If Liberia loses the flavor, elegance, and distinctiveness of its democracy, it will be a worrying indicator for the country as a democratic state.
On the other side, if some Liberians are consistently praised and adored for abusing the true spirit of freedom of expression, it will be dangerous, unpatriotic, and demeaning to the distinctiveness of democracy and free speech.
However, the unconventional behavior displayed on January 24, 2023, by University of Liberia (UL) students was a complete disrespect to Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor as a mother and Vice President.
The students’ attitude is a prime example of what they have done to others, not just once, twice, or three times.
Despite the extent of our discontent and disagreement with the government, we think that the fundamental principle of respect for our leaders should always be taken into account in our actions and decisions.
We are committed to ensuring that women’s rights are upheld as an organization that works to make sure that women’s voices are heard, no matter who you are or where you are from.
We sincerely recognize the students’ struggle for social justice and economic freedom, but we think that their concerns should be expressed in the most responsible manners.
We consider the students’ behavior to be a blatant example of disrespect and indecency, which goes against what it means to be a student.
It is our hope that the Vice President will be replicated in the individual characters of several other women who are eager to enter the political struggle.
Since the University of Liberia has the most students of any university in the nation, we think it should always serve as a model of both academic brilliance and moral restraint.
We are cautioning the University of Liberia administration to take greater initiative in instilling moral discipline in our young students, who we consider as the future of this country. The students were completely out of order by booing VP Taylor on the main campus.
In order to prevent having a state full of violent people, a state like ours, with a relatively young population, should be very cautious about how they are being raised to lead us in years to come.
