Dear Bishop Bennie D. Warner,
As stated in our first and second letters addressed to you, we, a group of concerned citizens of the Republic of Liberia, having heard and read about your displeasure and disappointment over the fact that Liberians rewarded with political leadership those who caused their suffering and death and the destruction of our country, write to comment on your observation and thoughts.

As you will recall, we indicated that we do understand your point – that is, your frustration – because when a group of people thinking and believing that those who selflessly work for the sustenance of humanity or society should be welcome and commended and those seeking to increase the suffering of a people should be rejected and reprimanded see the latter hailed as heroes and liberators, it defies logic, bemuses the people and frustrates them. So, we do understand your anger and frustration, Bishop.

In another remark, you said: “It really beats my imagination for Liberians, who are witnesses to (and victims of, too) heinous crimes carried out by some of our kinsmen within the 30 years period of bitterness and brutal destruction of our God-given land to see them in authority due to the high marks of votes scored during the electioneering is terrifying, and it also brings to mind the attitude of the kind of Liberians we have.”

Bishop, we do understand your frustration and apparent anger. It’s hard for many people, not just your one. Seeing Liberians happily voting for people who caused their suffering is something that a lot of people cannot stomach.

We Liberians seem to be a strange group of people. We seem to favor individuals and groups that ill-treat us, individuals that devise plans and games to subject us to suffering and death. We seem to be happy with individuals who increase our hardship. We petition them. We organize honoring programs for them. We campaign for them vigorously. We vote for them. We readily do this and do that for them.

Individuals who come close to the Liberian people with their lips but whose hearts are far away on another planet are the people we are happy to carry shoulder-high. They are the people that we are willing and ready to defend, no matter what. Isn’t it frustratingly painful and disappointing?

Frankly, Bishop, it is hard to reflect on what happened in Sierra Leone and not become disappointed when compared with the Liberian situation. So, we do understand your frustration.

It is difficult to consider the Rwandan experience and not get frustrated when compared with what transpired in the land called Liberia. We must admit, Bishop. We do understand your disappointment.
We are the group of people called Liberian. We go gay for individuals who have no respect for justice or the rule of law. We not only happily vote for people who say that the TRC Report is a “shit” and should be thrown in the commode; we also gladly hail as heroes and liberators those who privately and publicly boast that as long as they are alive, the recommendations emanating from the TRC will never be honored or implemented. 

It may even shock you to hear – if you haven’t already heard it – that during the 1997 elections, when Mr. David Park of the United States Embassy was saying “There are more good people than bad people in Liberia. There are a lot more good people in Liberian than bad people, and it’s time for the good people to win,” thousands of Liberians got in the street and famously sang: “If you killed my pa and killed my ma, I will still vote for you.” 

To be continued…
Yours very sincerely,
The Citizens