Leadership does not make you sovereign
Hello world!
I was watching and reading some things earlier this week that really got my attention.
I'll summarise the movie I watched that provoked these thoughts. So this woman had to go to work so she left her son at home and told someone to check in on him at some point. She came home, couldn't find him and it eventually became a missing person case. Now the police was getting lots of criticism from the public at this time just to give you context. So eventually, the police said they'd found her son. But when she saw the boy, she knew it wasn't him. She told the cop in charge and the guy told her to 'try the boy out'. She took the boy home because the cop took special care in letting her know the boy had nowhere esle to go. She took him, but continued to demand for her son. The cops sent a doctor of psychology or something like that to evaluate the physical changes she'd noticed in the boy, if he was her son. The guy came and gave 'reasonable, medical' explanations for every change. Eventually a pastor decided to help her out because he recognised the police's corruption. She got a nurse to confirm that this new boy had been circumcised though her son was not and her son's school teacher to testify that the boy was not hers. She held a press conference and that really vexed the cops. The head cop guy invited her to his office and when she refused to shut up, signed her into an asylum. Long story short, she got out, and never stopped looking for her son while even gaining some other people wronged by the police their freedom.
What really struck me about the movie was the power the cops had. They could say the boy was hers when she insisted he was not. They could get a doctor to come in, find what they needed him to find and then report it. They could send her to an asylum for goodness sake, without any due process. I mean, even if they went through 'due process', I guess they could have gotten their doctors to say anything. I do not recall any constitution saying that the police is sovereign or above the law. The worst thing is, when the police started getting more bad press, the chief just wanted it to go away. The mayor just wanted it to go away. Not because any of them actually cared about whether the right thing was being done, but to secure their offices.
I won't pretend to be some saint, but I think there is something to be said about the selfishness of those in power at times. I don't know if the position just corrupts you or if only the wrong people ever get into power. Whatver it is, it's not okay. It is not okay that public officals have the power to exert their will onto people without being checked. It is not okay that when they do this, it is not noticed or seen as having significance unless the public reacts badly about it. We say in democracies that there is the opposition party and that the people have a voice, but situations like these show just how much of a lie that can be. I know this was just a movie, but it was based on real events and it just shines light on what is honestly happening all around the world. People are getting jailed for no other reason than upsetting the police. And if your entire future can be determined by the transient nature of a cops feelings towards you, then you might as well kiss your future goodbye.
I just think that if we are going to give some people so much power over others, then they should be actively scrutinized for every huge and maybe even little decision they make. Leadership is not easy. All your faults and mistakes are on a stage and everyone gets an opinion. It's hard. But that whole system of transparency,checkmating and accountability is necessary if we want half decent leadership.
By the way, the name of the movie is Changeling.
Despite my gloomy post I hope you've all had awesome weeks and that you get some rest this weekend.
God bless
Dera
I was watching and reading some things earlier this week that really got my attention.
I'll summarise the movie I watched that provoked these thoughts. So this woman had to go to work so she left her son at home and told someone to check in on him at some point. She came home, couldn't find him and it eventually became a missing person case. Now the police was getting lots of criticism from the public at this time just to give you context. So eventually, the police said they'd found her son. But when she saw the boy, she knew it wasn't him. She told the cop in charge and the guy told her to 'try the boy out'. She took the boy home because the cop took special care in letting her know the boy had nowhere esle to go. She took him, but continued to demand for her son. The cops sent a doctor of psychology or something like that to evaluate the physical changes she'd noticed in the boy, if he was her son. The guy came and gave 'reasonable, medical' explanations for every change. Eventually a pastor decided to help her out because he recognised the police's corruption. She got a nurse to confirm that this new boy had been circumcised though her son was not and her son's school teacher to testify that the boy was not hers. She held a press conference and that really vexed the cops. The head cop guy invited her to his office and when she refused to shut up, signed her into an asylum. Long story short, she got out, and never stopped looking for her son while even gaining some other people wronged by the police their freedom.
What really struck me about the movie was the power the cops had. They could say the boy was hers when she insisted he was not. They could get a doctor to come in, find what they needed him to find and then report it. They could send her to an asylum for goodness sake, without any due process. I mean, even if they went through 'due process', I guess they could have gotten their doctors to say anything. I do not recall any constitution saying that the police is sovereign or above the law. The worst thing is, when the police started getting more bad press, the chief just wanted it to go away. The mayor just wanted it to go away. Not because any of them actually cared about whether the right thing was being done, but to secure their offices.
I won't pretend to be some saint, but I think there is something to be said about the selfishness of those in power at times. I don't know if the position just corrupts you or if only the wrong people ever get into power. Whatver it is, it's not okay. It is not okay that public officals have the power to exert their will onto people without being checked. It is not okay that when they do this, it is not noticed or seen as having significance unless the public reacts badly about it. We say in democracies that there is the opposition party and that the people have a voice, but situations like these show just how much of a lie that can be. I know this was just a movie, but it was based on real events and it just shines light on what is honestly happening all around the world. People are getting jailed for no other reason than upsetting the police. And if your entire future can be determined by the transient nature of a cops feelings towards you, then you might as well kiss your future goodbye.
I just think that if we are going to give some people so much power over others, then they should be actively scrutinized for every huge and maybe even little decision they make. Leadership is not easy. All your faults and mistakes are on a stage and everyone gets an opinion. It's hard. But that whole system of transparency,checkmating and accountability is necessary if we want half decent leadership.
By the way, the name of the movie is Changeling.
Despite my gloomy post I hope you've all had awesome weeks and that you get some rest this weekend.
God bless
Dera
yeah it's a movie but it does apply to alot of real life situations especially in Nigeria rn, just the thought of it is irritating tbh💔....
ReplyDeleteP.S: you already gave spoilers on the movie might as well finish it, I wanted to hear the ending😂
😂😂
ReplyDelete