By Deng Mangok Ayuel
December 6, 2012 (SSNA) — I’m not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I’ve always been a freak. So I’ve been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I’m one of those people – John Lennon
If I don’t write to empty my mind, tell the truth and inform others, I go mad, but if writing is enemizing, causing death, what next after fearing of losing soul? Die unvoiced or write to die? When people talk of freedom of expression I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing now exists if not in papers only; but I hope it will exist. Our people may realize that writing to inform is an oil of truth after you and I have had frustrated and deserted writings. Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself. Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in.
I know it is not easy to keep writing when always hearing colleagues being killed surprisingly. There is something that compels writers to write. But there are things I can’t write about, just misfortune/fortune of individuals in South Sudan. I believe that writer’s voice is loudable. That is why you do sometimes hear of arrest and intimidations connected to writing.
It is better to write for public to lose your life or write for yourself and have fun with them? The death of Isaiah Abraham is disappointing. One may wonder why people are heartless, lack merciful feelings. Why should we easily kill ourselves? I urge the authority to investigate and bring those who killed Isaiah Abraham to book. I wish to inform fellow South Sudanese and leaders that criticisms and blames are everywhere. Nowhere a man can escape them in this world. Again, why is Juba which is supposed to be the safer place in term of crimes becomes the worst than other towns in the states? South Sudanese fought with Khartoum regime where millions of lives were lost in order to bring change and freedom. Who are really still interested in killing? Crimes will not pay us a coin!
As Kuir e Garang put it and I quoted;” Opinion writers have become targets. What has to be noted is that an opinion is an opinion and what one has to do is to disprove the opinion in the same method it was delivered in, or one has to disprove it through deeds, good deeds”. Hell is empty and all the devils are here according to William Shakespeare. Should you decide to go to hell that you are told to kill someone?
I am not writing blaming or pointing a finger at anyone. What is important is to bring people to justice when writing becomes a crime in democratic society. A writer has no permanent friends. What please him/her are good things you have done to the society. Writer is also the third eye for the society.
Deng Mangok Ayuel lives in Aweil. He can be reached at: mangokson@gmail.com