Today’s Preface: This article was written and published four
years ago. My thoughts are the same today. I believe it is time Liberia embraces
its non-negro de facto citizens, the Lebanese/non-Black community. It is way past time
for Liberians and Lebanese/non-Black Liberians to gather around a Round Table and discuss
issues pertaining to rebuilding Liberia, issues about national recovery. One
group likes Liberia and has the love, passion, capability to rebuild Liberia.
The other group likes Liberia and has the love, passion, capability, money, financial
strength to rebuild Liberia. Together, these lifelong partners can pull the
nation back to its feet. The non-negro descent criterion is not working productively
for Liberia. Our sustaining partners in the global community are non-negroes.
It is time for homegrown collaboration between Liberians and Liberian-Lebanese/non-Blacks to form a color-blind national partnership as the way forward. It is 2020. The time
to have this conversation is long overdue. Set race aside to race ahead. Let’s shift the way we think and think total involvement.
~Hortense D. Grimes
ANOTHER NON-NEGRO STORY
February 16, 2016
During my daily Africa briefings,
today’s Liberian Observer’s editorial entitled, “Liberians Need …Change…Make it
Happen” challenged my attention. The article starts off interestingly. The
article veers off to statements about matters for which I have long faulted my
birth country and still carry pent-up frustrations about. Here, I share some of
my thoughts.
The Liberia Observer is without
doubt the nation’s exemplary conduct of print journalism. In my
opinion, today’s February 1, 2016, editorial in the Liberian Observer reflects
some of what is wrong in our Liberia today. Liberia has an abundance of
brilliant academic minds. Liberia has a wealth of common sense and wisdom in
its elders and tribal leaders. Liberia has highly educated, talented, experienced,
exposed world-class legal experts. I am confident that laws can be drafted,
constructed and executed for a constitutional amendment that would allow
“Others of Non-Negro Descent” to become permanent residents and citizens of
Liberia. Regulations can be implemented to effect the change that would include
those “others of non-negro descent”. Particularly,
the many “Others of Non-Negro Descent” whose place of birth is the Republic of
Liberia. Such a constitutional change would propel gains and increase their
contributions to national development and affect national stability. It is not
a matter of fact to state that such a necessary and fundamental change, when properly
enacted, would leave Liberians poorer and landless. The assertion is not only
misleading, but incites shivers of violent fears into the mindset of a populace
consisting of an already too large illiterate majority. And it keeps the poor
ever poorer. It limits life changing resources to a small minority. Liberia
needs the people who have helped build the country, taken stores and small
developments into the hinterlands, gave out LPAs (Legal Power Attorneys-guarantors for unsecured personal loans payable through smaller salary monthly deductions) that have educated thousands and supported households,
bankrolled the lifestyles of many Liberian elites, and much more.
To say the least, the article making
reference to Presidents King, Tubman, Tolbert, Doe, Taylor, Sirleaf, and
somehow concluding that the Lebanese and foreign nationals are responsible for
Liberians being at the lower economic and social ladder in their own country is
contradictory, for starters. Dare I say, it is a faulty conclusion. Such
representations that could incite apprehensive behavior and stir up
revolutionary urges do not benefit Liberians. There are pros and cons to
every situation, including change of status quo. The influx of “negro-descent”
foreigners now overrunning Liberia is having no substantial benefit to the
country. Instead, many of these businesses are mismanaged, non-lucrative and
non-business entities. I dare to say, just as corrupt as any other corrupt
enterprise, including Liberian owned. Further, many of these “only
negro-descent” business owners often are hoarding their profits, and funneling
money back into their respective countries, which countries are usually much
poorer than Liberia.
The matter of granting residency
and citizenship to persons born in Liberia who are not of the Black race will
not disappear because of one-sentence fear invoking statements. The matter of
Lebanese, Indians and other non-Black foreign nationals who have lived their
entire lives in Liberia, others having lived, died and are buried in Liberia,
yet still considered misplaced homeless foreigners with no legal status or
protection is wrong. These matters will persist until what is morally wrong is
corrected. Not to mention, Liberia is a country which depends on foreign aid
for almost everything. Dare we forget the tremendous support the international
community of “non-negro-descent worldwide citizens” give this country during
our constant, always-desperate, long running destitute years.
