The Naughty Step

I've recently read a blog post about being against LGBT from a Nigerian man's viewpoint, Adeyinka Adekanye. It's inspired this post and has make me realise there's more to the AGAINST viewpoint than what is being shown. Although I am FOR Gay Rights and believe they should receive every entitlement anyone else does, he made some extremely good points more about the history and politics that it involved for their country and their people which made me look at the situation quite differently.

A point that stuck with me most from the post was how the 'Western World' are trying to force these laws on to these countries and how their arguments against having them are based on religion. A religion that was imposed by the 'Western World'. So to put it in really simple terms American and European countries have gone to Africa, put them in slavery and told them that this religion is what they should be following because that's right and everything else is wrong. Cut to a few hundred years down the line now we're telling these said countries that they're opinions based on religion is wrong. It makes me think that are we the right people to be telling others what to do. We seem to think that every opinion we have is right and so therefore should be shoved into every other countries faces when only 50 years ago homosexual acts became legal in the UK and still wasn't a safe place for people to come out in. The negative treatment of homosexual men and women all over the world is a thing that's still being worked on, but when countries like America are trying to force these views onto others when they still don't seem to have their own states agreed on the laws. In a country where it has 50 states and only 17 of them have made the pass on legalising gay marriage. It seems quite hypocritical. Maybe they should focus in on themselves and what else they could be doing before projecting to the rest of the world because it seems clear they have work to do! It seems hypocritical. It seems to be one rule for one and one rule for the other.

This brings me to the next point that was raised in the post about how countries are starting to stop sending aid and pulling their companies out of countries like Uganda and Nigeria because of their anti gay laws. Even though I understand the logic behind this, is it not a bit like disciplining a child? Are they treating these countries like children? How are you ever going to get adults to agree on or even understand your view if you are trying to essentially 'send them to bed with no dinner' or 'putting them on the naughty step'. Why are we not focusing in on all of the 82 countries where homosexuality is illegal instead of picking and choosing who we're going to punish next? Recently a lot of the focus has been on Russia and the disgusting way homosexuals are treated. There was a bid for bars, clubs (especially LGBT establishments) and the general public to stop buying Smirnoff products as it was a Russian product. If this is the approach we're going to take then should we not be doing the equivalent to each country and state until it's legal. Should we be turning our backs on American states that hasn't yet agreed? Well if that's the way we're doing it then yes, but let's be honest it's not going to happen and the 'theory' clearly hasn't worked as of yet and probably isn't going to.

So the question being, what do we do? Unfortunately I don't think there is a right answer but all we can do is keep raising awareness and try to make people understand, but you can't force things. I always find people have a greater respect for your opinions regardless of whether they agree or not, if you are to just take the time to not fight your argument, but to help people understand why these are your opinions and in turn they will tell you the reasons for their opinions. But how are things going to be resolved if we're always in a battle of who's wrong and who's right and especially when we've pushed those opinions onto people when we were 'right' before. The thing about change is that it's slow and we have to acknowledge that things take time, but they do change and we are already seeing that. Maybe we shouldn't be fighting for such extreme views in countries that clearly have their own beliefs but trying to educate people about some of the issues and instead of punishing them help them to understand. After all education can be one of the strongest tools! Sometimes there's nothing wrong with a compromise!

Too Many Cooks?

So I've just finished watching Reggie Yates's Extreme South Africa which has to be one of the more surprising things I've watched in a while. It's a 3 part stint and the first episode is about the White Slums in South Africa, and for many of us (me included) I didn't realise it was as bad as it is. I've been aware for many years that being white in South Africa has been a thing that's getting worse, mainly from stories my mum has told me from family members that are/were living there. So my thoughts are would a situation like this capture the eye of the "Western World" because to put it bluntly, they're white. When you think of Poverty in Africa you think of black families in villages who are hungry, walking miles for water and to go to school (if school is an option). Unfortunately Poverty is only getting worse, worldwide. It used to be some sort of illusion of ours that it only hit people of certain races and people of certain backgrounds. So what now? It's very clear that the poverty virus is spreading and no one is immune.

