By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, Liberia – Former Assistant Minister Mark Jabateh has fired at Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia Kruah over her viral “hot pants dresscode” at the July 26 Independence celebration, saying “selective outrage is destroying our values” and that partisans will defend anything from stealing to walking around naked. He called on Kruah to apologize to Liberians.
Jabateh said poverty is not only hitting pockets, it is “diminishing our ability to think critically.” He noted that many of the same people who condemned one person’s dress code yesterday are now refusing to condemn someone they support today. “Let us not be deceitful or hypocritical,” he said. “Right and wrong should not depend on political affiliation or personal loyalty.”
He argued that supportive social media comments should not convince Kruah that “every action is beyond criticism.” According to him, popular support does not automatically make an action right, and public officials must be held to a higher standard.
The former Unity Party official warned that Liberia is becoming too tolerant of indecent dressing because we apply different standards to different people. “A country without culture is like a tree without roots,” Jabateh said. “If we truly care about our values, then we must be willing to hold everyone accountable by the same standard, regardless of who they are or which political side they belong to.”
