Keeping the Peace

Over and Out

Young man, how are you?
Who promoted you to one-star General? Who gave you one-star General? Charles Taylor or who?
-Yes Sir.
Really? Because you fought well?
-Yes Sir.
Well, where did you fight, to be given one-star General? You know, you?re not even WORTH being corporal?because I was with you here two weeks ago-right? And I told you that I don?t want misbehavior of these roads?and then two or three days ago you misbehaved again, you know, your people misbehaved again.
Today you lost your rank (whips beret off Small General?s head), you understand, you lost your rank. Right?
-Yes Sir (nods).
You are no longer a General and you are going to hand in your weapons NOW (said while bouncing with a hand up to (formerly) Small General?s face). You understand?
-Yes Sir.
Because I came here and I spent one and a half hours with you, I talked to the whole lot of you. And I told you don?t harass people on this road. You didn?t listen. I am not here to fool around with you. I am not here to fool around with REBELS. This is a PUBLIC road, you understand?! And people who are passing here are CIVILIANS-and even if they are, you know, MODEL, you must treat them like human beings. Treat them in the way you would treat other people, you understand?
(formerly) Small General stands there, still nodding as General Opande walks away in disgust.

That's the whole of Small General's demotion. I wanted to have it down in full. I'm currently screening our Liberia footage from the comfort and security of my well-heated Pew office in Washington, DC. Very bizarre it is, too. It's been great to see everyone back from there adventures-though half of us are already scheming on how to get back to our respective countries. I needed another week, really. And I need to know how the story ends with these guys. You will need to know, too, I think.

I've returned to the harsh reality of Iraq and Afganistan ruling the American air waves, so I intend to settle in with my footage and try to write a print story while I work up a clip reel. That's the plan for the next three weeks here. That and sleep. Which is sounding really good right about now.

One final thing I never did manage to capture on film: large trucks that stop dead in the middle of the road to allow ducks to cross. That's right, ducks. It's considered bad luck to kill them in Sierra Leone, so they're plentiful and fearless. Maybe that's why I want to go back. Ducks.