Cherishing America's Friendship

I am very, very happy that President George W Bush and his wife, Laura, along with Condi Rice are visiting Liberia. I know the people of Liberia are also happy to receive the President and his entourage.

In the 90s, the poor reception given the American soldiers by the Somali people in Mogadishu had a devastating effect on the people of Rwanda and the people of Liberia. President Clinton, who was President of the United States then, washed his hands off Africa as genocide took over Rwanda and a massive killing-spree over took Liberia. I also understand that during that same period, Jesse Jackson and Pat Robertson, both men of God, besides hugging Charles Taylor, were negotiating for diamond and gold mines in Liberia, a country at war.

The friendship between Liberia and America has been a bitter-sweet one. Most Liberians would blame America for Liberia's myriad problems. If Liberians were to look at our Constitution before 1980, they would notice that it was written word for word from the Constitution of the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance of both countries is almost identical. Look at the flags of both countries. Liberians somehow wanted to emulate everything American.

America was not the first country to recognize Liberia's Independence, but America has always been there for us. From my own perspective, America would love to do a lot more for Liberia, but our leaders over the years have let the country and people down. Like President Bush just said in Tanzania, America is tired of giving money to countries whose leaders are continuously bent on stealing and using the money for themselves. Liberia's past leaders loved America's Constitution and Flag and Pledge of Allegiance. However, these leaders of Liberia did nothing for their people and country with all of the money America gave.

For 133 years, Monrovia was Liberia. Everything was done in Monrovia: All of the money America gave us was spent in Monrovia and by just 5 % of the population. This small group of the population felt very good that 95% of the country's people were disenfranchised. Today, Liberia lacks Medical Doctors, Engineers, Nurses, etc., etc. Because the leaders of our country failed us by not investing in us, the country is now scrambling for what it did not invest in.
As George Bush comes to Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf needs to promise him that every cent given or promised Liberia will be used for the benefit of all Liberians in every part of the country. America is tired of giving money to countries whose leaders are just waiting to use that money for themselves and their families. Tell Mr Bush, Madam President, that the days are gone when Liberia was just Monrovia and that Liberia is moving in a direction where all its people are considered one people.

If Liberia keeps her promise to the American people, the United States of America will forever remain Liberia's best friend. If Liberia will stop paying lip service to the Flag and Pledge of allegiance and the Constitution of the United States and inculcate the good ideals of this great nation, Liberians will have no qualms whatsoever when it comes to America's friendship.