The Sunday Mail
Retired Major Action Mandingo
ON May 24, 18 year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, United States, killing 21 people. Earlier that day, the 18 year-old had shot and seriously wounded his grandmother before proceeding to the school.
Of the people fatally shot, 19 were children and two were adults. Several other children were wounded in the rampage. Ramos was only shot and killed by law enforcements agents at the scene, after his victims had died.
Soon after the massacre, America did what she has always done.
President Joe Biden repeated the usual rhetoric. “I had hoped when I became president I would not have to do this – again. Another massacre…An elementary school. Beautiful, innocent children, third and fourth graders. And how many scores of little children who witnessed what happened – see their friends die, as if they’re in a battlefield, for God’s sake.”
Clearly, President Biden was very, very angry! His facial expressions showed that he could not understand why the madness was spiraling out of country under his watch. Shame!
And as usual, the CNN news channel did what it has always done. They gave the massacre lots and lots of coverage – speaking to different experts and angry senators. Senator Chris Murphy, a democrat from Connecticut asked repeatedly: “What are we doing? What are we doing?” Why should our children go to school fearing that someone will walk into their class and shoot them?”
Exactly 10 days earlier, 10 people had been gunned down by a young white man in a grocery shop in a black neighbourhood in Buffalo, New York. Again, when this happened, America erupted with lots of condolences and so on. It’s the new American way it seems!
Obviously, dear reader you are wondering – what does what is happening in America have to do with us in Zimbabwe?
As Zimbabweans we should be worried. We should be worried because some of our youths think America is the best place on earth and what is worse, there are some adults who are doing everything possible to convince our youths that the American way is the best way.
Of course, Zimbabwean youths are still far away from becoming copycats of their American counterparts, but if we look at the rate at which the country’s youths are abusing drugs and alcohol, there is reason to worry. Clearly there is something wrong with some youths and the rot has to be nipped in the bud.
The adults who are “socialising” our youths to look down upon themselves, to see their country as inferior and to look up to America as the saviour of the world should be ashamed. In simple terms, socialisation is how we learn the norms and beliefs in our society through our families. These adults are some of the agents of socialisation and so they should not be left to spread cultural imperialism in Zimbabwe.
Why should Zimbabwean youths be left in the dangerous hands of these Western puppets, when it is clear that the Western masters are struggling to discipline their youths.
Statistics show that from 2013 to 2019, there have been 549 incidents of gunfire on school grounds that left 129 people, mainly children, dead and 270 people seriously wounded. Surely, America can’t be the best place on earth with so much horror killings.
American children now go to school with their ears on the ground waiting to hear where and when the gunshots will erupt. There is nothing good about a society where kids as young as 10-years-old live in fear, as if they are in a war-zone.
And there is nothing so special about “American Democracy” because this so-called democracy is to blame for all the carnage in America. The anti-gun lobby is failing to gain momentum in America because some senators are against the move. American Democracy is putting guns in the hands of reckless youngsters who will continue to gun down their peers in cold-blood.
Surprisingly, some Zimbabweans think American democracy should be used as the standard template to enforce democracy across the world. What kind of democracy is it that allows about 50 senators to hold the whole of country to ransom? America is under siege because of its democracy, yet the western puppets in our country want our children to “think America and dream America.”
In December 2021, China came up with its version of democracy in a white paper titled; “Democracy that Works.” Part of the Preamble to the white paper reads:
“Whole-process people’s democracy integrates process-oriented democracy with results-oriented democracy; procedural democracy with substantive democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, and people’s democracy with the will of the state. It is a model of socialist democracy that covers all aspects of the democratic process and all sectors of society. It is true democracy that works.
“Democracy is a concrete phenomenon that is constantly evolving. Rooted in history, culture and tradition, it takes diverse forms and develops along the paths chosen by different peoples based on their exploration and innovation.”
China, as the second most powerful nation in the world has taken the lead to define its form of democracy yet some Western puppets in Zimbabwe think American democracy should be applied as the universal democracy. China is showing that its form of democracy works and as Zimbabwe we should also come up with our own form of democracy, not to dance to the tune of the West.
As America moans the victims of gun violence and as the statistics keep going up, we should leave them to stew in their own form of democracy. A democracy that doesn’t care about black lives! A democracy that doesn’t care about children’s lives! A democracy that makes supermarkets and schools look like war zones!
America should never try to lecture the world on democracy because its democracy is dripping with the blood of innocent blacks and innocent children.
Their puppets in our midst should never be allowed to socialise our youths into despising their history, culture and traditions. Zimbabwe’s democracy is anchored on the country’s liberation struggle, our rich culture and traditions.
As the Chinese have shown us, democracy is situational. It can’t be a one-size-fits all. Some writers have even gone to the extent of asking: “Is democracy good for economic growth?” Others take the question a step further saying: “How much democracy is good and when does it become too much?”
As Zimbabwe we should stick to our own form of democracy.
Let’s protect our children and our society using our own form of democracy, even if it angers the West. No more lectures from those who pretend to be the paragons of democracy!
