FOR THE SOULS OF STARVED BIAFRAN CHILDREN: BIAFRA WILL COME PEACEABLY OR TO THE BEAT OF WAR DRUMS-MARY BERNSTEIN

FOR THE SOULS OF STARVED BIAFRAN CHILDREN: BIAFRA WILL COME PEACEABLY OR TO THE BEAT OF WAR DRUMS-MARY BERNSTEIN
   

In this sufficient interview with Ifeanyi Chijioke of Family Writers, Mary Helen Bernstein took her time to share her utmost feeling towards Biafra where she implied that Biafra restoration is more a burden to her than to Biafran people. She is a passionate lady but passed through all sorts of traumatic experiences and likened her state to that of Biafran children. She explained that the worst thing that happened to her was coming in contact with Biafra. She saw what children passed through and the suffering of the people of Biafra, which bring flashes of her childhood trauma. This however poses great threat to her and hence increases risk of her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Meanwhile, she now accepts the fact that fighting to make sure Biafra is free and sufferings of Biafrans and mostly Biafran children that have no access to infrastructure, social amenities, good schools etc due to marginalization and government’s policies that treat them as rebels up till date, is the only way to overcome her to-be-deteriorated health condition. She is however poised to make sure Biafra is achieved at all cost, now exploring all options, reaching the government and bringing reality to the people of America.

She has never come in contact with Nnamdi Kanu neither has she met any IPOB leader in reality; but the voice of the man she described his passion as contagious, the crime against humanity committed against Biafran children and the present condition of Biafra propelled her. Here she spoke extensively with Ifeanyi Chijioke who fielded questions to her. Her story will touch you to the bone!

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, FAMILY AND LEGAL BACKGROUND?

 Yes I have always been an empathetic, compassionate individual from my earliest memories. I think that this originates from enduring a very turbulent childhood. My father was a war veteran that disappeared in Oregon when I was 2 years old so there is absolutely no memory of him whatsoever. My legal background essentially has been in litigation. Litigation, the Courts is a paper war. I worked primarily as a paralegal in large law firms and also in the federal courts as a courtroom deputy to the Judge. For several years, I went into private practice in the federal agencies engaging in oral and written arguments as a child/adult social security disability advocate and as an employee advocate.

 WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE?

 My mother and he had moved there from the East Coast. After this disappearance, my mother returned with me to the East Coast Washington DC to live with her Father. Initially, though when we returned we did not live with my Grandfather rather she found a job and was living with some roommates. The job that she obtained was in a furniture store and one of her co-workers, a delivery driver was a man from Africa that had immigrated here. The African man was very kind and had sensed that my mother was living in a less than ideal situation with the roommates as she had been complaining to him that they had started doing drugs and she did not want me around this environment. The co-worker offered to let us come and live with he and his family which offer my mother accepted. We lived in an entirely black neighborhood and were very comfortable there. My mother would take me to the store in my little red wagon and the other children would sometimes climb in to for a ride. We were very close all of us. Sometime later, my Grandfather came and removed us from our friends and family where we were content. I endured a transient lifestyle with my mother leaving me with people or sending me away to live with relatives when she would have mental breakdowns and abandon me. As a result, I encountered several extremely violent abusive situations as a small child age 4 East Coast and age 14 West Coast. My mother and grandmother sent me to Texas to live in a strict religious school which to this day I still have nightmares that I am imprisoned in and cannot escape. This mosaic canvass of experiences as a child, this dramatic tapestry of life is where my desire to prevent the suffering of other children originates. I remember what is like to be terrified, hungry, in despair.

 IS YOUR CAREER ALL ABOUT ACTIVISM?

 I was diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and no longer work since the year 2012. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world. In the United States when you work here you have taxes withheld from your income for retirement/disability. Therefore, this insurance enables you to receive a monthly income when you no longer can work. I had been diagnosed as a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) which is common in sexually abused female children but was able to work and obtain higher degrees despite this condition. My career has been about advocacy which is closely related to activism as it encompasses rights. Now that I do not work, I am able to volunteer constantly which I do as I need to be mentally engaged and channeling my passion for humanity.

 HOW DID YOU BECOME AN ACTIVIST?

