On being an activist for change

Grace Abaho Sr is a budding Ugandan writer with a bachelor’s degree in Procurement and  Logistics Management from Uganda Christian University. I love God. I Love People. I write about the Present day Challenges ranging from Family Life, Religion, Politics, Law and all there is to the Post modern and Contemporary Society. I am resolute in my belief that the highest calling of leadership is to unlock the Potential in others. I do not have any published work yet but hope to publish some of my manuscripts as long as I have Life. I welcome thoughts to my work; both the Critics and lovers of my work: and support if there is anything you can do to up my calling, bless ya, let’s roll.

I have maintained one rhetoric and I will still say the same rhetoric: “Defy the Flat-lies ” .If anyone thinks you should not challenge their deceptions and hypocritical villainy, that person is dangerous. George Orwell’s novel, 1984, explicitly extrapolates that technique of Logic against Logic that he calls “Double think”; he calls us to wake up to reality. With one of the Characters, Winston, George Orwell writes: “until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they will become conscious”. Our leaders have often repudiated reason and slid lowly to double think; this is what I am up against, we have to gird our loins and challenge the status quo: we can’t be forever beholden to the highest bidder. 

George Orwell, on Pg.270 (363) of 1984 writes: “Double think means the power of holding two contradicting beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. The party intellect knows which direction his memories must be altered; he therefore knows that he is playing tricks with reality; but by the exercise of Double think he also satisfies himself that reality is not violated. The Process has to be conscious, or it would not be carried out with Precision, but also has to be unconscious or it would bring a feeling of falsity and hence of guilt. Double think lies at the heart of the ingsoc, since the essential act of the party is to use conscious deception while retaining firmness of purpose it goes with complete honesty. To tell the deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient”

A great author, William Blakes, in the book: “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell ”, writes: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as is”. It’s been while now when I started writing expletives on social media for Change in the realm of Politics: FREEDOM & JUSTICE. The phenomenal poet and human rights activist Maya Angelou once remarked: “If you don’t like something, change it, if you can’t change it; change your attitude”. Of course some of the things talked about are sort of  personal and I have done this with hope that the people who read what I write may see the dire need for Change not just some show of how great a writer I am. That's why I always maintain room for rebuttal—as means to level ground for the dissenters. I believe in diversity and would rather have someone openly challenge my thought-perspective than cuddle me just to keep a straight face. I really appreciate it, if after a disagreement; you walk to me and sit me down to a one-on-one talk: feedback is love, often misunderstood as begrudging the other person’s success.

In this gruelling endeavour to live to the true meaning of the creed: “FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY”, I can’t promise to be fantastically in love with any Political leader. The Museveni government has turned me into a fair-weather supporter; I can support you so much but when you put self above the service of others, I ditch you on the side of the road and try someone else. Along this line, I hope to engage in various counter-arguments with the Perpetuators of the loose element of Cultural Hegemony in Society. For the most part, when I ferociously forfeit someone, I don’t crouch back to reach their nearest vicinity: because they are very terrible and dangerous people; the phony, craven infuriating hypocrites. The word in the book of Proverbs 22:1 leaves for humanity a nice piece of advice: “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches; loving favor rather  silver and gold” .

As I have often said; those crooks and liars  scar the psyche—“they are the kind of people who stab your back and ask you if you want a pillow while you wait for the paramedics.” .The word of the scripture in the gospel of Mathew 7:18 is crystal clear: “A good tree can’t bear good fruit and; a bad tree can’t bear good fruit”. If you still want to stand out there and cheer such kind of people, you are woefully ignorant or the real agent of darkness we have so far.I hate to see that Morality has gone into recess and the most heart-wrenching issues are now treated as sound- bytes. At this point, I applaud everyone who has been at the fore-front of this journey against the odds, you are Champions and I celebrate all of you in equal measure. We can’t afford to back down on this revolution, especially now; the long walk to Freedom is ours to finish: ours is a life fill of hope.

The word government must be taken very seriously and recognised for what it is: the organisation of men and women in a given community for survival. One of the great thinkers Thomas Hobbes spent a great deal of time arguing the massively simple point that if one doesn’t survive, there is no knowing whether one has made a great choice. Aristotle once remarked: “God is the only possible being who doesn’t need to consult, having no fellows; God is the only possible being whose command is identical to Law and Justice”. Today, our nation, very devoid of Justice continues to present Museveni as a god (harassing the dissenters and killing every opportunity for conciliation).It beats my understanding how someone who has lied again and again—forfeiting the shreds of credibility; keeps insisting that he is the only bull in the kraal. But: however much harassed, keeps growing stronger and stronger each day.

There is no need then to deny that the elements of Politics can exist in tyrannical and other regimes—rather on the contrary. Sophocoles makes a point in the Antigone:

Creon: then she is not breaking the law

Haemon: Your fellow citizens would deny it to a man

Creon: Ah.who is that talking like a boy now?

Creon: Can any voice but mine give orders in this Polis?

