there was a video i reblogged, where a man in lagos, nigeria, was beaten for stealing a necklace and he was subsequently set on fire. if you took the time to watch the video you’re probably sick to your stomach now.
so i guess i’ll tell you guys a story.
when my father was 8 years old, he went to the market with his mother and like is customary in the market, you bargain for your things. a man decided to bargain for a certain item and the seller was extremely upset (because in her opinion he bargained too low). she started shouting “OLE, OLE” “get out!” “thief!” a group of women started screaming, and men chased him.
they chased him throughout the market. they beat the man and killed him and lit him on fire.
my father saw all of this when he was 8.
i think the saddest part of my father telling me this story was his face. his reactions. he acted kind of as if it were no big deal. i mean he said it was horrifying and i know he meant it but it was as if he knew he couldn’t change anything. it was a fact of life. mob mentality.
i mean this is a country that used to show live executions on tv. public executions guys.
now this isn’t to make nigeria or africa look bad, lots of 3rd world countries have problems in general. i think i just wanted to share this story and show that things really need to change.
