Don’t just see this title as what just sprang suddenly. It’s an offshoot of what I stumbled on today during an interactive session in class.
Have you noticed that virtually all the problems or issues we face today in our society could be backgrounded to acts of retaliation?
Transitionally, casting an eagle’s eye on national and local issues such as insecurities, kidnappings, arsons, killings and unlawfully emitted favouritism, we would take in that they are traceable to retaliation. Is it Sunday-Igboho-Fulani-herdmen saga and what have you?
I’ve begun to see people retaliating or avenging one another which in turn causes all these political and economic biles we are now experiencing in every nook and cranny of our society.
Retaliation: What It Is
To start with, retaliation is a deliberate act; a very conscious one, so to speak. Anything attached to retaliation as unmindfulness is an oxymoron.
That is, it’s a rancorous act done in return to another action such as injury. It’s an action wrapped in violence to respond to a presumably or a purportedly done act by someone else. It’s also called a hitting-back. Thus, normally and morally, is it good? Absolutely, it’s a big no!
Controlling This Beast
First, as a student – undergraduate – have you ever made an introspection on the fact that you operate, function and influence either to protect or to destroy? I think the former is a nice choice to dwell on.
Also, as students of change that we are, we need to know that vengeance, revenge or avenge should not be given a chance of habitation in each of our hearts. Although, some people may be celebrating it. But I think you should see is as mediocrity and outright profanity void of upright morality. Must you retaliate?
However, one of the best keys I believe could put a gradual letup to retaliation is loving one another in the society. You would agree that love is not only restricted or limited to your kin but can also be very well extended to you kith; thus, tolerating the kin and kith at our disposals can effect out better and optimistic alterations in our society.
The killings, kidnappings and other social vices here and there are in an umpteen mode! Retaliation breeds them! Stop retaliating, you stop them! Everybody wants to avenge. Do away with such thinking!
Students Are Also Teachers
The nation we are in, today, needs great and mighty warriors like students to waylay some anomalies laying hold unto its growth and development. We should begin to place an inception on telling, advocating and sensitising people to stop this act – retaliation – by first doing some egonomics on ourselves – students. Knowing the fact that change starts from the change-agent.
Conclusively, until we begin to resist the pulse to retaliate and live at peace with all persons as much as possible, we’ll continue to wallow in the pool of "mordarcity" instead of living in a peaceful "modern city"*of cheerfulness.
Selah!
AKorede Postulation
AKorede is an HND2 student of the department of Mass Communication