Haemon: It’s no Polis if it takes orders from the one Voice

Creon: But Custom gives possession to the ruler

Haemon: You’d rule a desert beautifully alone

There are people who operate on the fringes of society unburdened by the confines of morality and conscience. A ruthless breed whose deadliest weapon is their ability to hide in plain sight. If the Ugandan electorate doesn’t wake up to this reality; then we will not win: a futile flag waves at us. In a race between danger and indecision—the difference between life and death comes down to confidence, faith in our abilities, certainly in ourselves and the trust we put in others. Some say loyalty inspires boundless hope. And while at it that maybe; there is a catch. True loyalty takes years to build but only seconds to break. 

People are fond of saying that you can’t un-ring a bell. And while that may be true you can smother its ring under the dull roar of conjecture and lies but some words ring out like church bells; rising out of the din and calling us to the truth. Some words are immortal, long burned; they are destined to be reborn rising like a phoenix from the ashes. And when they do; it can literally take your breath away. The greatest hope of Politics is thus arises from a recognition of restraints. The character of this recognition maybe moral, but more often it is simply prudential, a recognition the power of social groups and interests, a product of being unable without and risks than one can stomach, to rule alone.

The caged bird sings

The free expression of Hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest safety in a sane society-Emma Goodman.

Boycotting work is not automatically a place of the last avenue for the long-sought solution but; it isn’t a place of blind optimism, as well.  Maya Angelou in her book series; I know why the caged bird sings says: “a caged bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song” .I don’t want to paint a broad brush but the overwhelming majority that identify with Dr. Besigye’s message are the disfranchised Ugandans. The very comfortable in the comfortable zones; temporary comfort zones, will never see that as meaningful. Yes, the flip-side is a tough place but it is a place of hope. The bible in the book of Galatians 6:2 says: “bear one another’s burden”.

The truth bomb is that even if Dr. Besigye is under house arrest for a year or more, he can’t sleep hungry. Same as if Mr. Museveni were the one in the same CAGE. At this point, I want to say that it’s totally Un-Ugandan to hate on the neighbour just because they are pro-Museveni or anti Museveni. It is picking steam and it has to stop, or else we risk human decency and everything worth celebrating. The word in the book of Ephesians 4:6: “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold”. 

I have said it before: “I call upon everyone who thinks that Mr. Museveni has done nothing for Uganda should take a vow of ignorance; same as the one who says he is the only one who can take this country forward”. I do not want to mince words, that’s the same message I am leaving here.Put yourself in the other Person’s shoes and try to be at peace, rather than having a fortress of mentality of always sticking up for your own opinion. The word of Scripture says it more accurately in Proverbs 12:15: “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel”.

Of all the weapons we take to battle, the most powerful one is the mind; albeit, there is no guarantee that it will not choose itself as next victim. A revolution begins when the desires of many are addressed by one; its ripple of change that starts when the first stone is cast at those in Power and only ends when one side becomes defeated or two sides become one. The gospel of Luke says it perfectly, Luke 15:11: “And then he said, a certain man had two sons…

Vs.15:9: “I am not worthy to be called your son, make me some of your hired servants”

I have always told you, folks that Leadership isn’t about us: Leadership is about serving the people of God in the same way Jesus instructed us. The problem we have today is someone trying to play a god-send. I have also said repeatedly, that it’s time for the Joshua generation to take on the Leadership of this great nation. In the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 6, to say this rather emphatically, “Moses tells the children of Israel that they are about to enter the ‘land of milk and honey’—but then adds the clincher: “when you have eaten and full-then beware, lest you forget the LORD”.

I have grown very conscious of this African Proverb: ‘If you go blind because of your enemies; you will not have the eyes to see your friends”. Those who are not aware of the what exactly happened years ago, between Mr.Museveni and Dr.Besigye, that made him breakout from the mold of conformism .The reasons are very clear here.If you have been following the warning that Moses gave to the Israelites and the story I told you about the Israelites under the heading cultural hegemony, you can judge for yourselves. As C. S. Lewis once in the Great Divorce: “If we insist on keeping Hell; we shall not be able to retain even the smallest or most souvenirs of hell”. This is entirely your call; call the shots.

Victor Hugo says to each one of us: “Have courage for the great sorrows of Life and Patience for the small ones; and when you laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in Peace. God is awake”. I do not write this to you as an authority figure but as one citizen who strongly believes that all avenues of truth no matter how dimly discernible should explored. I have said this before and I will emphatically say it again. 

I want to call upon all the authority figures to try as much as they can to do this for me; US. About Dr.Besigye’s supporters: they want someone to protect them and their way of life (a life very miserable and way-different from that of the privileged few).vilifying them will not change their minds. Listening and expressing empathy is the only path to light .Of course, doing this requires that we face our own fears first. This is the greatest challenge we as individuals   face through the evolution and awakening of our collective human consciousness. This way, we all win, Peace and security wins: “One Uganda, One People”. 

Where I overstate the truth, bear with me and forgive me.And, where I am short of the truth, I pray the LORD shines a light in those places. Love and Light, Grace Abaho Sr , P10 AUTHOR