For many an African, there is a burning desire to live in America. There is a perception that indeed, America is the greatest country in the world.
We look at almost all areas of human endeavor, we see America in a position of leadership. Be it in the sciences, technology, arts or sheer physical exertion, America occupies either the top of the totem pole or quite near the top. All in all, America is a country that by and large, is the envy of the world.
Try as we may, not all Africans will ever have a chance to live in America. And even for some, a visit to this great land almost never affords the opportunity to see the internal dynamics of America to decipher what is responsible for its greatness.
However, for some of us, we have been privileged to be part of this society and some of us for decades. We consider ourselves Americans, by the privilege of being naturalized citizens. We also participate in the running of the country in one way or another. In other words, we individually consider ourselves as part of the engine that makes this engine move.
Nevertheless, we know that inside us, we are still Africans. We long for the day African countries will be as 'advanced' as America. For many, we may have lost the hope of coming back to live in Africa because we cannot leave the comfort of a smooth running society for where things just 'do not work'. We miss the accoutrements that our great continent offers: friends, family, the weather, the food, etc.
However, to personalize the song of the great Neil Diamond 'I am, I said', America is fine, but it ain't home; Africa is home but it ain't ours no more. We are now lost between two shores. What we do in some instances, is make blistering condemnations, sometimes justifiably, of those left at home, blaming them for our own malaise. But do we ever reason that these people just do not know how to do things right?
And there comes America to our rescue. We now have that great communications gear called the internet. This medium gives us the solace that we can live away from the continent and still be part of it. We know what is happening in as much as we care to know.
ALL I ASK: PLEASE EDUCATE US
Please take a few minutes of your time, reflect on what you have learned in America that makes it a great country; And, without any urge to criticize any African government, educate us.
We should be able to have some good materials coming from this exercise that our leaders can now use to educate themselves.
FAKINLEDE
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