Showing posts with label Respect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Respect. Show all posts

Thursday, July 09, 2020

THE SYSTEMATIC ABUSE OF POWER IN COLONIAL AFRICA

Humans used as transport was another abuse of power in the colonial era, Africa

Humans used as transport was another abuse of power in the colonial era, in Africa


During the colonial era in Africa, the masters often received the respect accorded by Black people out of fear. Based on this misconception that Black people fear them, they abused their power horrifically and inhumanly without regret or remorse.


However, the myth that a Black man fears a white man is total nonsense. Europeans scrambled over Africa with sheer brutality and aggression, subduing Africans; therefore, they were too vulnerable and powerless to react. 


The same abuse and oppression of Black people exist today in many European countries and the United States of America. If not for the Black Lives Matter demonstration after George Floyd's death, there would still be statues commemorating key figures who committed horrible crimes against humanity during slavery and the colonial era.


The fathers of independence, such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Patrice Lumumba of Congo, had no fear of the British and Belgian governments. 


They gained independence for their countries, but because Britain and Belgium actually feared them, Nkrumah was removed from power in a coup masterminded by the CIA, and Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in a plot conceived by the Belgian government. 


In apartheid South Africa, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, and his colleagues had no fear of the minority apartheid leaders. Despite the force of brutality they unleashed, maiming and opening fire on protesting, defenseless South Africans, they murdered Steve Biko and put other ANC key members, including Nelson Mandela, behind bars for twenty-seven years because they feared them. 


When it comes to crime, there are many white criminals out there, as well as Black criminals, but the Black man is always given a second look because of the color of his skin. Just being Black makes you a suspect. In the United States of America, Black drivers are more often stopped and harassed than white motorists.


In Belgium, being Africans among white workers, all eyes were on us as suspects when sandwiches had been missing every time from the dining hall. The atmosphere becomes tense when, on the fifth day of the week, one of the workers finds his food stolen again.


This time, the management decides to do something about it. They secretly started their investigations, creating an undetected hideout, aiming to catch the person responsible for this theft red-handed.

 

The following week, about a quarter to noonday, a mysterious man emerged into the quiet dining hall, looking for a meal to steal. After tasting some meals, he found a delicious one, and he took it. As he tried to walk out, he was intercepted.

 

Colonial power in Africa took all that they wanted and destroyed the souls of Africans

Colonial power in Africa took all that they wanted and destroyed the souls of Africans

Shockingly, out of hundreds of workers at the company, the mysterious thief appeared to be one of our colleagues from Portugal. The sandwich thief was Portuguese, not African.


The need to respect all races

 

It is absolutely wrong to take the respect someone gives as a fear to treat him very badly. Many enjoy being racist; some people like to discriminate against Black people, calling them degrading names, but the question is, what do racists get from hate? Nothing is more significant than violence and the destruction of property.


Who lives forever, and what makes you think your color is better than someone else's when there is a big difference between the color white and real black? If white people's color is white like white paper, I think everyone who sees them will run to hide somewhere in fear.


Respect doesn’t mean fear; therefore, those who have that sick mentality should begin to dismantle it from their brains because racial problems have caused too much death and violence, and without respect for other races, there will never be peace on earth.


Sunday, February 03, 2019

CAN A MAN LOVE ONE WOMAN IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE?


Francisca Savage

Francisca Savage




Many experts and doctors claim that any man is polygamous by nature. This means that they absolutely cannot remain faithful to one woman but be tempted to love another woman or cheat on their wife because, as human beings, it’s really hard to resist temptation sometimes.


If that’s true, why are there marriages that have lasted from the very first day till death separates them? In fact, there are thousands of faithful men in their entire lives who loved only one woman.

January 1, 2018, marked 24 years of our wedding anniversary. On that day, I promised to go forward without looking back, prepared to face the rigors of marriage and settle as a responsible man.

Before then, finding or choosing the right woman to be my future partner was like a nightmare, taking into consideration the number of people getting a divorce every day after tying the knot.

It’s very common to see hundreds of couples at wedding ceremonies, particularly on Sundays, making vows and promises to love each other and bringing an entire room to tears. 

After the wedding or traditional marriage, they start a big celebration together with family and friends, and the couple is full of hopes and dreams, but like the fading sun, many marriages fail to last.

Marriages are now characterized by many problems, to the extent that many fear marrying. As a matter of fact, marriage is a journey not only full of happiness but also pain, tragedies, misery, sadness, and uncertainty.

Even though there are hundreds of articles online and books on how to be a successful couple to enjoy a happy marriage, many marriages still end up in separation or divorce.

The question is: Why do some marriages last forever and others disintegrate? There are many reasons leading to the break-up of marriages, but most reasons are not spending enough time together with your partner, cheating, allowing bitterness and resentment to overrule the heart, being hard to forgive, and financial issues.

Making vows is very easy, but the results of some bitter separations and divorces could be disastrous. Some breakups of marriages have led partners to mental institutions, and others, after a long time, still find it difficult to come to terms with what had happened to them.

If children are involved, some are badly affected depending on how old they are.  Unfortunately, many couples do not recognize the Holy Bible as one of the best books that could guide marriage to success and happiness.

Gen 49:4, Mal 2:14, Matt 23:30, Deut 24:5, Mark 12:23, etc., all speak about marriages. When I got married on January 1, 1994, I realized that wealth doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage, but faithfulness, respect, fulfilling your commitments, and equally sharing responsibilities do.

I have enjoyed a happy marriage for over two decades, knowing that there is more happiness ahead of me, because I have a good wife who loves and respects me, while I give back the same love and respect to her.

On many occasions when my wife is busy at work and at home, I usually ask her what she would like me to cook. By the time she returns, the food is ready for her and the children.

Mr. and Mrs. Francisca / Joel Savage

Mr. and Mrs. Francisca / Joel Savage


Taking such responsibilities strengthens marriage. I have heard many times men saying, “I’m not stupid enough to let my woman know how much I earn.” That’s a very big mistake; one of the strongest foundations of marriage is transparency.

When you are a married man, don’t hide anything from your wife. Your wife is the one who can manage your finances very well if there is trust and mutual understanding.

Many times, I forget that I have even given her money to keep for me until she reminds me. ‘A woman is like a beautiful flower in the middle of the garden, and the man is the fence around her.’ That’s a Ghanaian proverb, I think so.

Be ready to say to your wife, “I am sorry,” any time you make a mistake. If you find it hard to apologize to your wife, there will always be a misunderstanding.

Give your wife the respect, love, and protection she needs, and surely you will also be a happy man. We are blessed with three sons, and from every angle, I can't see what is strong enough to separate us from death.