By: C. Cecil Dennis III
On April 12 – 22, 1980, an unwarranted coup d’état brutally murdered our fathers, as did the 1990 senseless civil war, which slaughtered 250,000. It has been 44 years since our fathers were fiercely executed, yet the memory of their assassination seems like yesterday.
As a son whose father was equally killed by firing squad, and who yet craves his affectional mentorships – I am not naive to the excruciating pains our fathers suffered in death nor am I in denial of the agony inflicted on us by the People’s Redemption Council. I am not ignorant to the vacuum their deaths left. I feel the pain the same, I know the hurt, I recognize the losses, and the deep sense of loneliness of not growing with my father’s compassion nor the incomparable love of my siblings.
I yearn for my father’s words of affirmation, as equally as you do. His murder will never be taken for granted nor forgotten. However, I come to appeal for the forgiveness of Liberia. I know Liberia does not deserve an ounce of our forgiveness, but an ounce of forgiveness is worth a pound of cure.
I am in no wise making excuses for the country we all love, for we loved our fathers no less than they love our country. Liberia took from us what Liberia took from herself. Look around you and see the devastations of our nation. The situation is deplorable, horrible, chaotic and worrisome.
I know Liberia hurt us beyond imaginations and there is no excuse to her errors. However, Liberia has suffered silently alongside us and she is still suffering for the sharing of innocent blood. Liberia took our father’s lives but Liberia also took her sons and resolute public servants.
I know this does not in any way remedy our losses nor cure our hurts, but our forgiveness of Liberia could heal our wounds, give rest to the souls of our fathers, and restore our land. Let us forgive Liberia and heal our land.
April 22, 1980, Liberians acted on impulse – when they took to the streets celebrating the assassination of our fathers. Liberians did not know better at the time. The Bible says, for the lack of knowledge my people perish. Liberians have suffered too much. So, I’m begging us all to please forgive our nation on behalf of our fathers, so we can heal our land.
