Alagi Yorro Jallow
Part I
Fatoumatta: Your attacks become our medals. In the national discourse, the issue of online insults and threats takes center stage. The Internet eliminates any chance for moderation and subtlety. Public sentiment replaces logical debate. Moreover, social networks amplify what psychologists term opinion polarization, leading to increasingly extreme views. This new medium liberates speech, enabling anyone to broadcast content of varying respectability from their own space. Amidst this verbal free-for-all, distinguishing between constructive criticism and outright slander becomes challenging. The Internet mirrors society with its diverse streams, trends, and stances. In his film ‘The School of Power,’ Raoul Peck quotes a character who says, ‘Each assembly has 20% fools,’ suggesting that a significant portion of public discourse is dominated by extreme and often irrational views. Ousainou Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has recently called for an end to the misuse of social networks.
Ousainou Darboe has addressed the issue of divisiveness and insults on social media, advising his followers to refrain from engaging in such behavior. In his statement, he emphasized the crucial role of etiquette and respect within political dialogue, urging his supporters to act with dignity and avoid making disparaging remarks or exchanging insults. He voiced his concerns about the detrimental effects this conduct has on the political environment and the unnecessary harm it inflicts on individuals and communities. Darboe’s plea for rationality in political discourse serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of civility and respectful communication, particularly on platforms with extensive and enduring influence like social media.
The effort to sanitize speech on the Internet may seem futile in a democratic society. It is impossible, akin to the controlled speech environments of Mr. Kim Jong Un’s North Korea or Mr. Putin’s Russia.
Fatoumatta: I wouldn’t say I like the false and potentially dangerous allure of a society founded on moral sanitization. Furthermore, there was never a golden era where all opinions were deemed respectable. The aspiration to suppress violent yet legal opinions is a relic of autocratic regimes, which should be discarded in a democratic society. To combat the crass voices on the Internet, media, and politicians should refrain from idolizing them; instead, they should overlook their absurd antics and focus on the nation’s long-term healing through education and culture, fostering a well-developed society that values respect and understanding.
Fatoumatta: It is undeniably unpleasant to be targeted by a reckless and ignorant group that employs unprecedented verbal aggression. They wield lies and harsh words to tarnish and use insults to intimidate, aiming to discredit any viewpoint that diverges from their ethical standards or their political or fraternal affiliations. This aggression is utilized and prescribed by politicians as a hallmark of their faction, a trend observed across democratic nations. Numerous political figures, intellectuals, academics, activists, and journalists find themselves silenced, hesitant to voice their opinions publicly for fear of backlash. Political journalists have confided in me their struggles to engage thinkers in public discourse, as they fear retribution from the group for expressing dissenting views.
I pose the question to all these individuals: Why engage in conflict? Maturity involves conquering your fears, while the children remain fearful and unable to surpass them. Cowering in one’s nook, quaking at the merest tweet, Facebook post, or video from an uncouth ignoramus, is to enable our new despots to belittle us to dictate our lives. At the same time, they flaunt their ignorance and sartorial neglect daily.
Expressing oneself and taking action in the public sphere, advocating for justice, equality, and progress, is crucial, even if our nation is caught in a tumultuous period that rejects temperance to glorify the extremes of radicalism or stifle thought. To speak, to write is to chronicle the turmoil we witness and bequeath to future generations the means to decipher how a nation is demeaned, fragmented, and plunged into the chasm of civil strife. Our advocacy for justice, equality, and progress is important and essential in shaping a better society.
Fatoumatta: I am committed to public freedoms, adversarial debate, and conflict within politics and ideas. Few have endured the level of cyberharassment I have faced over the years, due to my decision to challenge castes, moral comforts, and intolerant, populist Islamist, and reactionary rhetoric. Engaging with opponents who resort to insults and falsehoods as their only argument would be to acknowledge, even briefly, the conceptual weakness that fuels their excessive and thus inconsequential nature. They merit nothing but my disdain.
When asked about the attacks against him, the author Edouard Louis said, “I don’t mind. I regard the attacks as badges of honor. I would not want to be a writer who goes unchallenged. To those authors who have been spared, I pose the question: How does it feel to not be attacked? Doesn’t it seem like you’re doing something that makes no difference in the world?”