There was a series of episodes about a year or so ago that I watched, that showed the harsh truth about what was going on everywhere! There were no restrictions to country, religion, gender, sexual orientation or colour. Just people. It was called Why Poverty? And their aim seemed simple. Awareness. There was no asking of money no one trying to force you to believe a particular view point of any one person. Just a look into peoples lives. Rich and poor. Just an understanding of things. Some episodes made you realise how easy it was for anyone to end up in (for lack of a better description) just a really crappy set of circumstances. There was a debate that revolved around the series of shows that really asked the hard hitting questions on how to try and end poverty for good with big names, which included Tony Blair, Vandana Shiva, Oby Ezekwesili and Moeltesi Mbeki. And what was their verdict? There wasn't one... They all had so many different points of view on how they think poverty could be ended. It was almost the perfect representation of "Too many cooks, spoil the broth."  After watching it. it made me ask a lot of questions, which I guess was the aim of the series. Maybe one of the biggest questions I had was, will there ever be an end to poverty? Or even a world where every person at least gets their entitlement to the most basic of human rights? I'm not entirely sure! But is there a right answer to it all? Things are getting much better in some places and then a new type of poverty has started somewhere new! But I believe you can't look at all countries difficulties with the same answer. So should it then be up to their Government to figure out a solution because they realistically should know where the country needs the help. But it just doesn't seem to be the case.

Poverty has been happening since the beginning of time. Whether it be in that country or this or whatever. How is it still happening? We've come so far and yet we still can't figure out how to give everybody a fair life. There will always be the "little man" but do they have to be denied the basics?

Is it cus I'm White?

So as a first, sort of, post, I would like to write about something that has bothered me a little bit today. So the background story before the bother :P When I cam back from Ghana the first time I was very intrigued in learning about the language and not necessarily to be able to speak it fluently, just that I'd like to be able to do the basics and maybe even hold a small conversation so when I got back there it made things that bit easier. Which it did! But I had no teacher no lessons, Just learning whatever I could from whatever I knew already, using Youtube and also random sites online. So there was one site I used a lot and maybe even one of which that helped me the most! So I've come back from Ghana again after putting it all to practise and learning more words and sentences and feeling more confident in speaking it, I want to learn more. So today I go on the website and have a look about. The layout had changed since I was last on there, and I have an instant message pop up from (who I recognised from the last time I was on there) as an administrator... I think! Well this is how the conversation goes;

Administrator?: *something in Twi(the language in question)* 
Me: Men ti Twi (I don't understand Twi) Sorry I am still learning! 
A?: You don't look of Afrikan descent 
M: I'm not I'm here to learn Twi although my mum is South African 
A?: Ohhhhhhhh I see I thought so 
*I get signed off* 

So I thought "Oh that's strange!" But stuff like that happens so I go to sign back on to the website. But I get a message saying that my username or password was invalid. Which I thought was strange, I kept trying for about 5 minutes because I really didn't want to lose access to this website as it had been the biggest help to me. It becomes clear to me that I have been, for lack of a better term, been booted off the website. And I try and search for my profile and it has been deleted. And then my whole time on there became a lot clearer. I would look through a lot of profiles and a lot of the conversations! A lot of them would be in English as the common language between all the languages they would teach on this site. And it would appear that they were interested in sharing their information with people that wanted to get their roots back and wanted to find out about their native language or just wanted to retouch on a language. But if you weren't black then it's like you weren't welcome. And I feel as that is the only question that was asked as to whether I was welcome on the site or not. I have never wrote on the forums to have caused trouble but just wanted to learn. But at this point I hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions as it may be a fair mistake. So I go back to the site and sign on as a guest and ask him why my account was deleted. He said he deleted my account because I was not an Afrikan and the site was for Afrikan people by Afrikan people. I reply saying that I was not aware of that but that I was of African descent (My mum being South African) but I know that's not the answer he is looking for. He went on to ask whether my mum was indigenous or an invader. At this point I know exactly where the conversation was heading. After a few mixed points of views he tells me not to return to the website I left with an apology simply saying "I apologize for simply trying to learn about something and I also apologize to the people on this site for simply being interested. Med ase (Thank You). I'm not sure if I overstepped the line by not reading the terms and condition with this being the first thing on the T&C page;

