“………….Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division, it is time for us to come together as one united people. ………..Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and rebuilding the American dream, – the strongest economy in the world.”- Donald J. Trump
Particularly, I endorsed Hillary Clinton, the former first lady of the United States of America (1993-2001), the Democrat candidate for the 2016 American Presidential Elections. I endorsed her because of the way she handled her questions during the debates. Unlike Donald Trump, Hillary tackled the questions at the root and seldomly uses the opportunity to hit at her opponent when the need arises. I ticked win for her because she is a Woman and I saw the need to which Women be given the opportunity to lead.
It is undisputed how civility has overtaken Americans and their knowledge in democracy deep rooted.-From the campaign to voting, counting, and to the conceding and victory messages. Talk less the much criticized racist and sexist’s binding and reconciliatory message. Everything happened in a flash and within 24 hours, there was a winner. I watched keenly and delightedly.
I understand most Africans from my race marked Hillary as a successor to Barrack Obama. Earlier on, Trump had made derogatory remarks about migration into America, his stance on racism and disables. He was considered sexist above all.
But, listening to Trump and his body language in his speech after the win, I sided with the Business-Politician elected highest man of the land for the first time. I saw the potential that he was truly going to unite and build America again. Truly, America will be stronger together and again. He said………..“Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division…….It is time for us to come together as one united people.” “……..Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and rebuilding the American dream, He remarked. He added he was gonna build the strongest economy in the world.
Really…..?
Build America? If America is to be built and made stronger again, what do we do to Ghana? -Ghana that is suffering from corruption and its cronies, Ghana that is proud and celebrating graduate unemployment, Ghana that the quality of Education has been cheaply bargained for access to it. Must we continue sharing monies around in the quest for power? Must we employ thugs to watch over ballots? Should people lose eye, tooth or other parts of their bodies because there is a divergent view?
Here, some of us use guns, machetes, stones to disapprove our opinions. Although not always, that is what we eat when election nears. Our Churches and Mosques preach the peace messages across the country. Dialogues do not work when it is anticipated that, there is a foul play or the people have been taken for granted or one party enrage the other. In few times we dialogue. Even that is possible not because we are bonded by law but because, we want to protect our families. Surprisingly, part of the violence is churned out by party leaders. When you disapprove someone with different party colour, you go home with loads of insult or a cut.
Here, politicians pay monies to electorates to be voted for. The higher you pay, the higher the chance of winning. The content of manifestoes no longer works. The people say, “It’s of no use since Politicians do not stick to their own documented manifestoes”. They demagogically parade our communities, mount platforms in their quest. Chiefs and celebrities have either been cajoled, voluntarily or duress to join the campaign. Others are influenced with money to endorse one party or the other.
Is this the democracy expected of us?
America was otherwise. No animal was hurt. We didn’t hear screams of children or women. We didn’t hear gun shots. Everything was peaceful and the populace retired to bed. They woke to hear and see a winner. Not long, the winner made his reconciliatory remarks which soothed many of us who disapproved him.
One key thing that ran through the Americans Elections and campaign that has eluded us here is the sense of PATRIOTISM. Our sense of togetherness and oneness disappears when we wear party colours. Ghana’s political parties invest in party paraphernalia for their supporters. The country is decorated with party colours instead. Whereas in the Americas, Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton’s campaign saw NATIONAL colours throughout.
The time is up for us to quit Misleading and Lead. Rename ourselves as Misleaders to Leaders.
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