By Essa Thaim-Kurugba,USA.
This article is about political extremism.
We must first define what is meant by “extreme.” But before you do that look around you first to see how the SLPP government nauseatingly and obnoxiously left our city - Freetown.
Most scholars will agree that extremism can be viewed as an aspect of a person’s character, the kind that is far removed from the ordinary or average attitude.
Some Sierra Leonean online news media are carrying out the most malevolent and violent propaganda or misinformation targeted at the unsuspecting and trusting public.
With this in mind, it is fair to say that the online news media publishing negative stuff about the APC government have largely descended into blatant extremism. What they write in these online papers is more than troubling; it is uncalled for, dangerous, subversive and inhuman.
Now it’s time for us to take a good look at these editorial extremes. Also,take a hard look at the city of Freetown and try to see what the APC government has actually done at this time for our nation.
Life in the city has been intellectually stimulated by the electricity supply, economic rejuvenation is in progress, and the education sector is gradually taking the right direction. These are the few political achievements these news media need to be getting out there.
We all know that criticism is philosophically favorable to progress and reform in political or religious affairs, but this has to be done ethically. The media has to be careful.
The SLPP’s political extremists or attack dogs, when they were in power, were always busy accumulating wealth by targeting the most lucrative of the government’s revenue agencies.They had no time for the people. They fully embraced the habit of plundering the wealth of the country without any qualms. For them, hard work and patriotism are anathema. Lack of patriotism and laziness were hallmarks of their rule.
Some of these SLPP journalists view themselves as the Sierra Leonean "elites." They think they are better and smarter then just about everyone else. That’s very funny. It’s also sad because if they had been smart they would not have been out of power today. They are usually wrong on all counts and their arrogance defines them. It also builds a barrier between them and the Koroma administration and Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.
Most Sierra Leoneans are offended by this stupidly supremacist attitude of theirs and the APC supporters have a propensity to distance themselves from them. This is mainly why the SLPP ranks are diminishing in quality and number.
Another reason is that these SLPP journalists tend to embrace whatever their party does, no matter how offensive or repulsive their party or cause may be towards the APC government and the people of Sierra Leone.
This is bad. Media extremism that goes as far as negating or defaming the country should not be pampered but told the truth and cautioned in our society.
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