Man's Inhumanity: "Let the World See!"

Nkiru Oh

My body cringed after watching a CNN video footage of the slaughtering of about a dozen family members in the Syrian city of Homs, people believed to oppose the government. Not the first time I have seen gory pictures, but I have not been able to comprehend the insanity involved in such heinous acts! My questions have remained, why are human beings so wicked? Why should man kill fellow humans under every flimsy excuse? How can any human being have the heart to hurt or kill a child? What joy does any anyone derive from the massacre of the innocents? What has slaughtering a family got to do with opposing the government? Do humans not have the right to oppose a regime? Wouldn't it be so boring if there are no opposing voices? Are we not yet done with dictators? I really don't get it. Honestly, I don't, and it hurts me real bad!


Syria is said to be a nation with a Sunni majority governed by a minority Alawite, an offshoot sect of Shia Islam. Am thinking, why can't humans coexist peacefully. Animals of same specie live together. They do not attack, kill or eat each other. Why can't humans do the same? If Islam is a religion of peace, why should one sect slaughter members of another sect? Are the different sects not worshipping the same Allah? Where lies the peace as stipulated by the Quran? Why do humans twist the teachings of their religion to suit their selfish motives? Where is the love?

Mind you, this is not an attack on or condemnation of Islam or Muslims. Never! I just do not understand all the massacre going on in the world. Are wars the only option? How about dialogue? From the indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens in Afghanistan by a rogue soldier, to the murder of Trayvon Martin by a racist lunatic, and then this! How do those murderers sleep at night after spilling the much blood of the innocents? Do they believe in God? What do they tell their God in prayers? Are they so wicked that human lives mean nothing to them? What can be done to stop all these killings? One of the rescuers in the CNN video said, "let the world see". The world has seen, then what? How much blood should be spilled before the powers that be do something? Give your suggestions please!

The Day I Wished to Die!

By Nkiru Oh

Life is full of vicissitudes! So long as we are in the world, no one is totally free from the ups and downs in life. My mother used to say that "it's only a dead man who has every right to boast!" Yes, because what else can he suffer in this life? He is free from pain and heartaches!
Many people have encountered situations that might have made them question everything in life including the existence of God! Do not blame those people please! The pain of the moment can drive any one crazy. He/she may be hurting so intensely that he/she may experience temporary insanity. Some who went that route, sadly, never recovered. It then behoves those around the person in a hurtful situation to help him/her retain some sanity! Words heal! Words also kill! Be careful what you tell some one who is hurting. Like my mother said, "if you don't know what to say, or you don't have any meaningful thing to say, please, do not say a word!" Your careless, insensitive utterance may be all the person needs to go over the edge!

So what was it that made me wish to die, you may be asking? Well, I am about to share that with you here and now. January 5, 1986 has remained indelible in my mind. I don't cry about it any more. But it's still vivid as if it happened yesterday. That was the day I lost a child, to me, one of the most painful losses for a mom! Being young and inexperienced did not help! But does it really matter? Got pregnant while in school. Pregnancy was uneventful. Was not sick even for a day. Kept all my doctor's/prenatal appointments. Did everything as I was told. Nine blessed months later...in a twinkle of an eye...I lost my baby during delivery!!! Baby was breach presentation!

Out of stupidity, carelessness or sheer foolhardiness, a nurse held the baby's umbilical cord together with it's leg which led to my precious baby's asphyxiation!!! Holding its cord while baby was in the birth canal was like sealing one's nose and mouth!!! By the time they realized it, my beautiful gift had died while in transit into the world!!! A Cesarean section was too late!!! I wept until there was no strength left in me!!! I wished to die! I prayed to die!! I willed to die!!! Would have died but my husband's words consoled me and made me hang on. With tears running down his face, he said: "I am sad we lost the baby. But...I still have you...and that is all that matters to me now...God will give us other children...Am happy you survived...and you are here with me!!!" And while saying those words, he held me real close to his heart...and that very moment, I resolved to live!!!