By Sidiki Fofana
In the calm of yesterday evening, former Senator from Maryland County, Hon. John Ballout Sr., made a startling declaration on social media: he claimed ownership of the phrase “We the People.” To support his claim, he posted legal documents showing registration of an organization under that name—documents bearing the seal of the Liberian government.
Had he not produced legal paperwork, such a claim might have been dismissed as rhetorical overreach—or even a display of intellectual audacity left for young students of civic to provide needed correction to the Senator.
But with government-issued documents in hand, the matter shifts from personal posturing to a troubling institutional failure. When the tools of governance are used to legitimize the privatization of a phrase so sacred, it’s no longer a personal ambition. It’s symbolic robbery.
The truth is when official papers lend legitimacy to a claim so intellectually reckless and constitutionally alarming, it becomes more than a personal overreach—it becomes a threat to public heritage.
Let us be clear: “We the People” is not a corporate slogan. It is not a private brand. It is not, and cannot be, the intellectual property of any one individual or group. It is the foundational phrase of our national identity, enshrined in the Constitution of Liberia, and echoed across democratic charters throughout the world. It defines who holds power in a republic—for, by, and of the people. It symbolizes our shared authority, shared struggles, and collective hope.
To claim ownership of that phrase is to attempt to privatize a public ideal. It is to misappropriate the soul of a nation.
The fact that such a registration was even allowed raises serious concerns about oversight and due diligence at the Liberian Business Registry. If “We the People” can be registered as the name of a private organization, what’s next? Will someone register “Liberia” itself? Or attempt to trademark “The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here”? The slippery slope is both real and dangerous.
We must not allow bureaucratic lapses to become tools of symbolic theft. Language that belongs to all of us—language that defines our Republic—cannot be commodified by a person.
Former Senator Ballout, with all due respect, neither you nor anyone else can own that phrase. It was not written for you; it was written for all of us. If you wish to launch a movement or organization, you are welcome to adopt a variation that reflects your personal vision. But “We the People”, as it stands, belongs to every Liberian—past, present, and future. This is more than a legal technicality. It is a moral imperative.
Let us defend our democratic inheritance before it is quietly auctioned off in the registries of neglect.
The ideals that bind us together must not be reduced to marketing tools or private brands. We are the guardians of our own symbols. And we must act like it because if “We the People” can be bought, then so can the Republic.
Author bio:: Sidiki Fofana
Organization and Leadership Development Expert with years of experience as a leader in Institutional Change Management and Business Development. A trained Cybersecurity Specialist from Saint Joseph University.
