A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE

Hi folks. Please allow me a moment of your time to clarify some misunderstanding. It has been interesting the last few days trying to respond to the various reactions to my writings. I apologize to those I did not get to but if you share my view, then there is really no urgency to respond to you, hence I have given those with contrasting or alternative opinions a little more attention. There are also some who have postulated that my tone is changing when I complimented the President-elect on her credentials and her first act of appointing a transition team. No, my tone is not changing. I am still advocating the prosecution of those who hold the greater responsibility for all the lives we lost and the crimes committed against the Liberian people. I am not an angry, bitter, or marginalized Liberian. I am not a malcontent or one who will agitate simply for agitation sake or to be against the dominant institution or powers that be. My position typically stems from my sense of right and wrong and the passion I have for my country. I am not an Ellen critic or a government critic. I am simply one who believes that those who hold the public confidence and represent the interest of the people should do the “right” thing.
For example what is there not to applaud about Ellen’s immediate response to the public outcry about “tainted characters” being on the transition team by removing Paul Mulbah from the team. (http://allafrica.com/stories/200512060446.html) Even if the team had been published timely, just the act of recognizing the truth in the public criticism of specific members and acting accordingly is in the best interest of the country. This rapid response however should not set the expectation that the president-elect will waver on every appointment or decision when there is public outcry because I (and hopefully others) expect her (and her team) to be thorough in their due diligence, able to validate appointments/decisions, and have the information/data to support and articulate why certain decisions were made prior to disseminating information or announcements for public consumption.
More importantly, I am concerned about the potential that members of her inner circle/advisory team formed the “transition team” and the published list did not have her final stamp of approval prior to release. If this is the case, then there may be some loose canon(s) that Ellen will have to rein in and control if she expects her “first word to go to court.” Additionally, there are others on the team that need a second look and I hope the Iron lady will continue to revisit the list (and her future cadre of government appointees) until it meets her standard of excluding those who have known human rights violations, corrupt public service records, and histories of incompetence.
Clearly, this administration will be under intense public scrutiny from all sectors of local, diaspora, and international society for a myriad of reasons, some justified and some unjustified. If they expect to gain the trust and confidence of these special interest groups, then gaffs like premature announcements, non-exhaustive vetting, and reversals on major decisions cannot be the order of the day. We look forward to a revised list that will be more indicative of the philosophy of the president elect: no human rights violation, no corruption, inclusion, good governance, highly qualified, and balanced (ethnic and generational). In her own words, we should “…look at every political party, ethnic group and religion, and find people who meet our requirements of competence and honesty.” (http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1134752,00.html)