 I became a missing child advocate first. When I moved to San Francisco, California while working in law firms I volunteered with the Kevin Collins Foundation which is no longer in existence. Kevin Collins was a 10 year old boy that was abducted, never found and presumed dead. The parents started a foundation for missing children which I volunteered at for several years. How I became an activist for Biafra was interesting. In the United States we were hearing about this Boko Haram sporadically in Nigeria. I had a Facebook account and an African young man sent me a friend request. After that, I began receiving many Facebook requests from Africans and accepted. I began to see the tragedy occurring with the Boko Haram and was upset by this as many children were injured. In addition, Nigerian military sent friend requests to me and I accepted as I am from a military family and possess an affinity for military personnel. I gradually started seeing the word Biafra and I was not sure what this was or meant as I did not understand. When I learned what happened in 1967-1970 and saw the starving children photos this was extremely upsetting. I had always thought that the photos of starving children in Africa were related to natural disasters, famine and topographical reasons such as the climate preventing crops. When I found out that the GOVERNMENT HAD DONE this to the people the majority of which were children I was irate! I started out sympathetic to the military because of Boko Haram. Then I learned they were killing children and student protesters and I turned on them. I eliminated them off of the friend list as I view them as monstrosities.

 ARE THE SUFFERINGS OF BIAFRAN CHILDREN BEHIND THE REASON YOU ACTIVELY FIGHT FOR THEM?

 Yes, again my psyche was developed from the frame of mind of an abused, tormented child, abandonment hopelessness issues. Children are so helpless. They are at the mercy of adults. I feel compassion also for young adults and all ages but when one is a little older they have at least the ability to reason and in some cases escape the situation. A small child is defenseless. My condition PTSD causes flashbacks where I recall these events. When I see the mutilated bodies of the Biafran people and children with machetes that have died gruesome deaths or bullet riddled bodies it actually triggers PTSD episodes. I can almost feel the terror of the victims and the impact of the bullets and the blades. While I get violently ill viewing the images, sobbing uncontrollably for a time due to the helpless feeling I have with them suffering, it also initiates intense action to reach out for assistance to governments and other mediums to achieve intervention.

 WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BIAFRANS AND NNAMDI KANU?

 I do not know Nnamdi Kanu personally but I have such deep admiration for the man. I imagine what he is going through every day imprisoned, an innocent man while murderers roam freely without prosecution there in Nigeria. The affinity for Africa I believe started with the early childhood experience that I had living with the African family, in the African neighborhood. There was so much love in this integrated whole family. I really felt part of the community and the family. I came from an unstable, broken family so this filled this void and I felt at peace. There were shootings in the area at times but we all huddled together. The love for Biafrans is simply they keep me going. I see their determination and this is an inspiration for me to do all that I can to assist. I had felt like a tethered little dog during certain points at my life and I can relate to their need for freedom.

 YOU ONCE WROTE THAT YOU WILL DIE FOR NNAMDI KANU AND HIS PEOPLE, WHAT DRIVES YOU?

 Without him in the World, I feel humanity has lost all hope. When I look around in this 21st Century at all of the self centeredness, the superficiality, the shallowness of most people I simply cannot relate to pop culture. I am a very driven person for justice. The passion that he has is contagious. When I listen to his persuasive arguments it is captivating to me. When I think of how he left a life of privilege to sacrifice all this is the epitome of a man. Nnamdi Kanu is a source of inspiration for me. We are opposites yet in a sense I feel we are working together. He was the Prince as a child and I was the Pauper.

 WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF NNAMDI KANU AND HIS SELF-DETERMINATION QUEST?

 I think it is extremely noble, honorable and that Biafra will be achieved AGAIN. This time it will be for eternity and not confiscated. Many factors there are humanitarian rights organizations now, it is a digital age wherein everything is exposed and this is a stronger generation of Biafrans parents and children. They are the walking wounded and they are tenacious.

 WHAT ARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR IN YOUR ACTIVISM?

 It is actually hard for me to identify concrete achievements although I can feel things shifting in the spiritual sense. I think raising the awareness and reaching a vast audience. I know that on Youtube by placing in the comments section of popular videos randomly that hundreds of thousands of viewers are learning of Biafra. We plant seeds, water and God gives the increase. I believe that it is removing the scales from their eyes and that this is enlightening the population. The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine.

 WHAT ARE YOUR REGRETS?

