Is politics about bickering?
Dear editor,
One wonders what many people understand by politics in our ‘New Gambia. Should politics be seen as a means of spreading enmity? Should politics be about hatred and bigotry?
The answer to these questions should actually serve as a guide to the way we conduct our body polity. Politics can certainly be civil and decent.
It is imperative that we comport ourselves when we discuss or engage in political debates and discourses. This is if we wish to attain progress and, in peace. Thus, it is important that we cultivate the habit of tolerance.
But we observe that since the ‘New Gambia’ began, there’s been an acrid discourse of politics, especially on social media. Most of the time, the discourse among the supporters of the various political parties has not been as civil and mature as it should be.
Many of our folks are intolerant and have a proclivity of using foul language against anyone who differs in opinion with them. The direction of this type of political discourse is worrying, to say the least.
It is essential to remember that politics is not about hatred or enmity. Political participation should be – and is usually due to – the intense desire of individual members of a society to see that their country attains the highest level of development.
It is for this reason that each individual should seek to make efforts to put a competent person in office of responsibility, according to his/her perspective. Many a time though, due to their enthusiasm to offer their views or opinions, people tend to forget that others equally have rights to different opinions. Thus, they vehemently oppose such views, and sometimes without being courteous or civil about it.
Having different ideas and opinions put together form the basis of good democracy which ultimately brings development to a country. When we become tolerant and accommodating of different opinions, we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable. As such, the issue of being rude or unruly can – and should – be avoided.
Therefore, we need to remember that we all have one aim, one destination, and one objective: and that is a better and more prosperous Gambia. Let us use civil and courteous language in our political discourse.
Be accommodating of divergent views and be tolerant of others and their right to exist and differ. Progress can only come when we embrace radical departure from what we often perceive as ‘the only way’.
Musa Bah
Nusrat SSS
