KEEPING OUR PERSPECTIVE VIA MUSIC: PETER TOSH'S CLASSIC SONG "MAMA AFRICA"

After viewing the powerful and gripping documentary "The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo" on HBO, I was filled with so much emotion: anger, sadness, righteous indignation and disgust come immediately to mind. What those women in the Congo have to endure - I really have no words for. But to know that such evil exists in this world: those males (I will never call them men) who willfully hurt their fellow African women, lets just say I wanted to reach through the television screen and beat up every rapist that was bragging about raping women. They deserve to rot in every depiction of Hell ever devised.

Anyway I was inspired by the woman who is the sex crimes officer who stated that women are the mothers of Africa and when a person rapes her, they are in fact raping Africa itself. I thought of Peter Tosh's classic song and album of the same name "Mama Africa"

The lyrics are very profound and should cause all of us to reflect.

CHORUS)
Mama Africa
How are you doing Mama
Mama Africa
Long time me no see you Mama

They took me away from you Mama
Long before I was born
They took me away from you Mama
Long before I came on in

CHORUS

There's so many things about you
Wondering where you are
They try their best to hide you Mama
But I search and I find you

CHORUS

In you there's so much beauty
In you there's so much life
In you there's so many kingdoms
To me it's out of sight

CHORUS

You're the maker of gold Mama
You're the maker of diamond
You're the maker of pearls
And the maker of all precious goals

CHORUS

I've been waiting, yearning, looking
Searching to find you
I've been crying, praying hoping
That I may find you Mama

CHORUS
You're my mother Africa
You're my father Africa

CHORUS I'm proud of you Mama
I love you Mama
I'm proud of you Mama
I love you heavenly