 My regret is obtaining a Master of Science degree from a For Profit University of Phoenix which is the subject of many scandals. The school offered a program to become a FBI Special Agent. The school defrauded many students. I went to school at night after working all day for many years to obtain the criminal justice degree and the Master of Science in justice and security. This was extremely stressful, a sacrifice of time and large sum of money to transition into a role of a field FBI Special Agent rescuing children. I traveled abroad to the United Kingdom in 2006 solo to adapt to the environment and assimilate in preparation for the psychological undertaking of undercover assignments in foreign lands. I began studying Russian language. I already had some linguistic ability French and Spanish language from early childhood Washington DC which is a cosmopolitan area of many cultures in the nation’s capitol. In 2012 I learned that 200 campuses were closing and learned of the scandal and was heartbroken. This was devastating to me and a disservice to the children I would be serving. I was prepared to die saving a child as that is how significant this dream was to me. Learning of this betrayal by alleged FBI special agent instructors, police officers, criminal justice professionals and administrators compounded my traumatic events endured. This ripped my core that the one area of society the protectors would engage in such an elaborate scheme to line their pockets when they knew that these degrees would not qualify us for such positions was to me akin to being violated again. The litigation is ongoing and extremely stressful. As a result of these transactions and occurrences, I received diagnosis of PTSD. I have my good and bad days but Biafra Ambazonia helps me cope and give me a new dream. I am hopeful that the litigation will provide precedent to allow other students to obtain relief and discharge of their debts and damages for their suffering.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY ABOUT THE FIGHT FOR BIAFRAN PEOPLE?

 In a sense I feel that I am doing my criminal justice work even though it was not through the mechanism of working in the field for the FBI. I feel that essentially I am working by volunteering and helping Biafra Ambazonia this is what gives me joy that I am essentially using the precious commodity of time wisely that God has given me every day. Any little positive development makes me happy like the British roundtable about Biafra, a new advocate in a position of power for Biafra politicians, etc. as this provides even more exposure and clout and of course seeing the pipelines blown up. I derive a charge from this and the individuals are only destroying property not human life. They are putting it into words that the government can understand in the purse strings.

 AS YOUR GOVERNMENY IS NOT HELPING, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

 As a matter of fact it is an incredible sense of shame. I see it as hypocritical and two faced. We intervene in some situations but not in others. This used to be a very compassionate nation. I am appealing to those in government to assist and reminding them that they have a responsibility due to the seats they hold.

 WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO GET GOVERNMENTS INVOLVED?

 I have been mostly contacting by twitter, face book social media and email. I am going to step it up by actually sending certified letters as I know that live human beings open up, read and calendar mail for responses. In contrast, it is easier to sometimes ignore social media but not as easy when received in a formal, legal fashion. I plan on contacting the radio stations, television stations, the Courts and Politicians. I will also be contacting via certified letter Congress the Committee Members that are investigating Facebook for suppression and provide with evidence that they are in fact doing so this week.

DO YOU FEEL ANY DIVINE CONNECTION WITH BIAFRA THAT YOU ARE SO INVOLVED?

 I do indeed feel it is divinely led. There are times when I am meditating that I will have insight on a new strategy to try, another facet of society to contact. Each day that I wake up it is like I receive manna from Heaven in the form of inspiration. It is if my whole life was divinely orchestrated for this moment in time. I have not made any plans when Biafra comes because I believe I will be there and aiding in the prosecution of those that wrongfully killed and maimed Biafrans. Right now I cannot see beyond the fight for Biafra this is what I live and breathe and either concurrently or subsequently we obtain Ambazonia. Instead of sad faces, I want to see happy thriving faces on the children.

 WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT?

 My message to the Nigerian government is that they are to make restitution to the people of Biafra and give the people their independence – the United States of Biafra. Forcing conflicting populations together with differing cultures and religions is a powder keg. It is essentially like placing two pit bulls in a confined space or a cockfight with the governments cheering on the sidelines at the blood sport and clash of civilizations. Heartless leaders reveling in gladiator fights as the ancient Romans did. We see the exact manifestation with this social engineering experiment in the influx of Syrian immigrants into Europe that refuse to assimilate the New World Order’s attempt at eliminating borders and nation’s sovereignty. Biafra endured a hostile takeover in 1914 and an occupation. Biafra will come whether peaceably or to the beat of war drums. Biafra has not began an offensive or preemptive strike but they will self defend. This is a digital age; the World sees everything in real time unlike the Biafra Nigeria war in 1967-1970. During that epoch their cries were muted to the World with the exception of a few news stories and photographs which surfaced. This young generation of Biafrans is tech savvy, as their parents the remaining survivors which have an intact memory as I do of my trauma. Anger fuels our passion. The worse thing a person can encounter is someone that has nothing to lose as they are fearless.