Due punishment is to primarily deter future wrongs and secondarily appease victims; so undue punishment is to maintain wrongs or deter future good, through intimidation and normalizing a new wrong form(s) of punishment. The victims outside Palestine are also in the Dozens, thousands, millions, and even billions. Without disrespect to the suffering, I fight for the present and the future, to prevent disasters. The number 13 is feared by many in the west, so let the 13 Harvard Angels defeat the devils around the western world, with God’s help. To those who do not know, 13 students were reportedly denied graduation at Harvard due to protest, how they protested, or who they protested for? Regardless of your stand on this brutal war, it means Russia, Nigeria, the Gambia, or any country can cause or allow the denial of graduation over protest? It means the good around the world to sue Harvard university, question or sue politicians who support such unusual and disproportionate punishment; give honorary degrees, jobs, or new company to the 13 Harvard students? Well, how about the students from Columbia university and others? U.S+ journalists refuse to give us even the numbers per university? Is there a number or website where student and work denial victims can be historically recorded and counted in categories? This is why the court is our best bet, but historic symbolic moves outside the courts matter.
It took one caring student, and resortly echoing journalists, to speak for the 13, or many of us would not have known. This is why censorship is the worst sin, especially in the world of governments. We can endlessly praise or pity the victims and the brave whistle-blower(s), but let us ask which actions should we take? South Africa sued where Saudi Arabia may not gratefully compensate, but God can add natural resources+ to every doer of good. So the Gambia and other caring countries should not only focus on the victims inside Palestine, but where we can help other victims of this terrible war… As chair of the OIC, the Gambia can demand funding to hire the best lawyers that can defeat Harvard university under a reasonable Judge inside the U.S We can also call on caring folks inside the U.S to help us in different ways. A terrible minister may fear U.S government retaliation, but more Americans may visit the Gambia or xyz, or God to reward than U.S government can. Again, we can urge Saudi or crowdfund to start a new company in the Gambia or xyz, for the 13 students. We can even make a movie and songs on the dangers these university authorities are posing to the world.
They will always try to defend their actions with claims, but evidence matters in every case, including how we may varyingly help the 13 and beyond. Let us ask them to present their evidence in court. If two of the students were found to be guilty of anything less than murder, then we can punish them without denial of graduation. We may not reward the two depending on their crimes, but having the caring in your company is smart, even if you found tiny mistakes in their actions. Those who risk for others are less likely to harm you or allow other employees to harm you.
I have repeatedly said: big devils deny you fun, bigger devils deny you work, but biggest devils deny you learning opportunities… In reality, it means they will try to deny you, but such is beyond the devils. They can try to deny you access to formal education, but thinking is higher learning if the world was one country; they can deny you work, but God can make you an inventor or enrich you in other ways; they can deny you visa, sex, or other fun, but happiness is in the hands of the Lord, and He can turn anything as source of happiness. So my advice to young people is to choose conscience. I cannot guarantee you anything, considering I am still suffering in some ways, and partly due to my leaning to fight for freedom, beyond self. However, I am largely happy and my prospects remain high.
We must not be short-sighted. We must understand this means a leader in Russia, Iran, Nigeria, etc can now pressure or allow a university to extremely punish students over protests? If you claim they jail some anyway, then is jailing not much better than denying graduation? Do you remember when Russia or U.S jailed freedom fighters like Martin Luther King for protesting? Some claim ‘That was decades ago’, so may be the earth rotates 24 hrs, but the devils crawl 24hrs or a decade from the U.S to other countries? Are the devils getting worse in the U.S, and their winning becomes the new norm around the world? Can God win the devils inside the U.S, beyond freeing or semi-freeing slaves? The powers you give to the government and others should never be based on present trust, but understanding that that rotating power can sometimes fall in very questionable hands. Students should never fear they may not graduate if they stand up to protest against what they deem wrong. A strong culture of cameras means we will record students and charge them in courts where need be. That they should understand choices matter, but where a judge says not worth a fine or jail, then university authorities must never hand down worse than jail and fine. As such, we demand the authorities in Harvard and beyond to reverse in repentance, resign, and/or be fired for setting dangerous examples.
Those who are used to my writings understand that I am not a big fan of protests. I consider physical protests largely outdated, increasingly dangerous, and largely ineffective. Feel free to name me ten to hundred examples where protests led to good change, but honestly tell me where they failed in percentage? Where protests succeeded, study the other contributing factors and distribute the credits. That being said, does not mean I totally oppose protests or blind to where it can be helpful. Like wars should be last resort, if ever; protests should be last resort for civilians.
‘Genocide Joe Biden’ just happens to be the president at the time, but I am fairly certain Trump and Ms. Clinton would have been worse than Biden on Gaza/Israel conflict. This is not an endorsement of Biden, but for us to understand the pro genocide camp is not one person, are not happy with neither Biden, nor with the resistance beyond the 13 Harvard students. Needless to cite the wordings of Trump, Clinton, and others on multiple issues, anyone who failed to condemn the denial of graduation is pro-censorship. Biden, Trump, Clinton, Obama, etc may never voluntarily speak on it, but journalists should put the questions on them. Does a university in Moscow have the right to deny graduation to students for or against the war in Ukraine? The penalties cannot be limited to wars, but the actual choices of the students. Does the university of the Gambia have the right to deny students graduation over protests for or against FGM? Will the President and opposition leaders speak up, or choose silence as approval, or indifferently wait for the court and polls?
When the polls said about 67% of Americans support marijuana legalization, Joe Biden will questionably support legalization with words rather than actions or efforts; and Trump reluctantly supports legalization of some sort. When the Average American supports Julian Assange, Trump spoke good of him in 2016 to win votes, hunted him thereafter, and now vaguely ‘floating pardon’ for votes, or because Biden said, ‘we are considering’ dropping charges? They have to vaguely say some of these things to avoid offending most Americans, it is often just false hopes, but actions matter more with politicians and God. Where they voluntarily speak is one thing, but where a journalist forces them to speak with a question is even more worthy of study. So I blame the mainstream media for not conducting polls on what Americans think on graduation denial and other forms of punishment. Even Americans who support the brutal war may support punishment of students, but not up to denying graduation? Your views or alleged blocking of students for days mean your years of efforts are null and void? Beside polls, I blame the journalists for not posing certain questions to Biden, Trump, and beyond on such protests and the repercussions. Of course it is easy to claim ‘ I support protests, but not riots and intimidating students’, but what is punishment without evidence and what is due vs undue punishment is the question of the time. There is more evidence that the university authorities and the police intimidated students than students intimidated students.
Every media house around the world must not just report, but educate its populace. Every caring non-American must use social media to educate the uneducated and caring Americans. Then if Millions of Americans rise, the 13+ will graduate, be given honorary citizenships, and be employed or become employers. May God bless us through Showlove Trinity: Let’s learn, let’s work, let’s have fun.
Jarga kebba Gigo
An Activist and Transformer.
Author of Juts Quhr-aahn.
