Dear Editor,
If I know anything about the people of this colonial space, it is that many, if not most, of us, condemning Mr. Jallow for his “ethical breach” would have done exactly as he did, all things being equal. The reality is that the pressures and expectations placed on individuals trapped in this colonial space can lead even the most principled among us to act in ways that conflict with our stated values, especially when survival is at stake. There is a reason corruption is en vogue in the colonial space!
No one should be forced into a moral dilemma around their survival, but this is The Gambia for you. If you want to go far, go with NPP. You want to make it there, suck up to spineless men like Seedy Njie. Remember when I told you that opposition is extremely expensive? Why do you think many in the opposition quickly abandon the opposition ship and jump headfirst into the NPP shark-infested waters to compete for the best sycophant Adama Barrow has ever seen? In the cesspool that the Seedy Njies of the colonial space thrive in, you need not even align with the opposition; simply smile at them, and Seedy will see an opportunity to destroy you! That is how he survives.
In Mr Jallow’s case, he had two options when asked to issue a misleading statement. One, Stick to his guns, moral absolutism (tell the truth no matter what the consequences), or two, mislead the public and survive: consequentialism. Lie and live, tell the truth and lose your job. A moral conflict.
Many of us have either faced such conflicts or face them regularly in our daily routines. We tell lies to avoid conflict. We tell lies to appease others. Call them “small” lies or “white lies,” but a lie is a lie. Take some time and observe the politics of the colonial space, and you won’t have to look far to see that telling lies, shamelessness, greed, disloyalty, betrayal, corruption, and wishy-washiness form the very fabric of our politics and, in many cases, the way we actually subsist.
Yes, what Mr Jallow did is wrong! But spare him a thought. If you can’t do that, temper your moral judgment with the reality he subsists in! That reality revolves around lying, betrayal, duplicity, corruption, and spinelessness! Seedy Njie is just a symptom of this malaise; the whole system is rotten!!! So give us a break and get off your moral high horse! If you see yourself in this, you’re welcome, and if you don’t, then don’t get offended because it’s not about you. That includes those who would rather wallow in denial than reflect on their reality!
Alagie Saidy Barrow
USA
