Two wrongs doesn’t make a right

Dear Editor,

Here’s a scenario: What do you do if there’s a disagreement between you and your husband or wife? Do you disrespect him/her? I don’t think so! I’m sure you’ll talk it out as mature people. People with morals and virtue, which is respect of course to each other’s differences.

There are thousands of ways we can address these issues, but definitely not the ways these two gangsters chose to voice their opinions. Just because you think Tuilaepa is wrong, doesn’t warrant you to do another wrong.

The Samoan way governs how we live as Samoans regardless of where we may live. But the problem here is that some of our people abroad have been influenced by their local culture and politics, that they think Samoa should also follow. No, Samoa became independent because the way we do things is different from overseas.

The Western culture’s respect is earned as you mentioned above, but the respect of a Samoan is Christian-based. Which means, even if you say or do something that I don’t agree or like, I still respect you as a human-being.

I might not respect the actions i.e the ulu-pua’a incident. I might not even respect his position, but that doesn’t take away my respect from anyone as a Samoan person, let alone a Samoan Leader. Thus the Samoan respect is purely a Christ-like. At the end of the day “E sa’o a le tagata i ona lagona ma ona manatu,” but respect is what’s holding our Samoa together.

If you want Tuilaepa to hear your voice, then make an appointment and go see the PM, but don’t go throwing your ulu-pua’a at anyone. If you want to discuss politics and laws with the PM, don’t go jumping on FB, but go and see Tuilaepa yourself. The ramifications of such foolish actions will affect not just one person, but the whole family as well. Remember Samoa is a family. We are one. How can one punch his own eye? How can one cut his own hand off? We cannot, because we are ONE. Remember “SAMOA IS A FAMILY.” We have one God. We have one leader, and we are one.

What we need to learn however, is how to show respect in our differences, and even in our failures, because no one is perfect. We all do wrong. We all fail. We all make mistakes. But that doesn’t warrant me to call you out on your wrongs, or act inappropriately because you are so and so in my opinion.

We must never loose our respect. When we loose our respect, we loose more than that, we also loose our identity, our culture, and our Samoa altogether.

Manatua, o le tama a le manu e fafaga i fuga o la’au, ao le tama a le Samoa e fafaga i upu ma fautuaga. We were never taught these foreign ways by our ancestors, and what a shame!

 

Ag

Samoa Observer

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