Dear all:
Three members on this list provide the best in terms of service, far more than I can ever do:
Farooq on sensitivity to words, language, and governance. We cannot thank him enough. I cherish reading all his post and I actually send many of them to my students. I once challenged him in a private message to discuss how we can move forward as a nation as he has fresh ideas which break conventional boundaries and he is not a respecter of traditions that don’t work.
Funmi on expanding our reading and creative horizons. We cannot thank her enough. I don’t know her, and I was touched as to how she reacted when she lost a friend and a relation, the professor killed by his driver.
Yona on resources to transform the continent. We are grateful.
The recent discussion on “outright” and “outrightly”, to me, contains outright distractions which may be outrightly unnecessary. Stop.
Let us celebrate greatness when we see one: these three talented people are doing this generation a lot of service. Farooq is not driving down his ideas down anyone’s throat, just as prophets of change don’t accompany their words with AK47; Funmi is not calling anyone an illiterate for not reading her weekly recommended texts; and Yona is not asking anyone to use the resources.
Stay blessed, we all. I use “we all” in a deliberate version. Language is located in context and tradition: what is after 6 is more than 7. Someone sees 7, but others can see 13! If you see 13, do not think the one who sees 7 is wrong.
TF
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
104 Inner Campus Drive
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
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