitism" in Liberia? Well, "TOM" must think again.

While the world is exhausting every effort to cure the cancer that has eaten our country since "they" came into the political scene in Liberia, egotistic Tom Woiwoyou is bent on undermining peace and progress in Liberia. While I laud him for lobbying for an international TV interview, I was seriously disappointed at Tom’s presentations. At this crucial point of our nightmare, it is not only wrong but also very catastrophic for anyone to continue to promote self-interest above national interest. Does TOM really want Liberia to continue to remain in this feudalistic style; - where the ownership of everything belongs to a master, because "they" want their illegal businesses to flourish while our people die? Well, TOM must think again.

By referring to the LURD’s honest persistence to unseat Charles Taylor as "Islamic fundamentalism" was not only at attempt to turn his eyes away from the disgraceful failure of his band of kleptomaniacs to contribute anything meaningful to our society since they fortuitously took the helm some six years ago. Bereft of any logical explanation for the havoc he and his cabal have wreaked upon our people, TOM had to fall back on the usual but now obsolete scare tactics of branding others as Islamic Fundamentalists. In his myopic mindset, he entertains the hope that such will scare away the Americans and thus subvert the good intent to deploy troops only after the indicted war criminal has taken his unceremonious exit from our country.

Does TOM think that America is politically weak that even the unsubstantiated sweeping allegations will make her to change her course of actions? TOM must think again. It takes more than the mere usage of the term "Islamic fundamentalism" to win the US confidence. Above all, TOM must accept the fact that Taylor’s regime is over.

To Tom Woiwoyou and his kinds, I am calling on you to please, for the sake of national unity and genuine peace in Liberia, stop the falsifications. Stop the attempts to perpetuate yourselves and your anarchical regime on the people of Liberia. Stop the usage of inflammatory words that would do our country more harm. Stop your attempts to manipulate America’s interest in finding lasting peace for our people. Break away from your fantasy that everything other than yours is "Fundamentalism." Join the realm of facts; - that a new page of peace is now turning in Liberia. That the Liberian people have resolved to work together and resist people (like you) with no principles. For, the death and destruction that have visited upon our country at your invitation transcend what any brand of fundamentalism could ever inflict upon us. So, I enjoin you to abandon your feeble attempt to whip up religious strife and join the Liberian people in preaching against the most divisive elements of our country: tribalism, egotism and religious intolerance. Reckon that togetherness, nationalism and honesty are the ways out. If you doubt this, then you MUST THINK AGAIN.

Sekou B. Korleh

Bucks County, Pennsylvania

NOW IS THE ANSWER
By Sekou B. Korleh
July 3, 2003

My Fellow Liberians and Friends of Liberia:

As we witness the unfolding events in our country, we must each do what is in our power to buttress what humanitarians around the world have advanced; - demonstration of the need for the American Government to send in Peace enforcing Troops to save the few of our people who are still alive. They should not all be killed!

The need for a global peace Force in Liberia cannot be over emphasized. This is something that everyone seems to agree on but not many of us can say what we need to do and must do in order for our wishes be come true. We always want others to do "this and that," but what do we do ourselves?

Indeed, we are all guilty of this "Fundamental Attribution Error,"- the tendency to be dispositional when it involves others but situational when it involves ourselves. When will we stop this self-deception? When will the Liberians begin to firstly point fingers at themselves before pointing at others? When will the Liberian people initiate and exhaust their energies and resources for what they believe in? When will we show commitment to ourselves? Now! Is the ANSWER.

Liberians in the Diaspora, especially those here in America must NOW seize the obvious opportunities and absolve themselves of their negative pasts. The pasts that we have threaded by selfishness and greed; the pasts of lack of commitment and patriotism; the pasts of "my way or no way;" the pasts that have smeared a stigma of self-destruction on even the unborn Liberian child. Indeed, Now! Is the ANSWER. NOW, we must correct those ugly pasts. NOW, we must prove our decency as a people.

We must come together NOW and build what we have broken during the periods of our ugly pasts. We must NOW begin to love and embrace each other not for ourselves, but for the sake of peace in Liberia. We must NOW struggle as hard as we can, to speak with one voice and act in unison. NOW is the time that we learn to turn to some of the major tenants that kept prehistoric men happier; - eyeing societal good rather than self pride. Above all, NOW is the time that we realize that: "LIBERIA IS RISING AGAIN."

In view of the above, I am calling on every Liberian in America, especially the YOUTH, to please join me and thousands of other great Liberians on July 11, 2003 in demonstrating to the world that Liberians are now united with one voice - the voice that will RESTORE LIBERIA. Let’s converge in Washington at 10:00 AM and make this ULAA Peace Rally a huge success. Also join me and other professional people from around America on Saturday, July 12, 2003 in Philadelphia for a ONE-DAY IMMIGRATION TRAINING WORKSHOP. Knowledge is strength. While America, Europe, and ECOWAS are doing their parts, we, Liberians must do ours. My fellow young Liberians, I want you to know that the leadership challenge is rapidly creeping upon us, so we cannot afford to be lackadaisical anymore. We must move with vigor to seize this golden opportunity to help the process of restoring sanity to Liberia. It is mainly against this background that I accepted my appointment as Chairman/ULAA Youth & Young Adults Committee. In this capacity, it is my promise to do everything within my powers to work with every proactive young Liberian in bridging the "Leadership Gap" that presently exists between the young and older generations of Liberians. It is through this mean that we can sufficiently fill the vacancies soon to be created. We must NOW empower ourselves to take charge. Our old heads will soon retire or soon be made to retire (to advisory capacities), but we must be ably prepared to fill in.

May the "Love of Liberty" bind us together. May we all learn to subjugate our own interest to that of the larger society. May we be able to learn from our ugly pasts and pave a new, and humble path that will lift Liberia. May we know that NOW is the ANSWER.

Sekou B. Korleh

Chairman/ULAA YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS COMMITTEE.

Skorleh@aol.com

267-250-4340