Is it a matter of trust?

by Mohamed Ghoneim on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 12:31pm

 

My problem is not with the armed forces. I do not mistrust them. I am grateful for what they have done so far. And I liked those gentlemen on Mona Shazli's program just as much as you did. BUT freedom is an absolute value, and self determination is non-negotiable. I am grown up now. I do not need a father figure anymore. I refuse to be taken by the hand. I refuse to be talked down on. I refuse to be forced to accept anything.

Do you want me to trust you? Or do you want to force me to trust you? Are you negotiating with me? Or are you working with me? Are all your appearences on TV and all your messages on my mobile and all your statements, to convince me to trust you, or to convince me to go home and stop demanding my rights? Well let me help you, because I really felt bad for those decent gentlemen officers last night, who had to stay awake way past their bedtime, and be subjected to a cruel exercise in patience which I am sure they did not join the armed forces to have to do.

If your only aim is to make me stop protesting and stop demanding and stop putting pressure, then let me tell you right now; it's useless, because as long as THAT's what you want, I will not do it.

But if you want to build up the trust between us, then here is how to do it:

• Do not look at me as a negotiating adversary. (I thought we are on the same side)
• Stop trying to patronize me. (I hear it your words and in your tone)
• Stop demanding my trust. (I don't trust people who tell me to trust them)
• Stop trying to use mediators who are supposed to convince me of anything. (You're just ruining their reputation)
• Stop forcing me to accept things I refuse. (I refuse them for good reasons)
• Do not insist on a prime minister I refuse. (He was hired by the dictator I overthrew)
• Do not insist on ministers I do not want. (They are part of the old regime)
• Do not keep making changes in the dark. (I demand transparency)
• Start involving us in the process. (I am grown up, remember?)
• Change what needs to be changed and change it now. (It's a revolution, remember?)
• Move faster. (We KNOW you can)
• Stop telling me those still protesting are ruining the country. (Send them someone to solve their problems)
• Release the thousands and thousands of political detainees and not a couple of hunderd every Monday and Thursday evening :-). (How can I trust you if my brother is in your jail?)
• Start prosecuting people for their true crimes. (I don't care if Habib El Adly stole money)
• Start showing results of the investigations with regards to the massacres of Jan 28. (I'm sure you have plenty of video footage - do not tell me that until now you have not managed to detain hundreds of them and find where their traces lead up to)

I am not stupid nor am I implying that you are malicious.But if you want me off the street, start treating me like a grown up who deserves to be treated as an equal and not a child. There is only one way to make me trust you:
I want to know how, I want to know why, and I want to know when, and I want to know it NOW!