“I CAN’T BREATHE” BUT SOME WHITE POLICE OFFICERS DON’T GIVE A DAMN
More than 75 cities in America are witnessing demonstrations as people vent their anger over the killing of an unarmed black man George Floyd by a white policeman as three of his colleagues looked on. The demonstrations have turned violent in some places with cars and house set ablaze, shops looted and protesters and police injured - some of them seriously. The demonstrations are spreading across that vast country paralyzing parts of the affected cities, looting is intensifying and police are becoming increasingly aggressive. Things are not looking good for the image of that great country.
We believe this is not just about George Floyd; this is about anger over the reckless killing of yet another black man by police officers going back several years. It would appear as if despite the demonstrations on the streets, more black people are being jailed and killed at every opportunity. The Floyd incident is a clear case in point: How much resistance a man already handcuffed is able to put up against four well-trained police officers? Why was it really necessary to restrain him by pressing a knee against his throat on the floor for NINE MINUTES while he cried to save his life? Is there no other way to restrain a man already in handcuff?
We put all the demonstrations and destructions at the table of the authorities who, in the first few hours after the incident thought it will pass away quickly. A week after the killing of Floyd, people are on the streets crying for justice. So here’s what we believe:
1. For the next few weeks the police are going to very careful responding to calls involving black men. But if something serious is not done now, we will be in the same place with another round of demonstrations over the killing of another black man. That’s no rocket science.
3. Did it really have to take demonstrations, looting and burning of buildings for the killer cop to be arrested and charged for murder? We will follow this trial to the end. Already we are reading things described as quotes from the autopsy report on the death of Floyd. We warn that this is a serious matter and people must learn their lessons. What we are reading is not real. We believe the independent report commissioned by the parents.
4. We totally condemn the looting of shops. It must stop right now. In fact those involved in looting should be identified by their fellow protesters and handed over to the police. The criminals are busy making a case for heavy-handed police tactics. STOP THE LOOTING and burning!
5. We hope that like the aftermath of the Killing of the black teenager, Stephen Lawrence in the UK, the killing of George Floyd should cause a major reform of the police across the US, covering issues from recruitment to crowd control. We should NEVER go back to another “I can’t breathe” scenario.
WORLDWIDE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS: ARE WE READY?
Suddenly countries are EASING RESTRICTIONS on movement and assembly, all of which were put in place mainly to slow down the spread of the coronavirus and coupled with other public health measure eradicate the pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. A section of the Sierra Leone population is leading the charge to get the restrictions lifted. We make bold to say religious leaders want the right to assemble in churches and mosques restored NOW. They have met Principal a few times on that and other issues. In the end, it is down to the president and government to decide one way or the other.
We have looked at the issues in the round and argued in this paper that Principal should not bow to pressure and lift the restrictions at a time when we are not even clear whether we have reached the peak of this outbreak. As far as we know, the number of cases continues to grow and if anything, we should be tightening some measures and not bowing to pressure from one side of the society.
1. We believe that science, rather than moral or political arguments should dictate how we proceed with lifting or maintaining the restrictions. We have examples from sophisticated societies like Germany and South Korean of what can happen when hasty decisions are made in this war against coronavirus. There have been spikes in cases. That’s a fact.
2. The argument that because traders are congregating to sell in open spaces, therefore churches and mosques should be opened up does not hold at all.
When it comes down to the basics, people must eat daily. And that includes those who are very religious and those that cannot be bothered. So all we can do with markets is to continue to urge that the traders follow the public health instructions strictly.
3. Trying to transfer what is being done in other countries to Sierra Leone will not work. No two countries are the same. There’s no harm looking at their approach but we should be able to fight our own war and win.
PLEASE LET’S GET THE BASICS RIGHT AND FIGHT THE VIRUS
This is just to urge our friends at the EOC to make sure at all times that their eyes remain on the ball in the fight to end this pandemic and avoid being distracted by things we know can be easily dealt with. Somehow we thought after that brief strike by doctors and nurse, the EOC would put things under control so much that strikes would be gone to return no more. What we saw in the last 48 hours ought not to have happened and we urge the EOC to deal with it once and for all.
We know that things are tough for many Sierra Leoneans but the fight against coronavirus is reasonably well funded and so far there is no cause for alarm as to how the finances are managed. When we notice that we will shout in the usual way. That’s why we find it strange that verifying people ahead of payment became so protracted that staff had to go on strike to force the authorities to explain the situation and pay up.
Once more the ministry of Health has not covered itself in any glory in this very difficult period in our country. Now we have no option but to ask that all fiduciary matters around this COVID 19 fight be stripped from the ministry and handed over to a fiscal agency that can deliver. No more strikes please. We cannot have money in the banks and risk souls with strikes over pay and unwarranted bureaucracy.
THE RAINS ARE HERE AGAIN: STANDBY FOR THE USUAL
We are Sierra Leoneans and the vast majority of us have lived in this country all over lives. We know what happens in this country during the rains. We have tried to cope from year to year but it’s not easy. So let’s remind ourselves as a first step in our planning for the THREE MONTHS.
1. This is the time armed robbers raid homes all over the country. Please don’t be carried away by the fact that a curfew is in place. We have heard stories from Regent in Freetown, Lungi and Bo town of brazen armed robberies. One of such raids in Bo took place about a mile away from a security post established to enforce the curfew.
2. For those who built shacks on top of hills overlooking Freetown, mudslides occur at this time. We pray that God takes control but we also warn our people to protect themselves by leaving dangerous areas now.
3. Flooding also takes place during these next three months. It happens all over the country but Freetown is always badly affected. In the last few days, Wilkinson road, at the junction of Murray Town road was a complete mess. We have no idea what kind of engineering we paid for in that major junction. We should call the contractors back to see and understand why many Sierra Leoneans believe they were cheated in that contract.
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