People think writers are angels. People think writers never mistake. People think writers never offend. They think writers never become emotional. Well, every human being makes mistakes as the saying goes “mistakes belong to the hands that work”. But the best way to deal with mistakes is to admit them and work on how to become mistake-free next time.
Every expression one makes is an offense against another. For instance, I’m a soldier armed with a pen and paper to fight for change, every expression I make goes against someone who has failed to bring the change I’m fighting for. And every expression someone who has failed to bring change makes goes against me. The offense becomes bidirectional.
As active as someone fighting for change, I express myself 6 times a week. Sometimes, I’m ignored, sometimes I’m responded to, sometimes, aggressively and other times, politely, though to a lesser extent. As I express myself 6 times a week, I offend so many people, not intentionally, but as a way of sparking the change, I’m yearning for.
In the quest for change, one must be radical. One must offend a number of people to stimulate them into accepting change. For instance, the population of South Sudan is 13 million according to the 2008’s census. You must offend 10 million South Sudanese and for the remaining ones, 1 million will be neutral, another million will rally behind you and the other million will be confused, about whether to join you, join those against you, or unite and trigger another version of change.
With these ten million people you have offended, they will never change the perception that you are a bad person. They will keep it for life and that is the nature of change. I’m a human being, I need change. I need the welfare of my fellows. I need to see my people being fed. I need to see a fellow traveling from Aweil to Juba with ease and without road ambush.
I need to see a fellow from Equatoria traveling to Eastern and Western parts of Equatoria without an ambush on the road. I need to see an end being put to the abduction of children between Jonglei State and Pibor Administrative Area. I need to see the status of Abyei Administrative Area being finalized. I need to see an encroachment on the borders being addressed.
I need to see the mistake of appointing wild animals to serve the domestic ones being corrected. I need to see corruption and tribalism being buried a hundred meters deep. I need to see war being made not an option at all. And finally, I need to see democracy being exercised to the fullest so that the citizens elect whoever they think is the real Joshua to take South Sudan to the promised land.
I become emotional every time I take a pen and paper to write about the situation South Sudanese are in. A neighbor is as hungry as another neighbor, with nowhere to go for a living and there is no hope for tomorrow.
Hunger has put South Sudanese in two long brackets and is seen holding a hummer, wanting to hit the heads of those escaping. The fact that I’m an opinion writer can’t deny me from fighting for what I see as mine. I’m a human being, just like any other South Sudanese.
The author is a medical student, University of Juba.