"You agree, through your use of this website and associated Liberation Forum, that this site is a resource exclusively for Afrikan (Black) people and the upliftment of Afrikan (Black) people specifically and that you will not post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually-oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise in violation of ANY law."

 I violated the rules because I was white. During the conversation I gave a few of my opinions one being that how as an entire race (The human one, that is) ever meant to move on from history if people don't grow and learn from our ancestors mistakes? He told me I was a waste of good air. Its safe to say I am pissed off! (For lack of a better description.) I would be okay if he had a legitimate argument but could not have a normal conversation/debate as the case may be. I feel that he was as small minded as the people he was describing as invaders. But as I write this I think am I small minded for not being able to accept that's just the way it is? I'm getting tired of people using our ancestors as an excuse for everything and the views that we have today. If we were able to look past the small minded people of the past and grow better as a race. If we looked up to our ancestors for points of view and opinions we'd still be burning witches at the stake. I just think we should move onwards and upwards with ours and try to be that generation or those ancestors the future will look upon and want to have some of our opinions. I feel I am started to get a bit carried away so I shall leave it here! But please do pass on your views.

“Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war.”

Been A While...

So it's been over a year since I've wrote anything here! I'm a tad dissapointed in myself that I couldn't even stick at it longer than just the one introduction post. I wish I had recorded my year as some of it was so busy I feel like I missed a majority of it! :/ But I also feel like I did a lot of growing up and had a lot of change in my opinions, as well as my goals and future plan. For once I feel like there is a plan! Not one of much organisation BUT a plan none the less. The plan you may ask? It involves more volunteering in my favourite place (Ghana!) and then fingers crossed 2015 will be the year I start a University Education studying Social Sciences, specifically International Development. I've played on the idea of the subject for a few years. I don't want to be another young adult who gets themselves in debt over choosing any subject because it sounded good at the time. I want to make sure I've had enough time to know and to be able to fully understand what I will be getting myself into with the commitment and debt! I just want to be doubly sure :P But I feel that it's time to put it as a definite on the future plan!

As I think about what has happened in the last year since I last wrote this and there's only been a few things. One that was inevitable to leave a memory or a thousand was heading back to Ghana. What a trip! But I knew it was going to be anyway! I've also celebrated my 21st since and celebrated it in style in Ghana! But when I try to think back to the rest, nothing sticks out and it's right now writing this that I feel I need to make a change. I would rather not go out for a couple of weeks and go to a gig. Or save and go out for a day, a weekend or a week. No mater how small, I want to start making my days more memorable and almost start living. I'm also not afraid of my opinions and of wanting to express them whether it be a close matter to my heart or whether it be a flying though across my mind. Instead of this being a place where I document my life fact by fact, I'd rather act a bit more free and throw my thoughts out there to the rest of the world (If they so choose to read it :P). But even if not this is a place where I can be me and I'm open for debate! I don't believe that your opinions stays the same for every subject if you're open minded. It changes with experience and new knowledge! I just want to expand on my knowledge and even find opinions about subjects I didn't even realise I had! So I'll completely disregard my first post but keep it there as I did have some sort of intention. But this won't be on a time schedule just as and when I want to share something because this isn't about getting the views on my blog it's about sharing with you and you sharing with me. So if you had read this maybe throw a subject at me I'm all ears... Maybe eyes and fingers would be more appropriate for a blog :) I look forward to hearing from you! But I may throw the odd song in there! Just cus I like them :) So here's to a good new year!