Pal dear,
we are on the havoc cruise still.
and i remember all the bullying that characterize our boarding schools. before i went to boarding school, i knew this 'thing' existed but i don't remember if i ever bothered too much about it back then but of course it all came to life once i got to the boarding house!
"hey you, come here!", such was the command and your name was useless whether known or not! once a junior, you were a non-entity! no questions. "look boy, obey before complain!". you would be barked at!
so my first day at St. Peters School was eventful! "form-one boy", "hey form-one boy"! those calls came from all directions to mark my arrival. "hey, stop there!" the weight of that command jolted me to the realization more than ever that my uncle had long left me with a goodbye!
the senior who called walked up to me looking all man, tall and muscular! i had to raise my face skywards to have a peep at his hard face! "good afternoon!" i thought the right thing to do was greet with a smile! he ignored my greeting. his face was straight. "what programme are you here to study?" "science." i answered. "small boy you want to read science heh? look up at the sky and tell me what you see". i looked up and told him i could see the sky. "is that all you can see?" this time the tone clearly sounded like gritted teeth! and i knew instantly was in for trouble! "look up again!" i did. "what do you see?" i was about bringing my head down to tell him the sun was up there too. "come on keep you head up, what do you see?" "i see the sun". if only i knew i wouldn't have said so maybe. "uhuh, good, now look at the sun and tell me what you see"!
"what?" i asked myself. of course i couldn't muster the courage to put that question to the senior. it was burning hot! and thus my experience with bullying took a different dimension in my life. others were to experience worse like being asked to fill a bucket with water using a spoon from our school pond which was about half a kilometer away from the dormitories.
Pal, these were the memories that came back to me when i heard the news about the GBC boss Mr. Ampem Darko being asked to do the absurd by parliament. and you may read for an insight for yourself here LINK.
for all the bullying me and my year mates suffered at school, it was very instructive that by our final year when we had had the opportunity to also met our our fair share of bullying to our juniors then the authorities decided to implement a number of reforms. so our wings were 'severely' clipped. but i'm sure we turned as one of the very best leaders of the school if not the best! we adopted different and more humane approaches to finding solutions to insubordination and they worked. we did not have to resort to infringing on human rights! (aside isolated cases lol).
so pal, i wonder why would our parliamentarians be more concerned about doing the absurd than passing legislation that would deal with our many societal ills. This is the 21st century and our parliamentarians are more concerned about demanding respect than working to earn respect. such things pal, make me angry!
but i'm not angry!
11 comments:
Novisi, you've gotta be kidding? Apologise for what? Stating facts? Ampem-Darko and Ato K. Dadzie are not the only people who do not respect those people who conduct themselves like greedy children and he goats as the case may be! Didn't they hear their mentor Obama calling the police in the Prof Gates issue "stupid"? I it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, I'm gonna call it bloody duck! (Oh that rant felt good, man!)
Novisi, I like this post. I for one I call it as I see it...WYSIWYG. I ain't calling a faded black jeans a white jeans. No way! You said it...and KAO added her point. Why should people not work to earn the respect they need? Why should they want to demand it like slave masters? What is honourable in being an MP if you do unhonourable things...like indulging in drugs, humping your wife's sister/cousin, trading insult on air? Are these men honourable? They are there for being there sake! and I know we are the cause because we vote for parties and not for an individual's merit based upon his or her ability to perform.
We shall get there
I have read the link and I am surprised how far people would go to make Ghana look 'stupid'. A whole parliament charged with the task of making Ghana democratic or by their name only making Ghana democratic couldn't discharge their duty democratically and has allowed unfairness and injustices to seep into their thinking. Where are we going as a country? We are lost and I hope we find ourselves. Besides, isn't 'stupid' a free speech word? When Obama came to Ghana and they were happy, if they had read between the lines they would have realised that that young man insulted them more than anything else. The man told them Ghana needs 'strong institutions and not strong men' and many other things that taint their dignity (if only they have one) but in their euphoria they couldn't make that out. I am shocked by this. But as Ato said, that wouldn't change anything from what we think...if you have a parliament that act without thinking or reading, that seek their and agree only on their self-interest, that insult themselves in parliament and discharge their duties unhonourably, they are bound to be seen as 'stupid' by a lot of people and not only Ampem-Darko or even Ghana. In fact there are a lot of people who are in parliament who are not supposed to even be there...We care not what they say or do...if they fool we wouldn't say that they are wise? If they act foolishly, should we applaud...If any member of parliament insults me I would definitely insult him back and let this be told to all who think by their position they can squeeze people and make gods of themselves that Nkrumah fetched us that freedom long time ago. We want remain as stooges and be fooled by some 'stupid' title mere mortals have bestowed upon themselves.
When a group of people demand respect for whatever reason, you are dealing with a case of self-grandeur and lack of self-worth.
The bottom line is that respect can only be earned, not forced out of anybody.
The whole issue is a BIG S.H.*.T!
mirror, how it works. shows you a lot about yourself that you cant see. and it is away from you. you fail to consult it and work on what it shows you, you show it to the world large and wide.
if by calling yourself honorable makes you that, then my kid sis is a guy. Shit, for sure, POSEKYERE.
or maybe the position is AKA honorable like Teacher so like Teacher Kuma, they become honorable whatever the moment they grab that position. it is such a shame we have so much incompetent people as our leaders and it is everywhere. most people still think that old age is wisdom so therefore big men and women are flawless. or something like ... it was said on radio so it is true ... hopefully, Nana, we shall get there, sometime even if not in our life time.
Love And Hope!
I cannot get the right link somehow, but I know generally about Ampem-Darko and Parliament. I do not find anything wrong if Parliament asks him to apologise. Having said that, it is better to earn another's respect than to force them fear you.
Kwegyirba Aggrey-Orleans,
o yes man! no, sorry woman, lol. that rant sure does feel good. i feel it too! now i wish we could make a banner of it and have it placed at the entrance of parliament house.
Nana Fredua-Agyeman,
wow man! your words speak volumes!
hi there Posekyere,
yes, that's the bottom line. and nobody can do much about it.
love and hope sys,
i don't know why but i'm full of hope too!
a friend was telling me it would take a different set of human beings to have a change but i believe even the present generation can make a change only if put our minds to it.
Nana Yaw Asiedu,
thanks for dissecting the issue further.
makes it sweeter!
and i totally agree with you. if only our legislators would apply this.
hmmmmmmmmmmm!
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