A Letter to The Fighters For Liberty

Does being older make you right? Does being more experienced make you a better person? Yes, respect the elders, but does being an elder mean that you deserve the respect of all and sundry?

It sounds complicated, or simple depending on how you look at it, doesn’t it. My job as a young man has always been simple, respect those older than I am and the rest will fall into place. All I have had to worry about is that things would always end up as they should. Even when there was corruption, the belief has always been that the elders would do the right thing in the end. I have lived my life believing that the elders should be responsible for their actions. Even under the protection of my family I always believed that particular statement.

But oh well, we must come to terms with the fact that corruption is part of this world. From before our forefathers this stupid thing that we call corruption has been in the very veins of this earth.

But, I believe that he existence of the smallest things, such as knowledge have the power to change the future of the whole world in an instance. Even if the world looks stable, the world does change little by little under our feet. If an idea comes at the right time, it has the capability to change the world in a significant way.

The agreed thought train in most of the world is the need for change. Not all in the world adhere to a single doctrine, which they would wish to see become the dominant factor in the way things are done, but there is a single common sentiment in the wishes of the billions world over.

In order to break from the oppressive rule of those with corrupt fingers and minds, we must break from the tried and tested system that feeds the few and ignores the many. We must let go of all that was and try to find our own path…even if it is our own form of corruption because as the case is here in Uganda, the old have had their turn and now is the time for the young to take the bull by the horns.

That might be seen as a call to arms, but it is not. Just because you want something it does not give you the right to resort to terrorism. Regardless, of how righteous you think you are, you cannot just go around killing people. It is never right to take another life. You see there are those who are crying that there should be a War on Corruption, but I war ever justified? Is it ever right to take up arms and go against another full well knowing that the facts will never change regardless of the outcome of the war?

Some wars are best left unfought. They are best left in the minds of the people. Why? Because if a war like the one proposed on corruption does happen, then tell me won’t both sides turn it into a personal fight. The uncorrupt will hate the corrupt whereas the corrupt will hate the uncorrupt. In the end it will just be one full circle that ends up back in the same place.

Take it this way, what happens to those who are at the side, those who know almost nothing about what is going, and those whose every day war is to find something to eat? It is never fair when it comes to war.

War always begins out of good intentions motivated by the hope that they can save a country, a people and a future. Both sides have always wanted to give their families a better life. Although that is self-interest and self-idealism, what kind of world would it be if people were not allowed to live in such a way?

Yes there are people who can work for the greater good even at their own expense but those are the ones we should be most suspicious of. They might claim that they are fighting for every one and all of us who are affected by the horrors of this world including corruption, but they will still ensure that the families of the corrupt get dragged into the mud. The truth is whether they fool us or fool themselves they do not fight for us. They fight for their own selfish and corrupt ideals.

However to save humanity and the truth, we cannot always be righteous.

But if we are to go back to corruption. The answer in fighting this vice lies in finding a light for all of us to follow and nothing can live without light. It will give us hope where there is despair. It will make it possible to live in this cruel world ensuring that we do not turn into the corrupt monsters that are sitting in the large offices with smug smiles all over their faces. It can give people a shining promise that we can become better.

That light is found in each of us. Humanity alone is a reflection of God; the power to transcend the now. The god of Possibility. That is a romantic idea in most people’s eyes. Many would call that the sentiment of a nice person. Without a strong faith in humanity and the world one cannot think in such a way.

Some might find it foolish to put faith into something so intangible…a mere light. Furthermore, there are those who will say that ideas like this are not essential to life. To me who is a dreamer, those people are one of two things…either lucky or deluded.

However, in the end war is as inevitable as the summer rains. So when you go into battle, whatever battle that it might be, there is no room for regret. Do not worry about the lives that fall to the wayside. As long as it is for the common good then fight on because the masses will hold on for you.

If you question what it is you are doing, if you wonder what life holds for you in the fight against many things, always remember that there are people that you are responsible for and must be careful. If you seek corruption think about them and maybe you will find your strength and light to fight against the madness of corruption. You see the one thing that matters is the fact the way things are is just that.

No one is aspiring to change the fact that we are a corrupt population. No one is thinking about it. In the end you cannot blame the cogs in the machine that keep it running. No one can blame those in the system working to keep the status quo as is. But don’t we have pride?

We might be cogs in this machine called life, cogs that simply accept corruption as is and let it happen even on our very own door steps, but cogs have pride. This pride is in our hearts and you will always know what your duty is. Your heart has the answers and because of your heart it is easy for you to know what you must do. Do not let the world as it is make you forget your heart because it is the one place that fully belongs to you and it is your responsibility.