TOO FREE TO BE FREE

Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.
Those who think themselves the masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

We will talk freedom, walk freedom, proclaim freedom, strive and even kill for freedom should it come to that. But romanticizing with the idea of freedom is one thing, being indeed free is quite another ball game entirely.

Our western friends never cease to bemuse me. First they explored the world to make slaves of fellow men. To me there is no greater prove to depravity than this.

Accepting the facts of man’s equality was though a concept to concede. Years and great sacrifices after, the black man is considered human and equal at least.

With so much freedom and no one to exercise it upon, they’ve found new ways of expressing their freedom. Truth is; when freedom lacks boundaries, even slavery becomes a preferred option.

However, legislating on how citizens can dress of not dress is a direct product of idleness. I will never recommend jail terms for homos; it’s as silly and as thoughtless as legislating on adultery! Total crap! Rather I think the act is so low and condescending in itself to be enough punishment.

Around here, the freedom of choice is usually exercised in our ‘copy catting’. An American artiste dances nude one day, Nigerian artistes are dying to beat her to it by next day. Americans experiment with ‘gayism’ on day one, Nigerians are dying to make like it’s their cultural inheritance since the time of their ancestor by day two. It a choice to take back seat and copy catism.

Perhaps the worst part of this is that unlike human slavery, this type is very subtle. While we fought human slavery with the proclamation of Human Rights, with that very proclamation we enforce this new form of slavery – no one dare infringes on our freedoms: of choice, association and expression. In the end man becomes too free to be free.

Man is born free, but he is kept free by understanding the limits of his freedom. Man is born free, but he is kept free by respecting human institutions and moral instructions.

Man is free, and his freedom is his, so much so that he can decide to go back to chains – self inflicted, mental, moral and intellectual chains. The freedom of choice is his.

One thinks he is too free to mind the boundaries, but there is no greater salve than he. Too free to be free! There is no greater form of slavery where you are at once the slave and the slave master. Well, on the flip side, the beauty is also in the fact that when you are ready to be free, the choice lies yet with you.

Keep Struggling, Don't Stop!

Nobody is interested in your struggle, your story only makes sense after you have hit the success line so quite ranting, keep working, struggling if you will. Be successful then tell us your story- #TheotosinSpeaks 

Retrospectively Visionary

February is the black history month. I don’t mean that is what God made it. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month. This is the legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he acquired an education by sheer determination and a Ph.D. from Harvard. It was the same determination and his visionary prowess that made the black history month a legacy we celebrate today. Starting out as a Journal of Negro History in 1916, grew into the Negro history week in 1926 as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history.
Woodson chose the month of February for Negro History week for its significance in black American history because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.  Notable black civil rights such as W. E. B. DuBois, [NAACP co-founder] was born February. On February 3, 1870 the15th Amendment was passed, granting blacks the right to vote. The first black U.S. senator, Hiram R. Revels took his oath of office Feb 25, 1870. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded Feb 12, 1909. And on Feb 21, 1965: Malcolm X,  would be shot to death by three Black Muslims.
I believe it is not only important to celebrate the black history in terms of African Americans but we need to take time yearly to cast our eyes off the whole western gig and take a look at where we are coming from as a race and a continent with a history blighted by slavery, apartheid, colonialism [remember the scramble for Africa?] The human race learnt how not to treat a human and how not to be human at a great price; a very great price a price called Africa.
It behooves us to remember where we are coming from and how far and long it has take us to reach where we are while we assess ourselves based on where we’d rather be. We need to be retrospectively visionary.
In the few days left of this month take some time to google African history, check up some notable times and events that shaped African history and some great minds that have done us proud in time past. We are not just Africans, we are Africa and don’t forget, a stream that forgets its source is soon dried up. A people without a grasp of their past will continually be at a loss as to who they are, and will be easy prey for the influence of those who do.
Do a great week and remember that Africa cannot be great until you are great. Awaiting your greatness. Great week ahead.

Posted via Blogaway

Retrospectively Visionary

February is the black history month. I don’t mean that is what God made it. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month. This is the legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he acquired an education by sheer determination and a Ph.D. from Harvard. It was the same determination and his visionary prowess that made the black history month a legacy we celebrate today. Starting out as a Journal of Negro History in 1916, grew into the Negro history week in 1926 as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history.
Woodson chose the month of February for Negro History week for its significance in black American history because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.  Notable black civil rights such as W. E. B. DuBois, [NAACP co-founder] was born February. On February 3, 1870 the15th Amendment was passed, granting blacks the right to vote. The first black U.S. senator, Hiram R. Revels took his oath of office Feb 25, 1870. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded Feb 12, 1909. And on Feb 21, 1965: Malcolm X,  would be shot to death by three Black Muslims.
I believe it is not only important to celebrate the black history in terms of African Americans but we need to take time yearly to cast our eyes off the whole western gig and take a look at where we are coming from as a race and a continent with a history blighted by slavery, apartheid, colonialism [remember the scramble for Africa?] The human race learnt how not to treat a human and how not to be human at a great price; a very great price a price called Africa.
It behooves us to remember where we are coming from and how far and long it has take us to reach where we are while we assess ourselves based on where we’d rather be. We need to be retrospectively visionary.
In the few days left of this month take some time to google African history, check up some notable times and events that shaped African history and some great minds that have done us proud in time past. We are not just Africans, we are Africa and don’t forget, a stream that forgets its source is soon dried up. A people without a grasp of their past will continually be at a loss as to who they are, and will be easy prey for the influence of those who do.
Do a great week and remember that Africa cannot be great until you are great. Awaiting your greatness. Great week ahead.

Posted via Blogaway