Rapists On The Prowl

Ladies and gentlemen, I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to write about this subject matter, because somewhere in my subconscious I hoped and prayed that the scourge of rape would have greatly reduced by now. I have also been reluctant to tackle this issue, because there’s no way to write about rape without feeling a good measure of anger and sadness – emotions I was shying away from. The rape epidemic in Nigeria has been increasing at an alarming rate daily. The virtue of the women folk in particular has become endangered in our society. It is virtually impossible to open the crime section of any newspaper nowadays without reading about one reported case of rape or the other. It is baffling, as it is very worrisome because many non-governmental organisations, groups and individuals have been quite active in the fight against this plague. Yet incidents of rape keep rising.

Our Love For Noise

When I did a piece on “How To Be A Nigerian”  here I omitted the fact that Nigerians love noise. It is almost unforgivable and I apologise for that. Our undisputable love for noise should perhaps have come first on the list of the factors to look out for in identifying a typical Nigerian. The average Nigerian thrives in a noisy environment, whether on the streets, in our homes, cars, offices, churches and mosques who perpetually hold vigils and early morning services (are arguably the worst culprits when it comes to propagating noise) or at events. It’s almost as though we are not existing when we don’t make noise.

The Bandwagon Effect

I don’t consume any of the carbonated malt drinks. I discovered very early on that I didn’t like them. Not for any health or prejudiced reasons, I just didn’t (and still don’t) like the bitter aftertaste. I tried to like them. I felt I was weird because everyone (or at least everyone I knew) loved malt drinks. It is the preference at parties and many other functions as many believe it is a better option to other lower priced carbonated soft drinks. I have been at get-togethers where it was the only drink served and I had to pass on it, but not without escaping the curious stares of fellow attendees some of whom would ask why I wasn’t having it, wondering if it had to do with some weight loss program. My reply has always been the same – ‘No, it has nothing to do with a diet plan. I just don’t like the taste.’ I have come to accept it and have long since stopped trying to force myself to drink it.

Those Silly Abbreviations…

 

The often unnecessary and sometimes exasperating use of abbreviations and acronyms have become a staple of our communication diets. They have slipped into everyday use in modern day communication. Even though abbreviations or shortened form of words or phrases are sometimes required in writing or typing, especially when taking lengthy notes or in using the short message service, many of us take its usage too far. Nowadays, a good percentage of young adults and even older people have caught the bug of excessively using abbreviations in written communication. It has assumed a worrying dimension as it is succeeding in polluting the English language, as well as encouraging growing laziness in young adults in particular.

The Curse Of The Black Skin

Wednesday, the 17th of June saw yet another attack on blacks in the USA. In perhaps the most sordid and confounding killing in recent times, a white male sauntered into a predominantly black church where a group of Christians had come together for bible study, “worshipped” with them for about an hour before unleashing terror on the unsuspecting gathering. It was one attack too many.