PART II: WE, THE CROOK

The human evolution timeline begin with a single cell that mutates over billions of years to the specie hominini  Sahelanthropus Tchgadensis walking in a crooked posture, without any tools on the savanna grasslands of Africa more than seven million years ago to the present Homo sapiens walking in an upright posture, with sophisticated technology and instruments, on the dusty and rocky surface of the moon more than 384,400km from earth. This shows the progress that humans have made over the billions of years to ensure they are alive at this present age. However, these advancements are not simultaneously reflected in the Homo sapiens character which is still crooked and primitive.

The modern man still kills and steals from one another. Evidence seems to point to the fact that during the biological evolution of the human species something went wrong.  There may have been some subtle engineering mistake built into the native equipment of man that can account to the paranoia streaking through the human history, that man has been unable to learn the simple art of co-exist and love of one another, and man is in a continuous momentum to do evil. It seems every step human has mad forward, his character has made a subsequent step backwards. This is the age where the human has invented the most hazardous weapons ever invented in his timeline with capability to completely eliminate themselves from earth. Every day seems to be a countdown toward the explosion of this weapons and life is still arguably solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short just as it was when man lived in a state of nature. It seems human is inherently evil and it is in his very fabric of his character and in dire need of reengineering and repair.

It is not in dispute that humans are at the Apex on the chain of intelligent chain.Humans have invented sophisticated tools and machines such as the Voyager II that for the last 41 years to present day has continuously been directed and moved in our outer space at speeds of 15km/s….yes 15km/s yet we are unable to invent appropriate character that can guide men to move and direct them at least one step to infinite humanity.

But there is hope; the human species has always set its self apart from all animal species. We have always dominated and we seat at the top of the food chain. We have always adapted to all circumstances and nature has always selected us to the next phase of life. We have unmatched intelligence and the relentless desire to survive. This intelligence and desire that seems to be engraved on our DNA compels us to come together and move forward. Just as our evolution is an accumulation of continuous effort from one generation to another, the evolution of our character and moral uprightness shall be the accumulation of continuous effort of passing to the next generation better character and cultural heritage of us and the best thoughts and ideas of the world.

Individual character development like evolution is a slow and steady march to make each day slightly better than the last and it happens imperceptibly through persistent daily effort. Character unlike our technology is not innate or automatic; it is built with effort and artistry and perfected over lifetime of effort. And maybe that’s why technology does not move in tandem with our character development.

The effort will entail finding a deeper meaning of life and virtues. We need to elevate ourselves to great spiritual and moral heighted and tolerating each person’s idea. We can develop proper values that will be our light house at the harbor of the land of virtue and it will continuously guide us and inspire us to surf in these turbulent waters of imperfection as we strive heralding to this Promised Land.

Humanity with their different background may seems to be a Gordian Knot that no man can open with bear hands but we can inculcate areas of common agreement and open each other’s hearts and minds and reach the very depth of humanity where we can see ourselves in each other.

The evolution theory may just be that- a theory or maybe a fact- but it shows the journey of humans trying to be as upright as possible and pushing their limits by mutation and adaptation  and nature finding them worthy of selection to the next frontier of life.  The fittest have always survived and for sure men who will always improve their character will always be fittest to pass their legacy of good action to the next frontier. Maybe if we can continuously show each other the best angels of our selves the next frontier will witness humans flying high in a heavenly galaxy, armed with tools of angelic virtues. And for sure we will prove Immanuel Kant quote wrong and out of the crooked timber of humanity man became more upright.

(photo courtesy of truehomeprotection)

PART I: WE, THE CROOK, CLICK HERE

FOR DUTY & HONOUR

Hannibal Barca( 247 -181 BC) is considered as one of the greatest generals in history. At a time when Roman Republic was asserting its powers over other kingdoms he chose to plan battles accordingly and he lead the Carthaginian Army against the Romans.

He crossed the Alps mountain with elephants to go and wage war with the Romans. When his generals who had declared it impossible to cross the Alps with elephants he said "I shall either find a way or make a way". In deed he crossed the Alps mountain but quite a substantial number of the elephants had died. But at the same time when the Roman Army saw him march out of the mountains with the elephants they got the message he intended to convey that he was unstoppable and determined and even the heights and the Cold temperatures of the Alps mountains have not stopped him.

