PATRIOTISM BEYOND SEPTEMBER 16

Dear Patriots

As we move into Celebration mode marking our Nation’s 35th Independent Anniversary, I would like to make an appeal I guess I will make every Independence Day.

Our celebrations and donning of our beautiful colours is all very good. During this period we are awakened to the reality of the greatness and beauty of our nation. We are proud and united and loyal and will defend this nation with our lives on…really??

I repeat a challenge that I posed last year: Consider young lady looking squarely into the eyes of her excited and anticipating lover. She asks him this one thing: “WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME IN THE MORNING??”

Imagine a nation so longing for the love of its people to be demonstrated not just on the date of its birth but on every other day. Longing for a real dedication that goes beyond the colouring and the singing. In the analogy of the lover many PNGeans, come September 16, are only lusty lovers looking to satisfy our own selfish desires to party and simply have a good time. But at the end of the day or the morning after we go on living our selfish lives contributing very little or nothing good to our country. We spit on her, litter on her, steal from her purse; blatantly ignoring her plea for us to remain in a mode where our attention is genuinely dedicated to her. She longs for the steady and simple acts of love from her people every day and not just one big POP! per year. A steady and tranquil patriotism expressed in good citizenship…

When you celebrate the EXISTENCE of this Nation ask yourself “WHY??” “Why am I celebrating?” “Why do I care that on this date my nation was born??”

Remind yourself that come September 17, “I will still be a true and constant patriot”. I hope that like me you will make an Independence Day Resolution that “FOR MY COUNTRY’S SAKE I WILL BE A BETTER CITIZEN TODAY MORE THAN YESTERDAY”…and repeat that resolution every other day the rest of the year…maybe the rest of YOUR years??

I love this country. My love for this country demands that I call up more patriots who will truly love this country beyond September 16.

Happy Independence and God Bless Papua New Guinea.

Ganjiki D Wayne
Patriots PNG Inc.

“CHANGE STARTS WITH ME”