Looking to Myself - Ramblings

I have seen many things in my short time here on earth. In my own way, I have let religious prejudice and cultural prejudice dictate my actions from the time I was born up until this very moment. I have always believed that tolerance is the only way for people to co-exist. We may not totally agree with everyone else but if we can respect their opinions, we will be ok. While I still believe that, there will always be people who try to foster their beliefs unto others. I watched the movie “Agora” and I gained an understanding of what it means to be truly tolerant.

“I think, therefore I am”. That is a powerful statement. It has so many meanings – it could mean that we could be anything we want to be, but the meaning that most resonates with me is that the fact that we can think makes us who we are. I can think critically because I’m educated. I can dissect arguments; I can question authorities. I can make up my own mind.

Agora tells the story of Hypatia, a philosopher in ancient roman Egypt. Hypatia lived in a very turbulent time; a time when Christianity just started to gain a foothold in the world. The people of those times had their own gods – it was therefore inevitable that there was considerable tension in the air at the time. Hypatia did not believe in any god. She believed in philosophy – the ability to question what we believe. She was murdered because some people were not comfortable with her beliefs. This happened in the 5^th century. It is still happening today.

I am not an advocate of godlessness. I simply believe that people have a right to believe what they want and the right to question those beliefs. For instance, I don’t believe that a God who advocates mercy also says that it is ok to kill people who do not share your beliefs. It is inconsistent and the fact that I can recognize that is what makes me human. Whether we like it or not, Religion is shaped by men with agendas – from Christianity to Islam to others, men with motives have shaped what we believe and how to believe. If we believe that man is fallible, then why is it that we cannot believe that some of our religious doctrine may be wrong? 

I believe that God created the world. But I don’t believe it just because some pastor said so. I believe it because of what I have seen with my own eyes. The world is so finely balanced – everything is connected in some way or the other and each is important in its own way that it couldn’t just have happened by chance. I have come to the conclusion that it can only be God. I made up my own mind. Too often, we are guilty of blind faith. We are led by people, not just political leaders but religious leaders who go against everything they preach but we are unable to think for ourselves and identify these inconsistencies for what they really are.  I am going off on tangents but bear with me – I will tie everything up in the end.

The bible says that we must be like children to enter heaven. I gained a new understanding of this last week. I was at the grocery store and there was this black kid. He couldn’t have been more than two or three years old and he was talking to these white women behind him. At one point, he said “I love you” to people that he had never even met. I had no doubt in my mind that he meant what he said in his own little way. What was so sad to me was that I could imagine this same kid growing up with religion and society messing him up so much that even talking to a white person may become a significant challenge to him. 

In this same way, people have used religion to further their own agendas. I just believe that thinking about things thoroughly and reaching conclusions that make sense to us will make this a much better world to live in. When we realize that we are all different, that people may not always agree with what we say or believe in, but that they have the right to those beliefs and that we should respect them, we can start to change the world, one person at a time.

The same applies to Nigerians. Start thinking for yourselves. Trust but verify. These politicians have managed to keep a large majority of Nigerians illiterate and unable to reason. It is up to the educated among us to make sure that these people understand. Good leaders are more essential than we may realize because when there are no good leaders, people listen to whoever speaks loudest. We have a responsibility to this country. Let us do our part – God will do the rest.

What are WE doing about Nigeria?

I see what's happening in Nigeria and I'm so scared for our future. Nigeria is  at war. Just today, another blast rocked northern Nigeria and more lives were laid to waste. It is truly dire when we can no longer feel safe at home. Where else can we feel safe if not at home? I have had the opportunity to follow these developments from a distance and I am convinced that there are powerful forces at play here. It is pretty obvious that some powerful people are using Boko haram to make a political statement. In my mind, it's not about western education but about that fact that we do not have a northerner as president. I believe that and I'm free to express this without proof simply because I am not in a position to investigate. That the president can come out to say that there are forces in government that aid this terrorist group without proof is beyond the pale. It just makes him look stupid and weak. Jonathan has had time to quash this group but seems reluctant to. Meanwhile, he is cock sure about the removal of fuel subsidy. What are the priorities of this government? Protecting her citizens or making money? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like the latter. After the bomb blast, Jonathan comes out and CONDEMNS the bombers. This guy has no clue. Enough about him- this is a message about civic duty.

Nigerians, If you stand by and watch, you have no right to complain when things go wrong. We must be vigilant. I don't mean protesting- to me, protests are a waste of time because they ultimately put you at the mercy of whoever you're protesting against. In a protest, you try to appeal to a person's sense of decency. If that person has none, you are on your own. When I say vigilant, I mean politically. We must be more involved in the political process because no one is going to do it for us. I saw a quote the other day. Plato said that "The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men". That's what plagues Nigeria today. It's not the politicians- It's because too many Nigerians don't care about what goes on around them. Nigerians need to wake up. What is your representative doing in Abuja? If he's not representing the interests of his constituency, he can be removed. It is our right. That is what democracy is all about. It is a government by the people- Not just voting but eternal vigilance. I keep saying that democracy is not an event- It is a process. We must continue to work at it. Don't just vote and go and sit down. We must stand up and be counted.

In a democracy, there is the Executive, The Legislative and the Judiciary. Each one of these is there to check the other. People have a direct link to two of these- we vote in the presidents, governors and the national assembly but we have a connection to the national assembly throughout a president's term in office. These people are there to represent the interests of the people and check the activities of the executive arm of government. If these representatives do not REPRESENT us, we are cut off from the process and we are reduced to protests. Nigerians must wake up and put people in place who will represent them. Until we do this, we will continue to complain and protest and therefore achieve nothing.

How can you do this? By learning about the law. By learning about the constitution. By organizing ourselves. Have frequent town hall meetings. Become more involved and stop chasing this president around because you cannot touch him. But you have the power to touch people who have a direct connection to him. Organize groups and talk to each other. Come up with ideas about how to put pressure on these representatives so they can put pressure on the president and the governors. They are our voice in the corridors of power and they must be made to realize that they are there to serve Nigerians and not live like kings at our expense. If Nigerians are angry, these people must feel it because they represent us. If we do not do this, we cannot move forward. That is the truth.