Sarpong, Justice
The Asante/Ewe divide, whether it is a reality or mirage as some people
continue to believe should be looked into, at least in this forum and an
ambrosial solutions found on a heuristic approach.
Now that the jactations are over and we have had at least four days to mull over
Daniel Pryce article about the schism between Asantes and Ewes, lets fletcherize
about how to build a bridge to abridge the animosity between the two tribes.
Now that most people have got it off their chests by portraying themselves as
Angels, can we brainstorm and find what we need to do to at least cut down on
the tribal insults in the forum if we genuinely want a peaceful forum where
intelligent discourse can take place without insults? We can all have excuses
as to why we embark on the tribal insults but let's take the hogmanay offered to
us by Daniel Pryce on his December 31st article and start the year 2011 on a
clean slate and clean the forum of the filth.
I have few pointers that can help reduce this habit almost everybody is tripping
over each other by pontificating and proclaming their innocence and annointing
themselves to sainthood status.
It will be convenient in an article of this nature not to name names but the
truth might be told if this mission is to achieve its desired results.
FIRST, LETTING OUR CONSCIENCE BE OUR SECRET POLICE.
If we really want to build a brige to the Ewe/Asante divide, it is incumbent on
all Ewes and Asantes in this forum(SINCE THE ISSUE IS ABOUT ASANTES AND EWES) to
be watchdogs on each other.
I will prefer the Ewes to be the moral police on Ewes and Asantes to be the
moral police on Asantes. If you are an Asante and you see an Asante posting an
insulting message against Ewes, advise him or her to stop and Ewes should also
tell an Ewe if he or she sees an Ewe posting a hate comment that might elicit a
response from an Asante.
Why am I asking the Asantes to police Asantes and Ewes to police Ewes? Because
if somebody like Daniel Pryce tells an Ewe to stop his or her hateful comment,
it will be more effective than an Asante like OYOKOBA telling an Ewe to stop
insulting an Asante because it would be construed as an Asante man trying to
muffle the voice of an Ewe. The same thing should be done by an Asante stopping
an Asante person from starting any insult against an Ewe person.
SECOND, STOP BEING 'HOUDINIS'.
We have to refrain from reading into other people posts by guessing what a
comment means when it is not in the post, example, If I am criticising Rawlings
for what he has done or said, one should not assume that I am criticising him
because he is an Ewe man and I am Asante, and therefore my criticism is solely
based on ethnocentrism, at the same token, Asantes also should refrain from
accusing Ewes of ethnocentrism because they are critising Kuffour unless because
of what Kuffour did, the commentator takes it upon himself or herself to condemn
Asantes as a whole.
THIRD, INAPPROPRIATE MONIKERS
We should be sensitive to the monikers we use in this forum. Some of the
monikers in this forum do not foster a friendly atmosphere. Some of us with
'short fuses' respond to these monikers with biases even if the person has
something intelligent to contribute because of the moniker the one is
using.Example of some of these Monikers like TROKOSI EKORO KOLA, trokosi sheep
fucker, sakawa Monkey Sarpong which was directed at me before I also adopted
those names to counter Kola should be a thing of the past. In this regard, I
offer an olive branch to KOLA that, I will discontinue using those monikers,
regardless of what he intends to do.
FOURTH, POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS.
Again, the fact that an Asante is supporting NPP or an Ewe supporting NDC does
not mean these people are tribalists. I for instance will not vote for any
Asante Presidential candidate on NDC ticket regardless of how marvelous his
academic or political achiements are, but will vote for an Ewe Presidential
candidate on NPP ticket with less stellar credentials than the Asante man on
NDC. My point is that, it is not because NDC is perceived to be an Ewe party
that I don't like that party, the way that party came about, my conscience will
not allow me to support it no matter what 'Angel' they put up as their
Presidential candidate. With me, it's all about the Party and not the
individual. You can disagree with me on this position without insults and I
will accept it because it is what it is. I just don't believe in the NDC
socialistic Philosophy not because the founder is an Ewe. To me, NDC is an
illegal entity which came about through the blood money Rawlings seized from
some hardworking Ghanaians.
FIFTH, THE HIJACKERS.
Hijackers in this article is referring to those commentators who are usually the
first to make comments on an article or news report and instead of commenting on
the issue at hand, start their posts with tribal insults. Three commentators in
this forum are notorious on this regard, NANA O, Terribly Specific and Kola,
London Proper. If we really want to clean this forum of tribal insults, these
three people have to be always reprimanded when they digress on the issue at
hand and embark on tribal insults.
This forum is notorious of finding problems and after people have puffed and
howled, nothing is done to alleviate or at least reduce the problem. Daniel
Pryce's article recently was not the first time such an article has been
discussed in the forum, many people have written on the same issue, even this
might be the third Mr Pryce article on the same issue. Many people promised to
turn a new leaf and stop their insults and tribal postings. I have been
observing those who made a solemn promise to refrain from hatred posts and so
far only Voodoo ziebieso seems to be holding his end of the bargain, well done,
Voodoo.
There are more things we can do to clean the forum and make it friendly for
others who have avoided it to participate in the discourse here and suggestions
as to how to sanitize this forum is welcome. LET'S MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN
THE YEAR AHEAD, FORUMERS, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY.
Justice Sarpong
Houston, Texas
