USA Africa Dialogue Series - On civility and all that good stuff: Man up, people!

People should man up about stuff. Is it now that we are suddenly waking up to the fact that sometimes people use strong language to project their views around here? Why is the "intervention" selective? The truth of the matter is that there are a tiny minority on this forum that celebrate orthodoxy in thinking. When you show up with a different view they come at you with all they've got including their on-line diplomas and start to maul you. No language is too harsh, no sentence too patronizing or condescending to characterize your position. They have all the answers; woe betide you if you dare question them.

Are we just now finding out that Ochonu does not suffer fools gladly especially when they are being fools? Why should you choose the point of intervention when clearly the stream of abuse has a root? How many of us are active participants here anyway? Would it not be more fun to simply sit back and enjoy the show while the Ochonus, the Ikhides, the Adepojus, the Alukos, the Adesanmis, etc etc stick their intellectual necks out on the butcher's block? I mean even Tony Agbali the number 1 abuser of people and the English language is suddenly a priest of civility and decorum. That people are highly amused by your atrocious grammar does not make you any less an abuser.

The hypocrisy is galling. For many weeks I stood here along with Ochonu, here in this pantheon of world class historians, arguing against a serial abuser who claimed that there was no slavery in Africa until the white man came along (!!!) And the people kept quiet at such an eggregious distortion of history. Finally someone sheepishly muttered that "eh perhaps he shouldn't have said it like that!" Na wa! I mean we have people who have profited mightily from being hustlers and pimps of a certain ideology that is rooted in perverse fantasy. You are not going to shake them up with namby pamby mealy-mouthed platitudes. The same character swore here that there are no homosexuals in Africa, and mused loudly about what should happen to them should they be caught... No one said anything. There were also people here calling us bad belle Pull Him Downs (phds) for calling "Chief, Dr. Professor" Philip Emeagwali on his delusionary lies. Disgraceful is all I can say.

People should just man up like Ikhide. You will never hear me whining about stuff. I give back EXACTLY what I get. Sometimes one should grab a bully by the shirt and slam him or her against the wall of ignorance and bigotry. I salute Mose Ebe Ochonu. He and I don't see eye-to-eye on several issues but I will go to war with him any time. And we will win each time! Haba, if I had a thin skin, with all the horrible names that I have been called around here I would be mute. Those who wish to be civil should first model civility! Happy Xmas jare! I love you all, despite your yeye selves ;-)

Abo mi re O! O'dua!

- Ikhide
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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