Bidemi Ologunde

Feet of Clay Bidemi Ologunde

"Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue - an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay." -Daniel 2:31-33 (NIV). A popular Yoruba saying goes: "what is not good enough needs prayers, and what is good also needs prayers." Historically, democracy has been promoted and upheld as the best and most efficient form of government. Wars have been fought and hundreds of thousands of people have died, all in the name of protecting and defending democratic values. Despite these emphases on democratic principles, certain individuals throughout history, as well as in recent times, have taken advantage of democratic institutions and the collective social sentiments of the people, to create divisions, sow doubts and exploit weaknesses in society's fabric on their way to acquiring and consolidating power at any cost. The social issues presented in this book are meant to further the conversations surrounding how best to protect democracy and democratic values from external destructive influences. These external influences are analogous to the statue described in the second chapter of the Bible's book of Daniel, whose feet of clay symbolized its own fundamental weaknesses. From its head downwards, the quality of the statue's construction materials gradually reduced. Today's rampant social issues - racism, sexism, bigotry, intolerance, tribalism, etc. - all represent flaws and weaknesses in the fabric of democracy as we know it. Careful and deliberate conversations are necessary in order to carry out effective course-correction. Before it is too late.