Ayinde
Honour

So true. And, this is something that keeps happenning. We see it in various activities and so, it has to be that there is some sort of malfunction in the collective consciousness of Africans. I will never forget an insight I had after something I read by an american author. This was back in the 90's and unfortunately, I do not recall his name. He said that when the Rastafarian movement first manifested, the oligarchies that ran the caribbean were very frightened, they thought thier worst nightmares were coming true; all that talk about Marcus Garvey, One Black Heart One Black Love, Justice, etc. They were scared and at a loss at how to deal with this phenomenon. Then, as time went on, they found that by focusing on the exteriors, they could cause some Rastas to concentrate on/defend the exteriors and by so doing, lose focus. So, they attacked ganja and locks. Rastafari, this author said, were just disorderly children after all. Nothing to be worried about.

I am posting the extract below not as a way of validating his insult, but as something to look at. Like the saying goes, 'even the broken clock is right two times everyday.'

Today, Africans are LIKE children, we are as defenceless and as lacking in a corporate personality. We may have been the first on Earth, but, this incarnation of Africans generally lacks something vital. There is a saying in Yoruba which when translated means 'when a child sees honey, it throws away the bean cake'. Which is a way of saying (among other things)that a child will throw away the more solid for the more enticing. A child is easily distracted.

It is probably true that the above applies equally to the general population across all nations of the earth. But that is no excuse, our first concern should always be ourselves and saying that because certain symptoms of a disorder are 'universally' applicable is no reason for us to wallow in that disorder. Especially not when this is a disorder that does not prevent others from exploiting us and developing thier own communities.

EXTRACT:

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
According to the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.) (American Psychiatric Association, 1987), to be diagnosed as having ADHD a child must display, for 6 months or more, at least eight of the following characteristics prior to the age of 7:

. Fidgets, squirms or seems restless.

. Has difficulty remaining seated.

. Is easily distracted.

. Has difficulty awaiting turn.

. Blurts out answers.

. Has difficulty following instructions.

. Has difficulty sustaining attention.

. Shifts from one uncompleted task to another.

. Has difficulty playing quietly.

. Talks excessively.

. Interrupts or intrudes on others.

. Does not seem to listen.

. Often loses things necessary for tasks.

. Frequently engages in dangerous actions. "