A Message To All Liberians
From Bennie D. Warner,
Former Vice-President (77-80)
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
January 11, 2005
Let us put down hatred, envy, bitterness, evil, anger towards one another, fighting, and return to civility, common sense, orderly behavior, to restore trust, love community, and rebuild the institutions of the economy, education, social behavior, rebuild the infrastructures-roads, communications, electricity, homes, factories, markets, churches, industries etc..
It has been, for some of us, over twenty years that Liberians have not known peace and more so during the last fourteen years. The circle of violence, looting, brutality, murder and suffering must now come to an end. What has anyone gained from this ruthless violence, except for the warlords and the sorrowful looters? I urge you now to come together as one people and make the sacrifice for the common good of all.
Let us put down the weapons of death and destruction
and pick up the tools of reconstruction. Let us make
the words of the Biblical prophet Isaiah come true:
“They shall beat their swords into plow shares
and their spears into pruning hooks; (a person shall
not lift up their sword against another) neither shall
they learn war no more.”
Let us return to sobriety, reason and common sense.
See what we have done to ourselves, repent and remember
that in the first civil war-1989 to Taylor’s
election, more than 150,000 died; followed by another
300,000 and thousands of refugees.
Ask yourselves, for what? There has been a senseless
madness perpetuated by those who are hungry for power
and driven by greed.
We must stop now. A new window of opportunity for
us to make right for all Liberia is at hand. Let us
not abuse it or let it slip away from us. The year
2005 must be the decisive year for us to return to
a democratic constitutional government of law and
order, national unity, reconciliation, peace and progress.
May God bless Liberia!
Grace and Peace!