There is nothing like an idea
whose time has come to be implemented. Nothing can stop time when it's that time. There is nothing more intense than a
change that needs to happen. Maligning the constructive partnering efforts of
Lebanese, Indians, and other Non-Black foreign nationals is wrong. Rejecting
Lebanese and other foreign nationals who have lived, worked, and supported the
Liberian economy for decades is not right. The premise that inhibits this is
fundamentally and morally flawed. Plain and simply wrong. Non-black foreign
nationals, including Lebanese, Indians, Europeans, who were born in Liberia,
and have lived solely in the country for 50, 70, 90 plus years, should have the
opportunity to call Liberia their home and live here with dignity and decency.
Many of these nationals, especially the Tubman era generation and younger, know
no other country but Liberia.
Most interesting to note, it is
an established fact that many of said Liberians who vehemently are against
consideration to amend the constitution and allow Lebanese and foreigners legal
status in Liberia, are the same exclusive group who consistently lease out
their lands, properties and buildings to the same Lebanese and non-Black nationals,
for extensive periods of 30-75 years per agreement. Remittances, often paid to
them in advance, huge annual sums at a time, are enjoyed exclusively by they
and their families. While these pocket full landlords/lessors yell out to the
surrounding poor, non-sophisticated, illiterate, non-lettered landowners, “…The
Lebanese people will take away all your land from your…!” Dare I ask, well
then, when you lease out your properties, how much of the proceeds do you spend
on developments that would benefit the poor masses? How much investment do you
make in the hinterland? What does your huge amounts of money received from your foreign national tenants contribute to the poor? How much of your remittances is spent helping the poor masses so
that they would enjoy a somewhat better life? How many businesses do you establish or help others establish, to afford poor people children an opportunity to have a somewhat better lease
on life? Of course, it is your money and you do not owe anyone an explanation of how you spend it. You do not have to share it with others, it's YOUR money. My point exactly.
What is prompting this outcry of
fear tactics? No nation thrives when fears and trepidation abound aimlessly. May
I repeat my resounding response to this debate.
Liberia has a wealth of common
sense and wisdom in its elders and tribal leaders. Liberia has highly educated,
talented, experienced, exposed world-class legal experts. I am confident that
laws can be drafted, constructed and executed for a constitutional amendment
that would allow “Others of Non-Negro Descent” to become permanent residents
and citizens of Liberia. Regulations can be implemented to effect the change
that would include those “others of non-negro descent”.
My purpose here is to open this
dialogue. I intend to start the conversation. I intend to stay with this
discussion. We, Liberians, are a well learned, well exposed, well connected,
intelligent, educated and sophisticated bunch. There is an ongoing brain drain
in Africa. Like most African countries, many Liberians have spent majority of
our productive years in exile from our homeland, Liberia. Liberians can handle
this debate better, than shutting off the valve out of fear and misinformation.
Let us invite differing viewpoints, rational ideas, arguments, but frank and
honest conclusions. Talk about the details. Responsibly. With truth and
honesty. No longer should any action or decision that affects members of
humankind be based solely on the color of a person’s skin. TO BE CONTINUED...
Hortense Duarma Grimes
Born: June 15, 1964, Firestone Hospital, Harbel, Liberia, West Africa
Raised and Nurtured: Careysburg, Montserrado County. Gbarnga, Bong
County. Harper City Cape Palmas, Maryland County. Bensonville/Bentol City,
Montserrado County. Somalia Drive Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia
Educated: Kindergarten, Gbarnga Bong County. Fatima Elementary School,
Maryland County. Ricks Institute, Virginia, Montserrado County. The University of
Liberia, Monrovia Liberia.
Citizen by birth: The Republic of Liberia
Citizen by naturalization: The United States of America
~HortenseInspiration
(DO IT FOR CHRIST)
Blessings and Peace,
Hortense Duarma
Grimes
Servant of the
Living God
Founder, Do It
For Christ Ministries
Creator,
HortenseInspiration Media
Dreambearer &
Dreamcarrier, Solace Africa
Socialize with us
on Internet platforms. Spend time at our Social Media Handlers
twitter: #HImotivat
Writings and literary
compilations on Hortense Grimes Inspiration Media BLOG are owned by Hortense D. Grimes. Copyright
© 2013-2020 Hortense Duarma Grimes. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced
in any form without written permission by the author
No comments:
Post a Comment