While a large section of the country is mourning the passing of Senator Geraldine Doe Sheriff in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, 9 February 2019, it was shocking to see some others spewing out hatred and deep-seated malice towards the dead, sitting lawmakers and the government as a whole on social media.
One would have thought this period would be a time to identify with the bereaved family and show respect to the dead. A time for personal and national reflection on how transient life is and the need to be one’s brothers and sisters’ keeper.
No, to the contrary, some insensitive compatriots of ours chose to use this time to disrespect the dead and trample on the already hurt feelings and broken souls of the families that lost their loved one.
Who would imagin someone saying “lawmakers take pleasure in their bodies being flown from abroad”, as though the dead knows where he or she is? There are many more repugnant comments that are not worth dignifying.
Be that as it may, what these loafing comments have been able to bring to the fore is how deep seated the level of hatred in our society is, and how wide the divide between us as a people and nation also is.
The least we can glean from this poisonous and toxic atmosphere in the country is the lack of oneness and cohesion as a people. The country is not only polarized but extremely divided. Therefore, it underscores the need for national reconciliation to be brought to the top of the national agenda.
For people to trample on the dead and on the hurt of a bereaved family in their darkest moment speaks volumes about how we, as Liberians, feel towards each other. Jealousy and envy fill the air.
If there is nothing that comes out of the late Senator’s death, at least, it has accentuated the urgency for everyone to start working towards national reconciliation. The sooner we prioritize reconciliation, the better it is for the country. Any failure to reconcile the nation would eventually lead to consequences that may render any development project and initiative an effort in futility. The nation must act Now. Time is not on our side.