My letters were taken out of context

Jun 16, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
I must’ve really provoked T. King that made him or her pen a letter filled with so much venom and anger towards me. T. King based his or her entire letter in the Kaieteur News (15-06-08) on two of my sentences in a letter in the newspapers dealing with the sex abuse cases involving teachers.

This writer alleged that I was insulting women by saying that they dress “provocatively” to work.
My letter that the writer referred to was aimed at females within the teaching system. My letter, therefore, had to be interpreted within the context of the educational system here in Guyana. It was either this writer was having a bad day the time he/she read my letter, or just conveniently misinterpreted my intentions.

The writer made me look like someone who trashes women. I do not. In fact, if this writer were to read my letter last Sunday about Father’s Day, then he or she will see how I’ve described some men of today who are fathers.

I have no time to waste to deal bit by bit with T. King’s rants in the letter, which were all misdirected and out of context.

Furthermore, his or her statement, “Come on ladies, if you got it then flaunt it,” sends not only a dangerous message to our women of today, but spells disaster for female teachers who are in the education system and the children that they teach.

In saying that, I assure the writer that there is a Dress Code manual for teachers in Guyana. Of course, not many teachers have been following this code.

Today we have teachers who report to work inappropriately dressed — both males and females — but the problem lies mostly (please note, T. King) with female teachers.

There are problems, such as wearing short skirts, jeans, tight-fitted clothes, etc. For the males, some of them wear jeans to work while others wear their shirts out of their pants. That seems to be the going style today for some male teachers.

Now, obviously, if males dress with jeans and wear their shirts out of their pants (which I believe is being improperly dressed to enter a classroom), there would be very little that is sexual about that, as opposed to female teachers wearing very short and tight-fitted clothing, etc.

Male and female teachers must dress appropriately to enter classrooms and teach children.

So, T. King, I hope I’ve made myself clearer. I have nothing but respect for the female colleagues in the profession. I do admire the way many of them are attired.

These are the role models of other female teachers out there who may be lacking. Work clothes should be very different from ‘outing’ clothes, especially those of a teacher.

Finally, since you referred to me as ‘high and mighty’ in your letter (which I am very not) I shall end by recognising there was a letter in the Kaieteur News titled ‘The letters of T. King are atrocious’. Need I say more?

Leon Jameson Suseran