Liberian Literary Magazine
Mother’s Month,
Random Thoughts
By D. Othniel Forte
May is the month many
celebrate Mothers. This is
not to be confused with
March and the women’s
month. You see, mothers
are not just women. They
are women that have set
themselves apart. They
have gained a special
distinction. There are many
definitions out there for
mother[s]. We choose to
keep the simplest. They are
mothers.
The concept
embodies any and all forms
or definitions we could
ascribe to them. When we
say a mother, it means just
that and everything else.
So as we celebrate this
month, I will try not to be
hard; lay off the harsh
truth some [okay y’all know
that ain’t honest right? I
would more like tone down
and sugar coat it some].
No I am NOT talking about
the Harambe issue; I think
much has been said. There
are just somethings nothing
worth getting into.
WOMEN & RAPE!
Hard as it may be for
some to hear, someone has
to keep talking about rape.
This month I had hoped to
say very little other than to
thank mothers and bid
them a good time. But as
always, there is this one
thing that happens and it
ruins the best laid plans. Of
Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture
all the people in the world,
you’d
think
that
an
American judge – yes an
American judge- these guys
that use judicial activism
to hostage the whole
nation- would not think it is
fine to go easy on a nice
faced rapist. He’s a fine
looking young man; his whole
life is ahead of him but that’s
all the more reason the story
pisses people off. Dude could
get just about any chick he
wanted.
Yet for some reason, he
figured it was cool to take
an unconscious girl behind
a dumpster and rape her.
This I find hard to fathom.
He can afford an Ivy League
university but not a red
lighter? If there is any law
he should break, of the two,
I’d rather he took a working
girl who is paid for precisely
the services he wanted. Did
he ever hear about role play?
Instead, he takes advantage
of an innocent girl. It’s not
cool at all.
Yet, the judge sets about
to ‘feel’ for him and fear
for his safety but not the
victim’s? What did I miss? If
he is so fragile then he
should not be ruining
someone else’s life and
taking ‘twenty minutes’ of
it. Most false fame seekers
get only 15, he took five
more and every part of him
should get the chance to
experience what it feels like
to be violated. Nope, I share
no sympathy for him. Okay I
will just leave it there.
6
AU/HAITI
One has to love the
African Union [AU]. Okay,
honestly, I harbor little to
no love for that body.
Nothing is fancy about a
bunch of old men who
refuse to relinquish power;
nothing is cute about old
politicians and diplomats
who feel this is their
retirement package and
fiercely guide it; and sure
as hell, ain’t nothing
encouraging in in an Old
Boy’s club – that despite
being
in
policymaking
positions for two to three
decades still feel that they
have the solution to the
continent’s
problem.
Worse, they fault everyone
else but themselves. They
feel entitled for services
rendered and love boring
people with talks of how
many
treaties
they
negotiated, assisted and or
responsible for bringing to
their nations and the
region. They are cool
friends and can recall
stories
dating
back
decades. This is their ploy
to warn anyone just joining
up not to mess with the
way things are. The sad
part here is that they give
these token seats to
women and expect them to
do their rounds for the PR
and nothing more… okay
maybe a little more ever so
oft, if they can get their
way.
These people see nothing
wrong or their contribution