He ended up waging a successful tactical war that shook the Roman Republic to its very foundation causing them a lot of embarrassment. And he became a force to be reckoned. 

well, when asked why he was fighting with a super power knowing very well he will finally be defeated(which he was) he said "I am not carrying on a war of extermination against the Romans. I am contending for honour and empire. My ancestors yielded to Roman valour. I am endeavoring that others, in their turn, will be obliged to yield to my good fortune, and my valour."

MORAL OF THE HISTORY:Sometimes you just have to fight for your honour and to send a message to everyone including an enemy/competitor that you can fight regardless of what comes may.(You can watch Hannibal documentaries for full story of this great general

DEATH:THE ULTIMATE EQUALIZER

This is a 1635 German engraving, as part of the Danse Macabre(The Dance of Death) series. It features a standing, smiling skeleton aiming a crossbow, an hour glass, a broken arrow on the ground and another arrow in a quiver. It was placed in such a position that the arrow locked into the crossbow was directly pointed to the viewer. The inscription in French was a lyric that would translate in part as:

My arrow (I promise you) spares no one

You will all dance the ballet of which I sing

Emperor, your sword won't help you out

Sceptre and crowns are worthless here

I've taken you by the hand

For you must come to my dance

It meant that as you dance and act on the theater of the world know that death is always smiling at you and at any time the arrow will be launched to your direction.

The engraving was placed in various places to serve as a reminder of people’s mortality and of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life. It was intended to cause some humility in people, to curb selfish and toxic ambitions, to inspire people to choose wisely between doing the wrong thing to get ahead and the quiet thing that is right in their hearts.

In most African culture, we do not talk about death. It is considered to bring bad omen. But the reality is; death has been the closest human companion. Since the humanity idea begun living on earth, Kingdoms and empires have risen and fallen, generations after generations have come and gone, species have existed and became extinct, cultures have been founded and ended, wealth and riches have been amasses and squandered, civilizations emerged and became obsolete; many things have come and gone regardless of their hype and might; but death has remain the constant factor all along. So, we cannot hide the truth under the shadow of our fears.

The arrow is always ready and waits for your time to be declared by the hourglass and it will never miss, you are a sure target. We can be so uncertain about many things in this world but our death is so certain. It never cares if you are young or old, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, wise or foolish, King or laborer, the pope or the villain your time is your time. Death is the ultimate equalizer no matter a person’s station in life. And sadly nothing will pause or stop for a second to witness your fall. Time will move on as if nothing happened, so will everything and everyone. And soon you will be forgotten regardless of how beautiful your tomb will be made, actually think of the giant pyramids of the Egyptian pharaohs who were maybe the most powerful people of their time , not everyone know who they were, we rely on historical speculations.

Our mortality is always looming and it’s a terrifying thought. No matter how strong we are, how famous we will become, how many acclamation we will receive, how good we feel, it turns out we’re just a pile of bones, flesh and fluids inevitable to physical decay.  That’s why this engraving from centuries ago is very relevant today because it carries with it the true message to all humanity.

So today as you walk around, what are you going to do about this terrifying fact? Are you going to be haunted by the engraving? Are you going to cower in fear and assume you are immortal? Or Will you smile back to this grinning skeleton and tell it that you are aware, you were born … to die. But in between you will make the most of it; that you will continuously and tirelessly perform your duty- your good works. The choice is yours. The archer is always ready and the hourglass counts the countdown.

(Photo Courtesy of British Museum)

PART I: WE, THE CROOK

A German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, has a famous line that says, “out of the crooked timber, no straight thing was ever made.” The line proves true, no one is perfect. All human life is a struggle to perfection. We all fall short of the glorious victory over this struggle. We are crooked in one way or another. 

In our daily business we encounter people who we may consider annoying, frustrating, upsetting, unreasonable and the list goes on but before we condemn them and cast the first stone there is need to realize that their crookedness serves as a mirror, reflecting who we are deep down in our soul since we are all from the same crooked timber. We can only hold our crookedness to be self-evidence that all men are created equal and endowed with certain short-comings due to our humanness.

Our perverse tendency of holding others at a higher standard than ourselves shifts our focus from the plank of wood in our eye to the peck of wood in other people’s eyes and hence fail to acknowledge that we are all humans carrying  the marks of imperfection that are deeply engraved in our DNA.

Of Course Iron sharpens iron, so man should never lay down tools of sanding people to finer people. But sanding others should be done with humility, meekness and sympathy being fully aware that we ourselves fall short and are crooked.

In our eternal struggles to make our ways straight we can only hope that by the end of our life we shall at least be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect and who is the author and perfecter  of our life.

YOUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION UNDER SIEGE: A LOOK AT THE FILMS, STAGE PLAYS AND PUBLICATION BILL, 2016

Freedom of express is the most cherished constitutional right without which no right or fundamental freedom under the constitution can be enjoyed and even protected. Freedom of expression entails the freedom to seek, receive or impart information, ideas, and artistic creativity such as plays, drama, and music.

The Kenya Film Classification Board has proposed The Films, Stage Plays and Publications Bill, 2016(the Bill) (which can be accessed on their website at http://kfcb.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/DRAFT-BILL-KFCB-21-7-Draft-10.pdf). Among the best provisions in the bill is that the bill provides that a police officer or other person should be present at the making of a film and may stop the making of any scene which is cruel or causes unnecessary suffering to an animal. These is a step forward towards animal rights and welfare, having in mind the cruelty animals are at times subjected to in films.

The Bill on the other hand acts as the undertaker of the freedom of expression preparing it for burial specifically on expression of artistic pursuits. For instance stage plays is defined in the Bill to include any performing art, intended for public theatrical performance and include tragedy, comedy, farce, opera, burletta, interlude, melodrama, pantomime, dialogue, prologue, epilogue, live musical performances, or other dramatic entertainment. The Bill requires that before any such performance takes place one has to get the approval of the Board and anyone who fails to get the approval will have to pay a fine of two hundred thousand shillings or serve a term of two years imprisonment or both.

This means that, that young or poor persons who have dared to no longer depend on begging on the street or join a crime gang due to the high unemployment rate and hard economic times and decided to be a street artists and performs on the streets in order to meet their needs will be fined such a great amount or suffer imprisonment. This is sending him back to poverty.  He will go to jail because of exercising his freedom of expression. Is it just? More so, why should we seek permission to exercise the freedom of expression and it has been guaranteed under the constitution?  The constitution has specifically laid down the limitation to exercise this fundamental freedom which does not extend to propaganda for war, incitement to violence, hate speech, ethnic incitement and should be exercised with respect to other people reputation.

Stage plays mirror the society. Stage plays act as an avenue where issues are broken into simplest form that every member of society can understand and relate to. They challenge the dominant views within the society and provoke alternative ideas and opinions. Plays do not merely gratify the soul but they stir our conscious to respond to the difficult questions of the day. Kenya is a country of patriots like Eric Wainanina ‘Ngugi wa thiongo, Micere Mugo, Francis Imbuga, Okoth Obongo among others who through their playwrits’ have contributed to the freedoms we now enjoy. Stage plays has always been among the best ways to exercise democracy and that is why the Bill needs a review with participation of all stakeholders.

Kenya fought for freedoms enshrined in the constitution and restriction should not be used to undermine these rights. We should not go back to the dark days where social injustice and political oppression was the order of the day. Kenya as a free democratic society should always have avenues for those who have strong feelings about particular issues can freely express themselves.

Freedom of expression is the firmest pillar of any democracy.  Freedom of expression did not begin with the constitution or at a specific time and place, it is born from our common human heritage, rooted to the fact that in every civilization human beings have expressed their interest in order for them to cooperate and collaborate to purse them. The rights to vote, share ideas, participate in political debates and campaigns, share political ideology are all activities that lie at the heart of a democratic society and can only exist where the freedom of expression thrives.

Lastly, all the sovereign power belongs to the people and their participation is paramount. Public participation depends on the free flow of information and ideas without which people will be buried in ignorance resulting in them making uninformed decision and making them prevalent to manipulation by crook politicians who will turn them into tribal society full of hate and violence and such a society will perish due to lack of knowledge. Through information a society becomes more tolerant and pluralistic where groups with various backgrounds exist together.

In Abraham Lincoln words democracy is ‘the government of the people, by the people, for the people’ and the only way ‘it will not perish from the earth’ is to ensure every person is free to express himself. The Bill also deals with issues such as the creation, exhibition and distribution of films, classification of broadcast content, games, online content, outdoor advertisements, print publications, registration of cinemas and theatres. This Bill does not only affect artists, it affects every citizen right to get information and that is why you have to take a stand for the protection of the Freedom of Expression.

THE RIGHT TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT: 18 HOURS IN AN AMBULANCE!

