“You Thrive on Chaos and Tribalism” -TQ Harris Responds to Sam Jackson’s Anti-Americo-Liberian Sentiments

MONROVIA – A renowned Liberian politician, TQ Harris has taken up issue with a Liberian economist Samuel P. Jackson against a background of facebook post in which Mr. Jackson allegedly expressed anti-Americo-Liberian sentiments and further described Liberia as a country that has always being “rotten, uncivilized and uneducated” and other derogatory remarks for which Harris referred to Jackson as “an elitist who thrives on chaos and tribalism”

In his response on Jackson’s post, Harris narrated what was seen as his understanding of the commentaries written by Jackson over the years which he blended to amount to creating division among the citizens despite the fact that Jackson “supposedly have this “quality” education from the (LSE) and, the only beneficial thing you see fit to do with it is: tribal baiting and divisiveness”.

“Your convoluted tribal rant, under the guise of dispensing credible data is a ploy meant to discredit and double down on past administrations led by Congo people cum Americo-Liberians. You have repeatedly bastardized a system that you wholeheartedly benefited from without remorse.

“You come here on this moral high horse spewing division, half-truths, and, tribalism –to an audience already polarized by so many negative influences. You are an elitist who thrives on chaos and tribalism. You know no other way. You also have authoritarian and dictatorial tendencies which triggers the blocking mechanism on your FB page each time someone disagrees with you.

Mr. Harris, a one-time presidential candidate, wondered why Jackson decided to rewrite history and present a false narrative of developments in the country.

“Is this your way of projecting tribal superiority? But, let me tell you this, no Congo person or Americo-Liberian, will shrink themselves to make you and your tribalistic clan comfortable. The way I see it, tribalism is integrally connected with your DNA. People are wide-eyed to your rabid tribalistic antics; we know that the tribalistic genie you’ve unleashed cannot be easily coaxed back into its bottle; but we will call you out each time you spew your venom of division”, he concluded.

In the referenced post, Mr. Jackson, a longtime activist and a founding member of the defunct Progressive Alliance of Liberia (PAL) which later on metamorphosed into the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), had written his post where he contended that Liberia has always been a poor country and no one should ever believe there were “good old days”, adding “the country was rotten, uncivilized and uneducated”

“I’m responding to one of my good friends who proudly portrays himself as a Congo boy from Arthington daily. Christ knows I love him so much. 

“Most of our grandparents were illiterate peasants working for subsistence on farms or were servants in the homes of the elite. The largest concession, Firestone, did not have a high school on the Plantation. Children of plantation workers had to leave Firestone for high school. Amos Mellish. Joe Roberts. James Freeboy. Augustus Mitchell. My friends did that. 

“I dare you to come here and say that your grandparents were literate. Only ten percent of the population was literate. Most of your grandparents didn’t speak or understand English. My mom was functionally illiterate. TB was the number one killer. There was a big leper colony in what is now called Lofa. Leprosy was very common. Elephantiasis was also very common”, he said. 

Providing some information on the underdevelopment of the country, Jackson said life expectancy in Liberia was 35 years in the 60s and only 44 years in 1980 and painted a gloomy past in the social certain of the country where teenage pregnancy was the rule and not the exception. He said polygamous homes were the norm and a significant share of the population was born outside of committed relationships in Monrovia, adding “it was Sodom and Gomorrah on the Mesurado River”. 

“The City of Monrovia did not extend beyond Vamoma. Old and New Krutown were nightmarish slums where many women waited for sailors. Freeport Junction had dozens of bars and young girls from the interior were sexually trafficked there. We used to call it New York for the neon bars on the strip. Chris E. Dennis.  Benjamin Purser. 

“Today Liberia has transformed dramatically not because of any government but the sheer will and perseverance of the people. Instead of Monrovia and its environs being a metropolis of renters there are Liberia homeowners stretching as far as Disco Hill to the West and Po River to the West. Car ownership is no longer a privilege of the elite. Motorized bikes are a necessity in most of the country. No more potters carrying human cargo. Human beasts of burden don’t exist. 

He argued that things are far better today than the past, citing education where he maintained, is no longer a luxury but a necessity, adding “we have more college graduates as a proportion to the population today than ever. Liberia College is now a poor man’s entitlement not a rich man’s birthright”. 

“We are richer than ever. We own businesses like never before. Liberians own hotels, fancy restaurants and huge businesses such as DSTV, Conex, Primex, etc. We own luxury apartment complexes. McDonald Wento. Cora Peabody. Alexander Cummings. Guest houses and AirnB are all over the place. 

“We travel and jet set like never before. We live in Dubai, Hollywood and Sandton. We are super elites sending nearly 500 million of our earnings to Liberia each year. Chicken change compared to what we are worth. 

“We are more integrated than ever. You cannot distinguish a Cooper, Dennis or Bracewell from a Yarkpawolo. We are the most liberal democratic state in the region. Dozens of newspapers and almost 100 radio stations. In the past there was only one public radio station owned by the government ELBC and ELWA a religious one. 

“I prefer to live and die in the Liberia I see today than the one I fled in 1970. 

“Happy Easter to all Liberians. One nation. One people. One destiny. With God above our rights to price we will over all prevail!” he concluded.