A patient, Mr. Alex Madaga died at Kenyatta National Hospital after he was denied emergency medical treatment in various medical facilities and had to be in an ambulance for 18 hours since it was the only medical facility available to him. It is alleged that at least four hospitals had refused to admit him because he could not pay Ksh. 200,000 for his admission to the hospitals. At Kenyatta National hospital he could not be admitted because there was neither a bed at the hospital Intensive Care Unit nor a ventilator to help him breath. His chances of survival were hence not helped by being denied Intensive Care for 18 hours and by the time he was admitted the chances of his survival were so minimal that the family was faced with a dilemma of whether to switch off the life support and allow him to die.

The right to Emergency medical treatment is a right that each and every Kenyan is entitled to, as per Article 43(2) of the constitution read together with Article 27 that provides that everyone has freedom from discrimination either directly or indirectly and that all have equal opportunity in political, economic, cultural and social sphere. Article 26 further provides that every person has the right to life and that it shall not be derived of intentionally.

Mr. Alex Madaga rights were violated; every person has the right to enjoy the rights and fundamental freedoms in the bill of rights to the greatest extent. He was unable to enjoy his rights due to economical discrimination of his inability to afford the needed medical fee. More so the state and every state organ has a constitutional fundamental duty to observe, respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and fundamental freedoms in the bill of rights. The right to emergency medical treatment and right to life that the Mr. Alex Madaga is entitled to were unfulfilled by the state. The late Mr. Alex Madaga terrifying story is a story that many people who are already in the cemetery have and it is a story that needs to stop now!

The state has failed Mr. Alex Madaga for failing to ensure the largest hospital in Eastern and Central Africa serving millions of people has enough facility for medical treatment and has only 21 beds for Intensive care Unit as per the present status. The Health Facilities have failed Mr. Alex Madaga for placing money before his life. We have failed Mr. Alex Madaga for failing to put our leader to account on how they spend our resources carelessly and leaving our health in sorrowful state. I have failed Mr. Alex Madaga for not speaking out on things that matter.

OBAMA-MANIA: THE GREAT VISIT AND THE GREAT INJUSTICE

THE GREAT VISIT

POTUS (President of the United States) Mr. Barrack Hussein Obama was in the city. Potholes were covered, grass was planted, security was tightened, flags were hoisted and street families evacuated from the City. In those three days POTUS was on the land of his forefathers, he had placed Kenya on the spot light, the whole world had converged in Kenya and our country was topic of discussion in every corner of this planet. Kenya grabbed these opportunity to shine and of course we outshined and for sure the future is more than bright.

Mr. Barrack came to represent the interest of the American People and we met him as a partner in creating an enterprising environment that will ensure economic development that will meet Kenyans Interests.

Apart from the high class motorcade, we are going to remember Obama for pointing out that empowering woman, youth, media and civil society as the foundation for a democratic society. More so he noted that the fight against corruption and terrorism was the way forward for economic development. His visit to Kenya for sure is a symbol of the confidence the Global Entrepreneurs have in investing in Kenya.

THE GREAT INJUSTICE

As an advocate of Human Rights I cannot fail to note how street families vanished from the street. Information from independent trusted Media Houses alleged that the street families were “arrested” by National Youth Service (NYS) at night and placed in Lorries and taken in “custody” at Joseph Kangethe Community Centre in Woodley. The center was guarded by County askaris all through the period Mr. Obama was in town to prevent these economically disadvantaged people from escaping. Journalists were as well denied entrance to the centre and it was hard to know the conditions they were being subjected to during their stay at the centre. They were then released immediately the visitation ended.

This type of Act was unconstitutional, inhumane and should be rebuked with the strongest terms possible.

Is it a crime to be poor? Why were these families discriminated on economic and social status grounds yet everyone is equal before the law?

Every Kenyan has inherent dignity and the right to have that dignity respected and protected and actually the main purpose Kenya has a Constitution as per Article 19(2) is to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities. These economically disadvantaged Kenyans dignity as humans was violated. They were treated as second class citizens who ought to be hidden from the eyes of visitors and investors. Yes, we need to impress our visitors but it should not be at the expense of violating any human being rights and freedoms.

It is the high time the government and we Kenyans partner together and come up with a permanent solution to stop such acts. As per the Kenya Budget for the fiscal year 2015/2016 read by the Cabinet Secretary, Honourable Henry Rotich, Street families and vulnerable children were allocated approximately Kshs. 9.7 Billion. This money is enough to progressively empower these vulnerable members of the society to ensure they are empowered and self-reliant. Poverty is the greatest violation of human rights and freedoms that no man should be subjected to.